3.9 Pause & Reflect (Required to earn certificate)

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  Posted by CUNY Mindset Initiative on July 3, 2024 at 7:30 pm

  💬  Share your reflection:

  In an effort to model a metacognition exercise, we’re going to pause for a moment here. You just consumed a lot of information about a sense of belonging and we invite you to simply reflect on everything you’ve encountered thus far.

  Use the following questions to reflect and post your reflection on the discussion forum.

  • What are some of the strategies discussed in this module that you already use to connect with your students?
  • What is something new that you were introduced to?
  • What are some concerns you may have about creating a sense of belonging now that you’ve learned what it could encompass?

  After sharing your reflection, take a moment to read others’ posts and respond to two of your peers with a comment.

• Weiheng Sun (he/him/his)

  Member

  July 5, 2024 at 7:59 pm

  • Some strategies I have already used in my class: group activities, collaboration, pair work, peer review.
  • Although I greet my students at the beginning of most of my classes, I think it would be helpful to take more time to ask them how they’re doing and send more encouraging messages.
  • I’d like to try some of the strategies on the list. For those who often don’t come to class and don’t respond to check-in emails, I’m wondering how we can reach out to them and encourage them to participate in class.
  Careen Purcell

  Member

  July 25, 2024 at 4:32 pm

  In this module, strategies that were discussed to foster a sense of belonging with students are communication, connection, and community. At the start of the course, I send a welcoming letter to students and provide them with the course syllabus, progression criteria, week-by-week schedule,  exam dates, make-up exams, or appeal grade criteria. Additionally, I discuss and post my office hours, contact details, and the purpose of office hours for students’ convenience. I also facilitate connections by allowing students to select learning partners during clinical experiences, offering opportunities for think-pair-share exercises in the classroom, and informing students about available resources such as the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Disability, Access-Ability Services, and Counseling. Furthermore, I encourage participation in college volunteer activities to foster a sense of community.

  One new strategy I will incorporate is metacognition reflection in the classroom, where students contemplate their thinking processes to foster growth in their academic and personal lives. While my students already engage in self-reflections after clinical nursing experiences, I have recognized the importance of my role in coaching and facilitating metacognition. This is vital in promoting self-directed learning and avoiding a robotic approach. In the future, I plan to introduce social/collaborative reflection, allowing students to reflect together and gain insights from their peers, strengthening the sense of belonging and community.

  I am also concerned about fostering a sense of belonging in the classroom, given the diversity of students’ backgrounds, cultures, and values. Cultivating this sense of belonging may be challenging, particularly as some students’ cultural backgrounds view failures as unacceptable and mistakes as signs of weakness rather than opportunities for growth. To address this, I am committed to using language, actions, and examples that build trusting relationships, create a comfortable environment, and normalize setbacks, thereby creating a rewarding learning experience for all students. This commitment is at the core of my teaching and will guide my interactions with students.
  Careen Purcell

  Member

  July 25, 2024 at 4:55 pm

  I have encountered similar instances where students have not responded to emails or phone calls. Upon reviewing the materials within the sense of belonging module, I am contemplating pairing students or establishing small groups at the commencement of the semester. This approach would allow students to cultivate relationships amongst themselves. Ideally, fostering student-to-student connections would facilitate mutual support and community development, resulting in the advancement and success of all students. Notably, a student running late for an exam during the previous semester texted a classmate nearby to notify her of the delay. As my objective for this semester, I am prioritizing cultivating a conducive learning environment and providing avenues for students to engage with their peers and the faculty.