humber.ca/student-life/swac
ENHANCING WELL-BEING IN LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS ACTIVITY
PART 1: REFLECTION Communicate course expectations and your belief that all students can succeed Download and implement the Thriving in the Classroom toolkit and Innovative Learning's EDI Curriculum Toolkit Learn and use students' names (pronunciation) and pronouns Build community through regular icebreakers, collaborative thinking, small group activities, etc. Assess learners' prior knowledge about your field and topics to align instruction with their strengths/needs Encourage learners to visit your “Student Hours” and describe what happens during that time (e.g., share experience with course materials, questions about assignments, etc.) Communicate concern for learners' wellbeing and share information about campus resources at critical points in the semester Cultivate growth mindsets: Allow for productive trial and error (e.g., low-stakes practice quizzes, modelling, discussing wrong answers, scenarios). Emphasize that risk, struggle and failure are part of the learning process Build in flexible course design policies and academic flexibility to support learner absences, assignment deadlines, leaving class early for family or work committments, access to course materials (slides, recordings, notes, etc.) Create intentional opportunities for learners to provide feedback (e.g., anonymous polls, check-ins at the start of class, etc.) to provide formative feedback
PART 2: ACTION PLAN How do you envision the impact of these actions on your teaching and on the resilience and well-being of learners? What can I do in my course this week or semester to make it more inclusive to help facilitate learners' academic resilience?
Adapted from the CELT at Iowa State University and Thriving in the Classroom toolkit: www.thrivingclassrooms.ca Created by: Estefania Toledo | Inclusive Curriculum and Wellbeing Specialist | estefania.toledo@humber.ca
1
humber.ca/student-life/swac
ENHANCING WELL-BEING IN LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS RESOURCES
WELL-BEING STATEMENT Consider adding the following well-being statement to your course shell or syllabus: As a student, you may experience a range of challenges that can interfere with learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, substance use, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may diminish your academic performance and/or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. Humber College offers a wide range of free and confidential services and programs to support your academic success. We encourage you to seek out these resources early and often. Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre: https://humber.ca/studentlife/swac/home Student Learning Services: https://humber.ca/learningresources Student Life: https://humber.ca/student-life/ Recognize, Respond and Support Learners in Distress: https://humber.ca/student-life/swac/health-counselling/resources/respondingstudents-distress Off-campus, immediate help (24/7) is available through Good2Talk, a postsecondary student helpline at 1-866-925-5454 If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in danger of self-harm, call someone immediately, day or night: 911 or Gerstein Crisis Centre (416-929-5200).
HUMBER COLLEGE RESOURCES Student Resources Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre - provides counselling, academic accommodations, wellness programs, health services. https://humber.ca/student-life/swac/home Care Coordinators - support students in distress with sexual violence disclosures, housing issues, financial challenges, food insecurity. https://humber.ca/care IGNITE Student Life - https://ignitestudentlife.com/ Faculty and Staff Resources Employee Assistance Program Innovative Learning EDI: A Faculty Toolkit Recognize, Respond and Support Learners in Distress Humber Healthy You Created by: Estefania Toledo | Inclusive Curriculum and Wellbeing Specialist | estefania.toledo@humber.ca
2
humber.ca/student-life/swac
ENHANCING WELL-BEING IN LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS RESOURCES
TOOLKITS Thriving in Classrooms https://www.thrivingclassrooms.ca/#/ Faculty Connect Series, George Brown College https://www.georgebrown.ca/faculty/facultyconnect
PODCAST Cultivating Student Belonging: Perspectives from Asian Students (Chem4REAL) Mental Health and Wellbeing (Teaching in Higher Education) Wellbeing and Social Justice (Teaching in Higher Education) Teach.Learn.Share (McGill) Help-Seeking Behaviour (Tea for Teaching)
VIDEOS Brown, B. (2017). Daring Classrooms https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=DVD8YRgA-ck Center for Innovation in Campus Mental Health. (2021, March 18). “Understand that we’re human too!” Enabling better student mental health through teaching and learning practices’ https://campusmentalhealth.ca/webinars/understandthat-were-human-too-enabling-better-student-mental-health-throughteaching-and-learning-practices/ Student Affairs Now (2023). Critical Hope for Educators: Equity Analysis, Possibility, and Responsibility. https://youtu.be/O_0VHZPkcXk
READINGS Bourgeault, I., Mantler, J., & Power, N. (2022). Mental health in academic: The challenges faculty face predate the pandemic and require systemic solutions. Academic Matters. https://academicmatters.ca/mental-health-in-academia-thechallenges-faculty-face-predate-the-pandemic-and-require-systemic-solutions Foster, K., & Birdsell Bauer, L. (2018). Out of the Shadows: Experiences of Contract Academic Staff. Canadian Association of University Teachers. Ginwright, S. (2018). The Future of Healing: Shifting From Trauma Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement. https://ginwright.medium.com/thefuture-of-healing-shifting-from-trauma-informed-care-to-healing-centeredengagement-634f557ce69c Samura, M. (2022, May 6). 3 ways to make ‘belonging more than a buzzword. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/3-ways-to-make-belongingmore-than-a-buzzword-in-higher-ed-175731 Created by: Estefania Toledo | Inclusive Curriculum and Wellbeing Specialist | estefania.toledo@humber.ca
3
humber.ca/student-life/swac
ENHANCING WELL-BEING IN LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS RESOURCES
JOURNAL ARTICLES Abelson, S., Lipson, S. K., & Eisenberg, D. (2022). Mental Health in College Populations: A Multidisciplinary Review of What Works, Evidence Gaps, and Paths Forward. In L. W. Perna (Ed.), Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research (Vol. 37, pp. 133–238). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76660-3_6 Coleman, M. E. (2022). Mental Health in the College Classroom: Best Practices for Instructors. Teaching Sociology, 50(2), 168–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X221080433 de Moissac, D., Graham, J. M., Prada, K., Gueye, N. R., & Rocque, R. (2020). Mental health status and help-seeking strategies of international students in Canada. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 50(4), 52–71. https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.vi0.188815 Linden, B., & Stuart, H. (2020). Post-secondary stress and mental well-being: A scoping review of the academic literature. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 39(1), 1-32.
WEBSITES George Brown Faculty Connect: https://www.georgebrown.ca/faculty/facultyconnect University of Michigan: Trauma-informed Pedagogy: https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/inclusive-teaching/trauma-informed-pedagogy Temple University: “Promoting Supportive Academic Environments for Faculty with Mental Illnesses: Resource Guide and Suggestions for Practice” http://tucollaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Faculty-with-MentalIllness.pdf University of Wisconsin, Healthy Academics https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/healthyacademics/
Created by: Estefania Toledo | Inclusive Curriculum and Wellbeing Specialist | estefania.toledo@humber.ca
4