Three to Thrive: Small Changes. Big Impact.
Three easy-to-implement teaching practices to improve the student experience. These tips are from the UT Arlington Student Experience Project, a group of dedicated faculty seeking to provding a supportive learning environment for students. Check out their tips below!
As the semester winds down, many students start to question whether they can still improve, catch up, or turn things around. This is exactly where The Power of Yet becomes transformative. When students shift from “I can’t do this” to “I can’t do this yet,” they re-open the door to effort, strategy, and growth—especially during the crucial final weeks.
For more information about SEP, visit our website page.
- Welcoming Environment: Reassure Students That It’s Not Too Late
End-of-semester fatigue can make students feel like improvement is out of reach. A brief moment of reassurance can help them re-engage.
Try this:
- Open class with: “What’s one thing you’re still working on understanding or something you just don’t get yet?”
- Acknowledge the crunch openly: “This point in the semester is hard. Confusion is normal right now, and there is still time to make meaningful progress.”
- Highlight campus resources that can support a strong finish such as Knack tutoring, office hours, review sessions, writing center, etc.
Why it works:
Students feel seen, supported, and reminded that they’re not behind—they’re still in progress.
- Growth Mindset in Action: Use “Yet” to Reframe Late-Semester Doubt
Students often decide they’re “just not good” at a topic after a tough exam or assignment. Reinforcing “yet” gives them permission to keep trying.
Try this:
Share end-of-semester reframes such as:
- “I haven’t mastered this unit yet, but I can improve before the final.”
- “I’m not satisfied with my last exam yet, so I’m going to revisit my notes and practice examples.”
- “My study strategies aren’t working yet, but I’m going to keep trying.”
Why it works:
It turns doubt into direction and helps students claim the remaining weeks as an opportunity for growth rather than an expiration date on success.
- Wise Feedback: Give Forward-Facing Guidance for the Final Stretch
Students finishing the semester need actionable, focused feedback—not generic encouragement.
Try this:
- When returning an assignment or sending a class-wide message, use this framework:
“Here’s where you are → Here’s what you can still accomplish → Here’s your next step.”
- Use “yet” directly in feedback:
“Your understanding of this process isn’t consistent yet, but here’s the part you’re doing well, and here’s the exact piece to practice next.”
- Provide exam wrappers or short checklists that help students translate feedback into a plan for the remaining weeks.
Why it works:
Students walk away with a clear path forward—one that feels achievable rather than overwhelming.