Classroom activities are not just where learning happens; they're also where community is built. These day-to-day interactions between educators and learners are powerful opportunities to cultivate inclusion, belonging, and trust. Thoughtfully designing and facilitating classroom activities can help ensure all learners feel seen, supported, and engaged. Below are strategies that promote inclusive participation, responsiveness to learners’ diverse needs and identities, and shared investment in the learning process.
Classroom activities and interactions are where learners spend the most time with the educator. It is the space to build in trust, transparency, collaboration, and inclusivitySome specific strategies include:
- Build rapport with learners, as it is one of the most effective ways to make learners feel like they belong. There are many ways to build rapport, such as sending introductory emails, asking learners to introduce themselves, having asynchronous check-ins with learners, getting to know their interests and goals through one-on-one interactions, providing feedback that also centers praise, and having email check-ins with all learners throughout the semester.
- Learn learners’ names and pronouns (if they share) and how to pronounce their names correctly. Do not call roll on the first day, as learners’ names on the roster may not match the name they use. Encourage learners to also learn and use each other’s names and pronouns correctly.
- Make connections of class sessions to the larger learning goals of the course, to the larger field, and to the world.
- Collaborate with learners to develop ground rules and norms.
- Anticipate subject matters that may need content warnings and incorporate pathways for learners to opt out of content that would put them in a place where they can no longer learn effectively.
- Deliver content through accessible principles and Universal Design for Learning. You may also want to consider incorporating breaks if your class session is long.
- Incorporate into classroom activities a range of diverse perspectives and thinking across race, nationality, language, disability, sexuality, gender, class, etc. This representation should not be tokenizing but spread throughout the syllabus (i.e., not occur once to “check” a box; not present stereotypes; not be centered on a diversity month, such as Black authors in February only).
- Structure discussions to include all learner voices, such as “take a queue, ask to hear from those who have not spoken, wait until several hands are raised to call on anyone, use think-pair-share activities” (University of Michigan).
Acknowledge difficult current events (but do not force learners to discuss them) and provide learners with further supportive resources
- Provide opportunities for learners to give feedback throughout the semester. For example, you may distribute an anonymous survey near midterms asking learners what they would like to continue, what they want to see changed, and any open questions/concerns they have.
- Refrain from making assumptions about learners, requiring learners to speak on behalf of their identities, and letting harmful comments by learners go unaddressed.
Use the P.A.L.S. method to address challenging moments and follow up with those harmed, as needed