Supporting Student and Instructor Wellness
The English 100 program recognizes that student and instructor wellness is dependent on nuanced social-ecological factors, and the space of the semester can allow for recurring and emerging interruptions to individual and collective wellness. You might keep in mind that students are experiencing higher rates of anxiety and depression than students of the past, and they may have greater support needs in the classroom. As an instructor, you also may experience higher levels of stress as you manage the demands of the course. Importantly, the admin team is here to support you and your students.
For Students
While supporting student mental health is a priority, remember that in your capacity as an instructor you are not in any way expected to act as a mental health provider or offer emotional guidance to students. However, several frameworks may be usefully implemented in your classroom towards student wellness. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Trauma-Informed Pedagogy are two approaches which attend to the psychological wellness of students. Where SEL identifies areas where students can develop social and emotional skills and may be useful for things like assignment design, trauma-informed pedagogy provides instructors with philosophies and practices toward reduced impact on students experiencing trauma or traumatic stress.
SEL emphasizes the value of developing “soft skills” through attention to emotional intelligence. The short video below introduces a framework for SEL which includes five areas of competency: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Considering where these areas may be usefully engaged in your classroom can help support your students as whole people with complex development needs.
Trauma-informed pedagogy recognizes that an unknown number of students have histories of trauma which affect their ability to show up in the classroom, and suggests practices for supporting traumatized students. Dr. Janice Carello has developed seven principles for trauma-informed teaching and learning environments: (1) Physical, Emotional, Social, and Academic Safety, (2) Trustworthiness and Transparency, (3) Support and Connection, (4) Collaboration and Mutuality, (5) Empowerment, Voice, and Choice, (6) Social Justice, and (7) Resilience, Growth, and Change. When implemented in the classroom, these principles lend themselves to not only the support of students experiencing trauma or traumatic stress, but all students experiencing difficulty.
Both of these frameworks are compatible with Universal Design for Learning and anti-racist pedagogy, and they support the core beliefs and learning outcomes of English 100. Please also note the available university and Madison-based mental health resources in the Resource section of the IG. You may find it helpful to include these resources on your syllabus, or otherwise make them available for students to access easily.
Additional Readings:
“Creating Trauma-Informed Teaching and Learning Environments: Self Assessment Questions for Educators”: This short handout provides guiding principles for Trauma-Informed instruction and questions for assessing your current philosophies and practices.
“Trauma-Informed Writing Pedagogy: Ways to Support Student Writers Affected by Trauma and Traumatic Stress”: This academic article discusses strategies for facilitating psychologically safer classroom spaces and serving as a buffering role model for students.
Check out this video, “SEL 101,” from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL):
For Instructors
We care about you and want you to be well. Supporting your wellness is essential to your success as an instructor, and we know that teaching can be overwhelming at times. Developing your own emotional intelligence can help you recognize signs of distress and support needs. It can also allow you to serve as a role model for students. Taking time to consider what kind of care you need from yourself and from others to support your wellness in a new semester can improve your capacity to respond when stress or overwhelm arises.
As an instructor, you have access to several resources provided by the university, in addition to available local resources, which are also in the Resource section of this Guide. If you’re having trouble finding something you need, please don’t hesitate to connect with the admin team. Experiences shared with admin will exclusively be used for the purpose of identifying resources and managing concerns, and they will in no way affect your teaching appointment.