In common to most, if not all, teachers, I always commit myself to designing and carrying out successful teaching. In particular, I subscribe to the notion that teaching success correlates with students learning. Accordingly, part of my job as a teacher is to identify and facilitate ways of learning that best match the kinds of learning that needs to occur in my courses. Because there is no such thing as an all-purpose approach to teaching (or one-size fits all approach), I understand the need to maintain a life-long commitment to continuous improvement upon my teaching and learning. Thus, I intentionally make every effort to keep abreast with evidence-based developments on approaches to teaching and learning. For example, I regularly read journal articles and books related to teaching and learning. I attend the Annual University Teaching and Learning conference, the University Fall Forum, and other teaching and learning workshops. Among the many lessons I have learned is the critical role that the classroom climate has on students learning. Indeed, course climate has been suggested as a very important component in the design of effective instruction. For example, Ambrose et al. (2010) suggested seven principles for effective teaching based on literature research and their own teaching experiences. Two of these principles seem to explicitly connect learning with the climate of the course.
“Students’ current level of development interacts with the social, emotional, and intellectual climate of the course to impact learning”
“Students’ motivation determines, directs, and sustains what they do to learn”
Tweed (2009) proposed a framework for the design of an effective classroom science instruction, the C-U-E framework. This framework consists of three elements: Content (C), Understanding (U), and Environment (E). According to Tweed “Content and understanding strategies contribute in large measure to the instruction we provide. Yet the effectiveness of the most carefully crafted lessons and instruction will be enhanced or undermined by the classroom climate – including relationships among students and between students and the teacher.”
I design my courses with consideration to the teaching context offered by DePaul University. Within this context and given the potential impact that the course climate has on students learning, I ask myself how to create a climate for my courses that is conducive to learning. In my efforts to answer this question, I have become more intentional about reflecting on the issue of course climate using DePaul University’s Mission as a framework. DePaul’s mission statement is the criterion against which plans are formulated and major decisions made and assessed.
It is apparent, from its mission statement, that DePaul University is guided by a set of principles and values that promote and embrace opportunities for everyone to succeed, especially those in most need. Great emphasis is placed on the intellectual potential and academic achievement of all students admitted to DePaul. Students of diverse cultural, socio-economic, and ethnic groups are most welcome at DePaul. Moreover, the religious diversity across the university is acknowledge and embraced. Academic freedom is valued and guaranteed “as an integral part of the university’s scholarly and religious heritage, and as an essential condition of effective inquiry and instruction.”
Overall, I feel that the values and principles that define me as an individual align quite well with the Vincentian values and principles that drive DePaul University. I know the importance of being surrounded by a supportive environment and the benefits of being challenged in meaningful ways. I am convinced that education is one important way we all have to elevate ourselves and contribute to the well-being of human kind. I was able to get out of the poverty status I was born and raised in because of the benefits of education. I am very grateful for the many opportunities I have been given during my life, and I feel strongly motivated to give back by helping others. Teaching in Higher Ed has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to guide others, especially in conceptualizing learning as a never-ending journey rather than a fixed destination. At the same time, however, teaching in Higher Ed also comes with challenges of varied complexity.
Teaching in a multicultural classroom is one example of the kind of challenges that needs to be met if I am to be successful as a teacher. Having students of diverse talents and interests, as well as from different cultural and religious backgrounds, forces me to be mindful and respectful of the individual realities of my students. It also emphasizes the need to facilitate their integration into the larger multicultural reality they encounter in the classroom, but equally important in the multicultural and multi-religious reality they will certainly encounter in the world society at large.
Incorporating DePaul’s Mission into My Classes
Using DePaul’s Mission as a framework, I have been able to create quite a positive climate in my most recent general chemistry courses. Some of the specific actions I have taken are detailed below.
St. Vincent’s Question
During the first week of class, I share this video:
The video clip is 33 seconds long. It introduces students to the St. Vincent’s question: What must be done?
In class, I give students a chance to elaborate on the meaning of the Vincentian question in general, and then in particular to the context of the course. I prompt students with what it is that they would like to achieve in the course, what I want them to achieve, and how we can come together to realize our expectations to the largest extent possible. Thus, naturally the question “What must be done?” comes into play. More explicitly, the question is unpacked into “What must I do? What must you do? And what must we do?” to have a successful, rewarding, and long-lasting teaching and learning experience.
