Fostering Welcoming, Inclusive, and Flexible Learning Environments

MA faculty member, Bijani Mizell, led a workshop for staff and faculty on how to support our students in the different experiences and identity factors they bring to the classroom. During the session, titled "Identity, Empathy, Community: Connecting Ourselves and Our Students in an Effective, Inclusive Learning Environment," participants shared effective teaching practices, offered feedback and collaborated on concrete strategies, and examined the ways in which their identities and positionalities impact the learning environments they create. Topics included fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and flexible learning environment; cultivating affirming spaces for our students to feel safe and free; and establishing a learning environment that promotes the physical, social, and emotional safety of our students.