by Dr. Claudette L. Tolson (ctolson@gsu.edu)
Associate Professor of History, Georgia State University’s Perimeter College
As we entered 2020, none of us could have expected a global pandemic and nationwide social unrest. This year has definitely been overwhelming. You might be wondering how you can provide support to your students as we experience this period of uncertainty together. I have five tips and five websites that you might want to use. I wish you the best during this challenging time.
Five Tips
- Be more available. Do your students think you are approachable? Do you respond to your emails and iCollege messages in a timely manner? If you are using iCollege, how often do you post announcements? Can your students reach you by phone?
- Be more compassionate. Students are often experiencing much more than we realize. It is possible for you to be more flexible with your assignments and due dates?
- Be more aware. What issues are your students facing? Have you asked them? A couple of ways to do this would be to hold a WebEx session or create a survey.
- Listen more. This is a time to listen to your students without judging them. Do you realize that often people just want to know that you actually hear their concerns?
- Become more knowledgeable. How much do you know about historical issues that might affect your students? Do you have any biases that might affect your thinking? This is a good time to learn even more and to challenge yourself.
Five Websites
From The 1960s To 2020: Civil Unrest In The Face Of Systematic Injustice
Project Implicit-Harvard University
The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education-Stanford University
