Sustainable Pedagogies of Care

Originally published in September 2024

Pedagogies of Care as Sustainable Teaching Practices

In applying the knowledge and experiences we’ve gained over the past few years to our present teaching, we can continue to foster Laurier’s educational learning environments as places of kindness, dignity, and respect. In doing so, many instructors have started looking for pedagogies of care strategies that can sustain both students and educators alike!

Pedagogies of care encompass a body of approaches to teaching and learning that are grounded in authentic teacher-learner relationships. Research identifies care, emotional connection, and kindness as powerful and positive influences on student learning experiences (Anderson et al, 2020; Cavanaugh 2016; Denial 2024). Teachers who demonstrate care for their discipline, care for teaching, and care for students can better support the complex cognitive, emotional, and embodied relationships that are key to cultivating meaningful learning experiences, equity, and academic success (Anderson et al., 2020; Felten and Lambert 2020; Green et al., 2022; Ramrung, 2023).

“For our students to be well, they need us to be well.” - Eugenia Knight

Recent contributions to these pedagogical discussions, however, have highlighted the challenge of adopting social-emotional strategies that connect with, support, and motivate students while also effectively managing the complex teaching environments and varied demands that such care can entail (Cavanaugh 2024). These additions to our thinking on pedagogies of care stress the need to not only adopt strategies that minimize faculty burnout and compassion fatigue, but also to practice self-care and bring joy back into teaching and learning relationships (Cavanaugh 2023; Nilsson 2024; Velez-Cruz & Holstun 2022).

Consider the strategies below that allow instructors to emphasize sustainability in their approach to pedagogies of care in ways that promote healthy boundaries as well as ownership and equity in learning experiences, resulting in positive educational relationships for all.

Enhancing boundaries, self-care, and joy in teaching

Share your enthusiasm for your subject and introduce ways that you can encourage enjoyment and passion in your students.
Design assessments that enable you to applaud student achievement and appreciate mentoring for student development.
Adopt a “scope of practice” approach to teaching. Being constantly available to students at all hours of the day and managing student crises on one’s own is not sustainable, nor does it fall within the scope of instructor responsibilities.
- Set office hours and email response policies (for example, within 24-48hrs Monday to Friday) and communicate the value of these additional contact spaces that also convey to students when they are your priority.
- Leverage the supports of campus partners by directing students to the available services and resources, including the Dean of Students Office, Office of Student Success, and Educational Technology where appropriate.

Enhancing student confidence and ownership in their own learning

Recognize students as novice learners, get to know their motivations, and convey interest in their success.
Share your own experiences as a student and in developing your own expertise, making clear to your students (and yourself) the skills, emotional motivations, social connections, and efficiencies you’ve developed in your approaches to research, analysis, application, and communication.
Break down assessments into smaller scaffolded tasks to encourage both practice and mastery, increasing opportunities for feedback loops to enhance success on summative assessments. Single point rubrics can support efficient feedback and may or may not be formally graded.

Enhancing equitable access to academic success

Create milestone expectations across your course, preparing lessons and assessments that allow for peer support, identification of challenges, and recognition of achievement. Be transparent about your approach so that students recognize the care, values, and intention you adopt to support their success.
Establish firm learning outcomes with flexible paths to achievement by enhancing student choice through the format of assessment (poster, podcast, or paper) or through flexible deadlines (choose 3 of 5 similar assessments – reports, reflections, critical reading, quizzes - with different due dates across the term).
Incorporate rubrics in your evaluation can create clear accountabilities, accurate evaluation, and equitable opportunity for academic success by giving all students access to the same success criteria. This can also minimize time spent justifying evaluation methods to students.

Watch: In Conversation with Sara Klinck: Teaching as a Learning Journey

Sara Klinck from Laurier's Music Therapy program and recipient of the 2023 Sustained Excellence Award in the Part-time Category shares her journey from a clinical music therapist to an inspiring educator, emphasizing the importance of self-discovery, humility, and lifelong learning in her pedagogical approach. Sara’s commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment shines through as she prepares students to handle weighty subjects such as end-of-life care. She discusses the integration of clinical experiences into her courses, the significance of universal design for learning, and the delicate balance of professional and personal well-being. Watch the Conversation >>