This particular action has provided me with a framework for establishing a communication channel with and among my students where DePaul Mission is explicitly brought into the classroom.
I find students gradually developing a sense of ownership of their learning. Indeed, when confronted with poor performance, a student sees the connection with the Vincentian question as a way to begin the process of improvement.
Quotes to Inspire
I have developed the habit to end emails to my students with an inspirational image or quote (sometimes from Vincent DePaul himself). I like to make sure that my messages are positive and full of encouragement. I like my students to see through my communication with them that I have faith in their potential to succeed, and that I am always there to support them. A few examples follow.
Dear all,
Please start reading Chapter 10 and working on the in-chapter exercises. Please let me know how I can help you!
Best,
Dr. Parra
Quote from Saint Vincent:
I will always welcome joyfully any opportunity that comes my way to be of service to you.
Vincent de Paul
Dear all,
With close to 80% of students submitting the “Sharpening skills” assignment, I would say we are off to a good start in demonstrating commitment to our own success. The next step for you guys is to self-assess your performance by comparing with the answer key (available in D2L). Even if you did not submit the assignment, I still encourage you to look at the key and self-assess.
Best,
Dr. Parra
Dear all,
I hope you are having fun reading Chapter E and going over the examples and trying out the corresponding exercises. Please make sure you keep up!
I just added an assignment that you can find in the Module Practice Problems. The assignment is an opportunity for you to sharpen some of the basic math skills strongly required for your success in chemistry. It is due tomorrow at 11:30 PM, but you want to start ASAP and before class tomorrow, so that we can have a more meaningful lecture. Do not let your valuable time go to waste. Use every minute for learning as much as possible!
I will be in my office before class tomorrow, so feel free to drop by in case you want me to help you with any questions. Of course, after class I am also available during office hours.
All the best,
Dr. Parra
PS: Check out the attached inspirational quote!
First Generation Student Videos
I share the links below where students can find video clips of different DePaul Faculty sharing their stories as first generation students, including my own.
Quite a few students emailed me thanking me for sharing my story and the stories of other first generation students, see an example below:
Hi Dr. Parra,
Thank you so much for sending this. I really enjoyed watching the video and learning more about your story. I am a first generation student myself! You are so inspiring!
Support
I provide students with ample opportunities to engage with the course materials in meaningful ways. I am conscious about issues of access, equity, diversity, and inclusion when I design my activities. For example, I have had students who expressed difficulties (including financial difficulties) in completing some assignments or even coming to class altogether. I have learned about students who are housing-insecure, or who cannot afford a calculator, or who have not yet had breakfast. I think one reason students feel more comfortable sharing these difficulties with me lies in the positive, welcoming climate I have been able to build. I am able to refer these students to suitable offices or persons at DePaul who can assist them based on their needs. One support services for students that I like to mention is the Student Success website. This site offers students a rich variety of support services available at DePaul.
Students’ appreciation of the positive climate is seen by having a relatively high class attendance, overall performance in class, and by explicitly telling me verbally or via emails like the one below:
Hi Dr Parra,
I just wanted to send you a email about the quarter so far and thank you for all the investment you have made with this class. I heard you say a few lectures ago that it was taking a lot of time and effort to put together these formative practice tests and the sample questions, and I wanted to thank you and let you know that it is extremely helpful.
Long story short thank you for taking the time to create all of the materials you make, I greatly appreciate it and I know many other students that take advantage of it also do. I have found it to my advantage to really utilize what you have put together.
Thanks again!
I would like to end this blog by saying that I have seen great improvement in the classroom climate of my courses since I started to reflect and act upon DePaul’s mission more critically. There are certainly many ways in which the Mission of the University can be made part of our teaching and learning. Thus, I am ever more intentional and creative to make sure that when a student runs into me, he or she is truly running into DePaul’s Mission!
References
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: seven research-based principles for smart teaching. SanFrancisco, CA: Josey-Bass.
Tweed, A. (2009). Designing effective science instruction. What works in science classrooms. Arlington, VA: NSTA press.