Inside the Classroom
In Chapter 4: Launching Your Course both Hogan and Sathy state that welcome videos or welcome messages by email before class begins promote an inclusive environment. They also suggest posting pictures of themselves on the learning management system that convey warmth and friendliness. If the welcome messages were sent, it then sets the tone for the first day of class. As far as creating community in the classroom, the authors note that getting-to-know-you questions create a sense of belonging. Sathy and Hogan help the students to engage with them as professors. They mention that to help students see them as approachable that may include “anecdotes about ourselves (on the first day), discuss likes and dislikes or give true/false quizzes about which characteristics they think describe us.”
Hogan and Sathy also discuss the very important issue of sharing pronouns. We can model this behavior by introducing ourselves and stating the pronouns we use. This can be a touchy topic, as some students may not feel comfortable sharing their pronouns. So, they say they
“invite students to share their pronouns, but never make it a requirement” (p. 94).
Names are also important to consider. There are names that may be difficult to pronounce. In that case, they may ask students to repeat it so they can write it down (many times to spell it phonetically). To learn names, Sathy for example has her students use place cards. So names that are difficult to pronounce can be to be spelled out phonetically on their name cards. All of these techniques help to create a climate in the classroom where all students feel like they are respected and that they belong.