Do you consider it important to develop a sense of belonging in the leaning environment? If you do; what do you do or others/teachers do in your country do develop a sense of belonging in the classroom? Do you feel this improves engagement and outcomes?
I am currently working as a TA in one subject in Dalhousie University. What I personally do to keep my class very much engaged with me, using all technology to teach them as precisely as possible and my behaviour towards them is very much friendly that they never feel any fear or shy to ask me any questions. I give them easiest way to crack the solution of even tough problems. So, yes what I suggest if you want to connect your connection with students then you should have to seek, how they want to learn and make it very interesting.
Thank you.
Good points Patel, do you think this approach improves or undermines academic resilience? And, do you feel it increases a sense of belonging at the classroom level or also at the University level for your students?
In my experience, the use of real life examples which the students can relate to has been very beneficial in engaging the audeince. I also, always mention that they are my customers and any feedback is greatly appreciated to make the class more engaging and live!
Robert White, In STEM courses, specifically Biology, professors make it a point to promote group collaboration. With increasing Student:Professor Ratios in Community Colleges, lectures are having 70+ students per instructor. We would utilize jigsaw activities centered in dissecting research projects, article analysis, and course content studies. This would break the classroom into four to five groups, making individuals meet each other in smaller social environments, hence promoting an increased sense of belonging. This highly increases engagement and academic outcome in these Biology courses; student reported academic standings showed upward trend from beginning to end of the quarter. Let me know if you have any questions!