Through our teaching consultation service, the teaching support team at the Office of the Provost has had the privilege to speak with many NYU faculty—in the sciences, the humanities, as well as professional studies—about their pressing classroom questions. Recently we compiled a Teaching@NYU guide based on these conversations, some of which concern steps faculty can take at the beginning of the semester to establish course culture and support communication.
Cultivating Communication
How you set the stage for the semester can impact the ease with which students communicate with you and participate in discussion.
Whatever your subject matter, difficult conversations may arise unexpectedly in response to events outside the classroom. Consider co-creating classroom decorum guidelines with your students. Past TeachTalks programs have covered how to plan for these kinds of interactions and how to construct classroom contracts to bolster a sense of community among students. (You can also attend our upcoming live TeachTalks.)
Sometimes it can be hard for students to share difficulties they are experiencing in your course. Keep the lines of communication open between yourself and your students by making a plan at the beginning of the semester to collect midsemester feedback one-third to half-way through the course (using a google form, for example). That way, you can make adjustments to the course while class is still in session to better support student learning.
To read more about these tips and many others, check out the full Teaching@NYU quick reference guide, where you can also find guidance on the use of Generative AI tools.
Anton Borst, PhD, is Senior Learning Designer in the Office of the Provost