FALL 2020 | WK3 | NEWSLETTER

Oct 16, 2020

Colleagues,

As we round out the third week of a (mostly) virtual quarter, it’s worth noting that this week also marks the seventh month of the COVID-19 pandemic. Are you experiencing persistent fatigue or a foggy brain? Are you noticing students are having difficulty staying on track? In a study conducted by the CDC in June, more than a quarter of the respondents reported symptoms of a trauma- and stressor-related disorder (TSRD) related to the pandemic. I recently heard an interview with Kira Mauseth, a clinical psychologist and faculty member at Seattle University that helped me recognize I need to let go of some expectations I have for myself. I'm not operating at my normal level of productivity, and that's OK. I also have benefited from moments this week where family and colleagues asked me how I was and really listened to my response. Those moments carry a lot of meaning for me and are helping me stay resilient.

So, given that we’ve been persisting through a pandemic for seven months now, it is a good time to check-in with students and with each other. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give when others are struggling is the offer of supportive listening.

… and we are in the midst of a contentious election season. Given the rancor we are all witnessing on television and social media, tension or conflict in the classroom or workplace can happen. When these moments arise, deploying a communication protocol, like Open The Front Door to Communication (OTFD) can help you gently interrogate.

Observe: Make a concrete, factual observation - “I noticed …”
Think: Share thoughts based on an observation - “I think …”
Feel: Describe your emotions - “I feel …”
Desire: State your desired outcome - “I want …”

Preemptively practicing these with friends, family, or a trusted colleague will help you build “muscle memory” for when a stressful situation presents itself. Tasha Souza’s excellent, concise article “Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom: Concrete Strategies for Cooling Down Tension” (2016) provides more insight into the OTFD framework and how to use it in the classroom.

JuliA K. Metzker
Director, Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education

If you, a student, or someone you know is experiencing mental health issues, the mental and emotional well-being resources from the Washington State Coronavirus Response (COVID-19) site provide links to crisis resources and well-being support.

Highlights

ICYM: The Tacoma Campus Virtual Lecture Series by an inspiring set of activists, elders, scholar-practitioners, academics, and good-trouble-makers can be viewed at the Evergreen Sankofa Media YouTube channel.
The Elections 2020 Time Limited Committee (TLC) has developed a host of resources to support students, staff, and faculty during the election season.
The Learning and Teaching Commons continues to seek your feedback. Please complete our short survey to let the Commons know what we can do for you!

Students work at the Organic Farm on Tues., Sept. 22, 2020.

Inclusive Teaching Tip

Every newsletter will feature an Inclusive Teaching Tip that you can add to your toolbox. Submit a tip for future newsletters.

If you are wondering about best practices for having students share their video feeds, we recommend that you ENCOURAGE but NOT REQUIRE.

Why NOT REQUIRE? This issue has come up a lot in the national conversation (#AcademicTwitter) about remote teaching. Requiring students to turn on their video can create unnecessary barriers to their participation in learning activities. For many, a zoom session is a higher level of intimacy than students are used to having in an educational setting. They may not feel comfortable revealing their surroundings to you or their peers. Internet issues are also a concern - it could be that they simply don't have the bandwidth necessary to stay connected with video. And frankly, there isn't evidence that having the video off has a negative impact on learning.

How to ENCOURAGE? Given these circumstances, it is important for students to understand why having their video on is a valuable part of their learning experience. Let them know why you think their experience (or the experience of their peers) will be improved if they are participating through video. And give them clear indications of how they can do that participation well. A good way to encourage and support video engagement from students is to make sure that when you are asking them to have their videos on, there are clear opportunities for them to engage and they aren't passive participants in the learning process. Doing this will reinforce to students the moments when video participation has pedagogical value.

When you find yourself wanting students to turn on their video, ask yourself why? Is there a clear benefit to student learning if they turn their video on? In other words, is there a definable advantage to the learning that comes from showing themselves on the screen? If you can confidently answer yes to this question, then use this rationale to encourage students to turn the video on.

ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS

Did you miss something? Visit the Commons website for “recasts” of important communications.

New Team Member at the Learning and Teaching Commons

Join us in welcoming Kel Lane to the Learning and Teaching Commons staff. Kel is a current student at Evergreen, who is joining us from Oregon (by way of Texas). While at Evergreen, Kel will be pursuing a MiT degree. If you have time, please send Kel a welcome message to Kelly.Lane@evergreen.edu.

Our Greener Community: 2020 Post-Election Listening Circles

The Learning and Teaching Commons will be hosting listening circles for faculty, staff, and students. These sessions offer an opportunity for community building through engaging in the act of deep listening as we share our thoughts and feelings about the current presidential election, supported by a skilled, neutral facilitator. Stay tuned for dates and details.

Communities of Practice

Do you have conflict resolution or mediator training? Sue Feldman and John Jaeger are interested in tapping into the collective knowledge on campus around conflict resolution by forming a community of practice. They seek interested persons who have received training through the Thurston County Dispute Resolution Center or some other training. Please send your interest to jaegerj@evergreen.edu letting us know your experiences with mediation or conflict resolution!

Writing Center Program Visits

The Writing Center needs support from faculty to gain direct access to students. Without the ability to physically see the Writing Center, students are missing out on the wealth of resources available from the Writing Center, including academic writing support, scholarship and graduate school applications, creative writing, and more. Please contact Ariel Birks to set up a time for Writing Center staff to visit your program.

TEACHING RESOURCES

Keep Teaching Canvas Site!

You can find support and resources for teaching on the Teaching at Evergreen canvas site. If you don’t have access, use this link to self enroll: https://canvas.evergreen.edu/enroll/99DCY9.

Request a consultation

Do you have a teaching puzzle? Is there an activity you are struggling to translate to remote teaching? Do you need some help designing asynchronous activities?

The Learning and Teaching Commons offers individual and small group remote teaching consultations. Consultations provide an opportunity to get direct feedback on your teaching puzzles. Click here for details.

Academic Statement

Fall quarter full-time programs should include at least 6-hours of academic statement programming. Academic statements can be a powerful tool to help students reflect upon their academic journeys and bring coherence to the curriculum through structured reflection. Visit the Academic Statement Canvas page for resources and workshop materials.

STUDENT RESOURCES

These individuals and offices are eager to support students remotely. Keep this list handy when advising students or reach out to schedule a visit to your program or course.

Visit the Elections 2020 Time Limited Committee (TLC) site for election resources.
The Daniel J. Evans Library offers expanded electronic access and curbside pickup.
The Writing Center (writingcenter@evergreen.edu) and the Quantitative & Symbolic Reasoning Center (quasr@evergreen.edu) offer remote tutoring and in-class workshops.
Media Services is offering remote consultations and workshops.
Advising and Career Services is advising through zoom drop-in sessions, remote appointments, and texts.
Submit student concerns to the Campus Assessment, Response & Evaluation (CARE) Team. This cross-divisional team directs students towards supportive campus resources.

DATES & DEADLINES

10-17	Return to Evergreen & SURF Celebration \| 1-5 pm
10-19	New faculty cohort meeting \| 3:30-5 pm
10-21	Faculty meeting \| 3-5 pm Art Lecture Series \| 11:30 am-1 pm
10-23 & 24	Learning Community Summit
10-26	Week 5 check-ins: Schedule progress update meetings with students this week. New faculty cohort meeting \| 3:30-5 pm Sponsored Research applications due
10-27	Deadline for students to drop - 50% refund Campus Food Bank \| 2-4 pm Climate Justice and Resilience Series: Dr. Michael Méndez \| 10-11:30 am
10-28	Path group meeting \| 3-5 pm
10-30	Fifth week concerns: Inform students in danger of not earning full credit Media instructional support requests due for Winter Q

Have something for the calendar?
Send submissions to learningandteaching@evergreen.edu.

sites.evergreen.edu/ltc

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