2.8 Discussion Board III: Relationships (Required to earn certificate)

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  Posted by CUNY Mindset Initiative on March 11, 2024 at 10:57 am

  💬 Discussion:

  In your course(s), how do you get to know your students? Share an activity you use, or plan to use, to learn about students’ personal information, interests, &/or goals.

• Narendra Saini (He)

  Member

  March 21, 2024 at 12:25 pm

  I share my life experiences with students and ask them to share their experiences also. I ask them their interests , hobbies. I ask them to document their movies, photos, places they like.
  Carrie Gheith (she/her)

  Member

  March 26, 2024 at 11:07 am

  As a support staff to educators, when I am giving presentations to students on “Motivation” and “College Success”, I always incorporate my personal growth mindset challenges I faced in higher education and encourage them to identify their motivational factors that helped them overcome past challenges.
  Irene Dascher

  Member

  March 28, 2024 at 12:32 am

  In the beginning of each semester, I spend time establishing respectful environment for our learning. Students contribute their own ideas and understanding of respectful class engagement. Their ideas are incorporated into class procedures and policies. Also, I build-in brief pauses throughout the semester to allow us to connect on human level, to share common experiences, fears, anxieties, joys, challenges, etc.
  Jean-Yves Plaisir (He/him/and/his)

  Participant

  March 30, 2024 at 8:53 am

  At the start of a course, I use an icebreaker to have the students list 10 things about themselves that they would like to share to get someone to know who they are. Next, I give them 15-20 minutes to go around the room introducing themselves and sharing any items on their lists to as many classmates as possible while also jotting down some notes about the people that they met.  Afterward, we regain our seats and use our notes to introduce one another. During the introductions, I pay close attention and repeat each student’s name, and by the end of the activity, I memorize the names of all my students and know at least two pieces of information about each one.  I sum up the activity by reintroducing each student to the class by name, looking at each one directly, and retelling something I recall about them. They usually are very impressed when I do that because I show interest in who they are on the first day of class. As for getting them to know who I am, I usually share background information about my name, how to pronounce my last name (i.e., PLAYZ-EAR), where I come from originally, the two countries I grew up in, my education journey, and how I ended up teaching at the college level. Progressively, I relate information about my family background, professional and community life, hobbies, interests as well as some of the struggles that I faced in life and how I was able to overcome some of them. I feel a much stronger connection with my students when they know who am as a “regular” person (not just a professor out there) who is authentic, empathetic, and supportive. So far, this has worked for me.
  Seth Lehman

  Member

  April 4, 2024 at 2:27 pm

  Hi Narendra,

  How do you ask your students to share this information? A form, discussion post, poll, index card? Have you found one method or platform that students will engage with more than others?
  Seth Lehman

  Member

  April 4, 2024 at 2:28 pm

  Good suggestions! If you don’t already, you could also allow students time to talk in pairs or small groups and share about a past challenge they faced and how they overcame it.
  Seth Lehman

  Member

  April 4, 2024 at 2:31 pm

  Hi Jean,

  This is a great idea! Have you ever had an experience of a student coming late to class or missing the first day completely? I have had that situation and have struggled to help those students connect with the rest of the class because they haven’t had the shared experience of introductions on the first day. Maybe a way to account for this would be to have at least some of the introductions take place asynchronously via a discussion post, introductory video, etc.
  Seth Lehman

  Member

  April 4, 2024 at 2:33 pm

  Hi Irene,

  Allowing students to help create some of the class norms and expectations can definitely build a sense that they are heard and belong in the classroom. What are some of the ways that you invite students to engage with the built-in “pauses” that you describe?
  Lyubov Sergeyeva (She)

  Member

  April 5, 2024 at 3:18 pm

  In the beginning of the class, I ask students to share their biographies and interests. I also ask them to include details of life experiences and how relevant this experience is to this class. I share my life and educational experiences with them during the semester.
  Deborah Greenblatt, Ph.D. (she/her)

  Participant

  April 7, 2024 at 12:42 pm

  On the last board, I shared https://app.bookcreator.com/ as a fun way to get to know each other.
  I have been having my students create “Genius Boards” inspired by the work of Gholdy Mohammad.https://shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/teacher/books/cultivating-genius-an-equity-framework-9781338594898.html She does A LOT of online seminars and podcast interview if you want to get a sample of what this framework is like.
  I also love using Bitmoji as a fun way to get to know students and get a better sense of what they are thinking and feeling – especially in online courses.
  I am happy to share student samples, but I don’t want to post the link on the public board. 🙂
  Deborah Greenblatt, Ph.D. (she/her)

  Participant

  April 7, 2024 at 12:53 pm

  Along those lines, here is an organizer I have used to help me get to know my students. They appreciate it when the professor also fills it out and posts it. 🙂
  Catherine Monchik

  Member

  April 10, 2024 at 6:38 pm

  I like to share things with students about myself and how I chose their career path, which they can connect to. I ask my students to do the same. We are a two-year program, so students become very close throughout the program.

  I like to use a blackboard to have students introduce themselves and give us fun facts.
  Faiza Peetz

  Participant

  April 11, 2024 at 12:47 pm

  Your practice of inviting students to share their life experiences and interests in class fosters a rich, inclusive environment where every story matters. This approach not only humanizes the classroom experience but also encourages students to find value in their own narratives and those of their peers. Have you noticed any particular stories or shared interests that tend to resonate most with your students?
  Faiza Peetz

  Participant

  April 11, 2024 at 12:48 pm

  Your question to Narendra about the specific methods used to collect students’ stories and interests is crucial. It highlights the importance of choosing the right platform or medium that encourages maximum student participation. I’m curious, have you experimented with any particular method in your own teaching that you’ve found to be especially effective in engaging students?
  Faiza Peetz

  Participant

  April 11, 2024 at 12:49 pm

  Carrie, incorporating your personal growth mindset challenges into presentations on motivation and college success is a powerful way to connect with students. It not only makes you more relatable but also demonstrates the practical application of resilience and adaptability in overcoming obstacles. Do you find that students are more open to sharing their motivational factors after hearing about your experiences?