Supporting Student Wellbeing: The Importance of Communication

By: Islam Ramadan

Mental wellbeing and a healthy, balanced academic life seem to be a challenge for many individuals, particularly in a post-secondary learning environment. My presentation during the Flipping the Script Conference, titled, “I’ll Step in Your Shoes, and You’ll Step in Mine; Supporting Student Wellbeing in the Classroom,” aimed to address the gap between educational avenues of support and Gen Z students accepting an outreached hand. By discussing the internal conflict of self-sufficiency that many students battle, we begin to brainstorm ways that faculty can implement simple interventions into their classroom, to satisfy the balance between mental wellbeing and a healthy academic life. 

One activity that I did during the presentation was to have all participants in the room write down one thing that they struggle with in a classroom that others should know—this can be not knowing how to accommodate student needs, it could be the uncertainty of what to say when you’re ready to ask for help, or explaining how you can be supported in your academic journey. Each small bit of information bridged the gap just a little more, between educator and student, student and faculty, or even educator to educator. This sparked conversation at each table, as each individual thought aloud and discussed what they struggled with; some were able to instantly write down a challenge they faced, while others took a moment or two to ponder. 

After collecting the multi-colored sticky notes, I asked the room if we should read a few responses together. Upon hearing a chorus of yesses, I shuffled them all up and chose the first one: “[I struggle with] Not knowing how to identify who needs help.” This response garnered a series of nods of approval, a few ‘mhm’s’, and one “That’s mine!” The room began to look forward to hearing more responses, to see if someone had the same challenge as them, or to learn something new. 

I shuffled the sticky notes again and read the note at the bottom of the pile: “As a teacher, I want my students to give me honest feedback on the things they learned or did not learn.” Now, this sticky note caused a controversy—some individuals reacted with ‘ooh’s’, a few tables across the room were sharing their experiences, and the only group of students in the room silently discussed amongst themselves. 

This was a key moment for me that still replays in my head. Each individual in the room held experiences unique to one another, from various positions in life (i.e., Educator, Student, Social Worker), and, as a whole, provided insight to each personal issue. When almost every educator in the room shared a challenge they faced, more than half had to do with student feedback—or the lack thereof. Each faculty member was curious about ways they could improve by supporting students in their classroom, and editing their assignments based on what did or didn’t work for students during the semester. To this challenge, almost every student in the room responded similarly: “You never asked” or “The course surveys don’t have that question,” among other things.  

One key factor that seemed to resonate with all participants in the room is, “What is help, and how do I recognize the fact that I need it?” This thought echoed in the minds of many, released into the safe space that was Student Center Room 330, and was a key question that I strived to answer during the “Your Shoes + My Shoes: Dual-Perspective Solutions,” portion of my slideshow.  

Taking these factors into consideration, it seems like a larger challenge of supporting wellbeing in the classroom begins with communication. Consider the toughest thing to do for a student - sending an email from your phone whilst laying in bed. I’m serious—as a Gen Z’er, we dread sending emails. We never know if the tone should always be formal, how to properly address the recipient, or how to get straight to the purpose of the email without coming across as rude! As an individual who values independence and has had the trait of self-sufficiency ingrained into her head since, well, forever, I’d rather struggle after trying every possible solution, than become vulnerable and communicate my needs, Horrible, I know!  

I thought that this Gen Z desire to figure out everything on our own, was something well known, but after discussing this with my mentor, Dr. Caren Putzu, she was shocked! It was then a lightbulb went off in my head, and I knew that this would be the main lesson for participants to consider when they wonder why students don’t reach out for help.  

Now the secret’s out—we must address the importance of acknowledging the unseen struggles, and figure exactly how to support student wellbeing. One example that faculty can consider integrating into their path to student wellness is adding a dedicated ‘breathing exercise’ at the beginning or end of the class. To best showcase the results, I encouraged conference participants to engage as I explained how the activity worked. 

The breathing exercise consists of 3 simple steps: Breathe in through your mouth for 3 whole seconds, hold your breath for 3 whole seconds, and then slowly exhale through your mouth for 3 whole seconds—repeat for 3 sets. Our lucky number 3 leaves participants feeling relaxed, their breathing at a steady pace, and the mind readjusted and ready for the next topic of conversation. This simple activity took less than a few minutes of the presentation time and gave each individual the opportunity to decompress from a day’s long worth of listening and speaking.  Small interventions like this can make a huge impact!