This Week for Faculty: Forum: Return to the Classroom with Student Well-Being in Mind

Are you on the frontlines of teaching and learning on Morningside campus but unsure how to support the well-being of students in your classroom? 

The return to the Morningside classroom following the pivot to remote teaching and learning that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic is sure to surface a lot of emotions. Additionally, students may be facing a variety of stressors which will affect their learning and their engagement in your courses. 

Join colleagues from Columbia Health and Center for Teaching and Learning for a panel discussion about how to support students’ mental health as we begin a new academic year. Learn about the ways to support students through the transition to in-person learning, discover ways to connect them to health and wellness services, and get your questions answered. 

Helping Students Transition to In-Person Learning

The return to in-person teaching and learning will be an adjustment for instructors, TAs, and students alike. Below are three suggestions from our undergraduate consultants on helping your students with the return to in-person learning. Learn more about our student consultants and their work on our Students as Pedagogical Partners initiative page.

“Be open and honest about the challenges in yet another transition.” – Yarin Reindorp, Student, School of General Studies

“Determine how much students know or their comfort level with what is expected of them for the upcoming semester. Consider sending out a survey before classes start. Some potential questions to ask: 

• What are you nervous about for the upcoming semester? 
• Out of these topics, what do you feel the most and least comfortable with, and why? 
• What suggestions do you have to help make this class an enjoyable learning experience for you?” – Michelle Yao, Student, Columbia College

“Allow students more time to complete assignments and slowly transition back into the way things were if you prefer. Going from 24 hour exams to 75 minutes can be very jarring and unintentionally stressful.” – Sajan Bar, Student, School of Engineering

Upcoming Workshops to Prepare for In-Person Teaching:

• Hybrid/HyFlex Teaching with All Learners in Mind: August 23, 10:00-11:30am
• Engaged Lecturing: August 23, 12:00-1:00pm
• Teaching with CourseWorks: August 24, 10:00-11:30am; August 27, 1:00-2:30pm
• Teaching in the Morningside eClassroom: August 24, 12:00-1:30pm
• Transition to In-Person Teaching: August 25: 12:00-1:00pm
• Ways to be More Inclusive In Your Course: August 25, 2:00-3:00pm
• Engaging Students in Discussion: August 26, 12:00-1:00pm
• Teaching Large Courses: August 26, 2:00-3:00pm
• Assessment and Grading with Columbia Tools: August 27, 10:00-11:30am

Schedule a consultation! The CTL is available to assist you as you get ready for Fall 2021! Schedule an in-person or virtual consultation to discuss your in-person teaching plans by emailing ctlfaculty@columbia.edu, or join us for office hours via Zoom (or phone) Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm to have your teaching with instructional technology questions answered.