Cultivating Communities of Care

October 21st, 12 PM to 1:30 PM

We’ve learned a tremendous amount during the pandemic about the important role of empathy, flexibility, connection, and care in academic success. We continue to learn about the critical role of “communities of care” in classroom equity and success. Join a dialogue between colleagues about building a new status quo where we cultivate more nurturing and equitable spaces that integrate academics and community. We will unpack what we mean by “communities of care” and generate practical strategies for ourselves, our colleagues, and our students.

Mindfulness as a Care Practice

October 28th, 12 PM to 1:30 PM

Cultivate the inner conditions to be calmer, happier, and more resilient, peaceful, and compassionate towards ourselves, our colleagues, and our students.  

Mindfulness, inner peace, attention, and compassion are not conditions that some intrinsically have while others do not.  These qualities and capacities are developed through our intentional practice.  In this session, we will practice mindful breathing, reflective journaling as well as heart sharing.  We will also share resources and practices that can be used in the classroom to promote student well-being and learning through stress reduction and emotional self-regulation.  Cultivate classrooms where each member feels valued, engaged, and ready to learn.

Ungrading as a Care Practice

November 4th, 12 PM to 1:30 PM

How can ungrading approaches (e.g. low-stakes or no-stakes practice, ungraded projects) support students’ learning and sense of belonging in the classroom? How can taking small (and big!) steps in our grading practices create a more inclusive, equitable, and caring classroom? This session will provide a brief introduction to ungrading and provide examples of small steps classroom practitioners can take to increase student equity, engagement, and learning.