Creating Welcoming Spaces

Ideas

Idea #11: Bringing Your Best Self

"If we want to make kindness a guiding principle of our pedagogy–to thread it through our syllabi, assignments, class activities, and the homework we assign–we have to begin by being kind to ourselves… It's about making a promise to ourselves that we are worthy of care and that our colleagues are as well… It's about saying yes and owning our no to create the conditions under which we can be the teachers we and our students deserve." —Catherine J. Denial

Learning Intentions

Coming to class rested and at peace with the lesson for the day can help you see beyond your own stressors to fully engage with and listen to your students. Prioritizing self-care and performing at a high level are unlikely to go hand-in-hand easily; however, your wellbeing is the foundation on which a welcoming space is built.

4 Elements of Faculty Burnout

  • Purpose: Discover what makes work meaningful and when to draw the line.
  • Compassion: Treat yourself and those around you with support; avoid negative self-talk, recognize compassion fatigue, perceived professional competition, and unreasonable expectations.
  • Connection: Foster relationships with trusted peers, mentor and be mentored. Connect with community (events, a social group, friends, or family).
  • Balance: Set boundaries, try not to over-identify with the job, and cultivate nonacademic pursuits. Protect your time, energy, and peace of mind; take time alone to decompress each day. Use new practices that slightly stretch yourself but keep it within your authenticity and capacity.

More Ideas

  • Be real: Recognize that welcoming practices look different for every instructor; take what resonates, leave what doesn't. Focus on implementing those practices which energize rather than drain you.
  • Affirmations: Remind yourself what you are passionate about in your career, what accomplishments you are proud of, when you feel your best working, and what meaningful goals you have. Write down moments of gratitude or joy.
  • Mind-dump: in a handwritten journal, audio log, speech-to-text app, or just a Google doc, dump everything you're thinking about or what you felt and experienced that day.
  • Check in with yourself often: how are you feeling? What do you need? Have your physical needs for sleep, food, and water been met?

Resources