Remember the night before Christmas? You’re excited. You’re exhausted. Right now many of your students are simply tired. Check in with them, please.

Michelle Pacansky-Brock suggests you “find a way to connect with your students…show them that the life you live, and the model you set, isn’t quite as removed as they might feel. Some students don’t have the support or any real connection to the power of education.”[1] In order to assist those who are wavering from disappearing completely, reach out to your class.

About now in the semester the students and I are burnt out. Roughly ten percent of my students are missing, 15-20% are fully participating, turning in great work right on time. The rest seem to be doing okay. However, I need to check, for them and for me.

Consider where your students might be. “Empathy requires you to slow down, see things through your students’ eyes without judgment, be flexible, and support them towards their goals.”[2]

Can we get back the energy from the start of class by restarting from a place of grace.  “Embrace and grow a culture of respect, diversity, inclusion and caring” (BOR Strategic Plan) This is not about reducing academic rigor or letting things slide; it is about humanizing. “It is the transformative experience at UAF that develops, changes, and nurtures hearts and minds.”[1]

Help your student be more prepared for the rest of the semester. I’m sure you have ideas on how. Here are some of mine:

• Provide the primary objectives for weeks 9 – 14 including notes about the final.
• Students are thinking about your final. Some are worrying about it.
• I will lay out a check-off sheet for the tasks I’d like students to do each week.
  • This is my creative time! I can make it look any way I want.

Join me, here is a template you can modify. https://bit.ly/tt-list Please ask your students in your email to provide feedback on how the note and calendar made them feel.

Clean Google doc with a table holding the remainder of the semester in boxes.

As for feedback, if you’ve liked this I invite you to drop me a note, call my phone, or comment on this tip.

Thank you for showing how you care.