Checking In

By: Perry C. Francis, Professor, Leadership and Counseling

Have you ever walked into your classroom and felt as if the students were on edge? I’m not talking about the free-floating anxiety that appears just before an exam. I’m referring to that feeling you get when the tone of the room just doesn’t feel right. Maybe they’re talking a bit too much, or there’s that eerie silence like you just walked into a mausoleum. I recall just such an occasion during the time when EMU was struggling to respond to the racist graffiti that appeared on some buildings around campus. That incident lit the flames of unrest and unease among many of our students. It was a feeling that permeated many of our classrooms; whether the subject was chemistry or cartography, photography or physics, our students were ill at ease.

It was at that moment I began to institute a check-in time with my classes. I would take the first five to ten minutes of the beginning of class and process the day’s events with my students. During the aforementioned time at EMU, it led to a rich, albeit brief, discussion about race relations on campus and how we as a community might react to it. Some student shared resources, others expressed their dismay at what was occurring on campus, and still others offered words of empathy to their fellow classmates. I listened patiently and offered whatever guidance I could and tried to guide the discussion so that all felt safe in expressing their opinions or comments.

I teach in the professional counseling graduate program and am a practicing psychotherapist, so listening and responding empathically comes naturally to me. You might even note that beginning this practice would seem to fit in a class about counseling skills, but not so much in biology or art appreciation. Besides, you might point out, there is only so much time you can spare in any given class period. But I would suggest that the simple act of checking in with your students on occasion and listening to their concerns can enhance the learning environment and help your students focus.

Often times, the simple act of talking about what concerns us or sharing those negative emotions with someone, like a trusted teacher or fellow student, can have a positive impact on our immune system, reducing distress and helping with concentration and learning. It also offers us the opportunity to learn about our students and what concerns them.

Now this might work well in a small class of 15 to 25 students, but what about those large lecture sections of general education classes held in auditoriums that require binoculars to see the back of the room? Perhaps a simple acknowledgement that you are aware of the tension on campus and an offer of information where students can go for help in processing their thoughts and emotions. A word of understanding and empathy can also be offered to demonstrate your own humanity in the midst of the turmoil.

During this time of a pandemic that seems to insist on continuing despite our best efforts, a wise colleague of mine has created an addendum to her syllabi that acknowledges the struggles of learning on-line, especially for those students who are not internet natives or struggle with technology issues due to various constraints. In it, she acknowledges the stresses and strains our current situation has on our environment. Some of our students are parents, others have medical issues that raise the stakes of getting infected, and still others just do not like Zoom learning. During the first class, she checks in with the students and shares her commitment to be flexible in this time of COVID chaos and to help each individual learn. It promotes wellness and helps learning.

What might this look like in your classroom? Cathleen Beachboard, an instructional coach and teacher, makes the simple suggestion of starting the class with a poll. This can be easily accomplished using the Zoom polling feature. The poll question can be a simple one, for example, How am I doing today? The choices can be I’m Great!, I’m OK, I’m struggling, or I am having a hard time and need some help. This will allow the students to give you anonymous information about the class, their mental state, or just how the day is going. Having a resource sheet available with different options is a way to promote student wellness, enhance learning, and sharing your humanity.

Checking in is a simple act, one that promotes wellness, and one that you can institute fairly easily. But most of all, it promotes connection between you and your students on a person-to-person level. And isn’t that what teaching is all about…making a meaningful connection with others as you share with them knowledge that will not only benefit the students, but all who come into contact with those students?

All my best to you in your teaching.