Tips are written by the faculty fellows of the Student Experience Project. All ideas below reflect those of the faculty voices and not of The University of Texas at Arlington, UT System, or SEP.
Three to Thrive: Small Changes. Big Impact.
Three easy upgrades for teaching. Steal our ready-to-use scripts from the Student Experience Project, for a welcoming start, growth-mindset framing, and wise feedback.
This month’s tips are brought to you by the Student Experience Project (SEP) Faculty Fellows at UTA. For more information about SEP, visit our website page.
Three easy-to-implement teaching practices to improve the student experience.
- Welcoming Environment:
- A Welcoming classroom Environment can increase student Learning, Communication, Optimism, Motivation, and Energy – W.E.L.C.O.M.E.
- Creating a welcoming environment does not have to be a monumental task – after all, no one climbs Mount Everest in 1 day. We achieve large goals by completing a series of small ones – let’s try walking up a hill before climbing that mountain!
- “W.E. all have a super-power!”
- One small activity at the beginning of class can start transforming your classroom into a welcoming environment for your students. Encourage communication & energize your students by asking them a unique question.
- “What is your super-power today?”
- Your Superpower – Thinking about their superpower can help students identify positive strengths or skills they already possess. This can help boost their confidence, optimism, energy, & resilience.
- Today – Our strengths will vary based on what is going on in our world. Asking students what their superpower is today will help them realize that we all have a superpower every day…even if that superpower is just taking a walk up that hill!
- A Welcoming classroom Environment can increase student Learning, Communication, Optimism, Motivation, and Energy – W.E.L.C.O.M.E.
- Growth Mindset: More than just a way of thinking!
- Growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and ability can be grown over time through hard work, the use of effective strategies, and asking for help when needed. To demonstrate a commitment to growth mindset consider starting the class, or a class meeting, with a short statement (in-person) or video (online).
- It might look like this: “My teaching philosophy includes a commitment to growth mindset. This means that I believe in your ability to be successful in this class. I have intentionally designed this course to support your growth by: (include the ways that the course supports a growth mindset)”
- Wise Feedback: Struggling to provide feedback in a timely manner? Try a framing statement!
- A Wise Feedback Framing statement is a brief statement that instructors can include along with comments on key assignments and exams that conveys that the instructor is providing feedback because they have appropriately challenging standards for the course and believes that the student can meet them.
Example:
[Student name],
I have provided suggestions to help you grow your understanding of this material. These concepts are challenging, but I know that you can master them! Please come see me in my drop-in hours if you have any questions.
This post was written by faculty participants in the Student Experience Project at The University of Texas at Arlington, a project funded by The University of Texas System and done in collaboration with CRTLE, Division of Student Success, and Division of Faculty Success.
Note from Dr. Peggy Semingson, Interim Director of CRTLE: Thanks to the talented faculty from the SEP Project who shared these valuable insights. Their expertise and dedication to the student experience are exactly what makes our campus so special. At CRTLE, we believe that fostering an environment where every student feels seen, supported, and capable of success is at the heart of what we do. We hope you’ll incorporate these small changes into your teaching and witness the big impact they can have. Stay tuned for more tips and check back on Pedagogy Next website for more practical teaching support. Further resources are here.