Jeff Tunney is a Learning Specialist in the NVU Center for Teaching and Learning. The following appeared as a weekly “teaching tip” that Jeff sent to NVU faculty. More teaching tips can be found on the NVU CTL website.
Recent studies and surveys indicate that a large percentage of college age students are struggling with mental health and wellness challenges at a rate exceeding the population as a whole. Although exacerbated by the pandemic, rates have actually been trending upward over the past decade, and examining external resources as well as internal NVU-specific survey data has been eye opening.
This article posted by Boston University discusses a Healthy Minds Network study and does a good job of discussing the subject and explains some of their findings across various student demographics, as well as the correlation between mental health and student persistence.
Although our health and wellness teams and support staff are well positioned to assist our students, there are some student and faculty classroom management strategies that can be advantageous.
The following article relates to self-care and it might be worth sharing the information with our students. It touches upon subjects, such as practicing mindfulness and the importance of positive social interactions.
The site below delves into classroom management and methods for connecting and supporting students. Including self-reflective exercises can be a beneficial practice and creating a positive classroom environment is also an important part of the process.
