Students who want you to care about them

[downer]

Given the choice of a professor who cares about students versus one who doesn't, it is clear that it is better to care.

But still I wonder about students who go on about it or rave about professors who really showed how much they cared.

There's also something about the idea that makes me uncomfortable. I care about doing my job well, and teaching well, but I'm not in a position to be much of a nurturer of students. There are also issues of impartiality. I prefer to see my role as relatively impersonal. I provide the opportunity to learn and I will help when students ask for help with that.

I'm not sure how much it is a matter of personal style and emoting in the classroom. I've worked with other faculty who are much more personal in the classroom. It's a looser, more self-revelatory approach where the prof does make more attempt to get to know the students. That's not really my style. But I'm also not convinced that there's much of a correlation between that personal style and being a good teacher.

Context makes a big difference -- a large class is going to be very different from a small seminar. It may also make a difference whether they students who you have semester after semester or whether it is a one-time thing.

It also seems that there are definite limits these days on the faculty-student relationship, and while it can be friendly, it is problematic if either thinks that is approaching friendship.

It's something I've been pondering for a while, so I'd be interested in other perspectives.

[the_geneticist]

I think the small things can go a long way. Like saying "thank you for emailing me" even if your answer to their request is "no".  Or sharing pictures of your pets/garden/etc in the class materials - I always put in my cats when teaching about X chromosomes since fur color is a sex linked trait in cats.  Or making an effort to learn their names by chatting right before class with the early arrivals. 
Caring can also mean having reasonable course policies about absences or late work that account for the complexities of their lives.  One retired and not to be missed prof made students share copies of funeral programs or death certificates as the only excuse for missing an exam.  Puking sick? No childcare? Car crash on the way to campus?  His attitude was that they should have "planned better".  Don't be that guy.

[Wahoo Redux]

I get that all the time in my student comments.  "Professor Wahoo really cares about his students."  I just finished reading my comments from last semester a couple days ago, and I had several versions of that.  RMP also says that about me.

And I do.  But there are only three specific contexts:

1) How well they are doing in my class.
2) If they seem to be experiencing some sort of potentially dangerous mental health crisis.
3) A serious health issue.

The latter two I consider not my territory, and I quickly hand student off to the people whose job it is to handle health issues or I strongly urge students to seek out health professionals themselves.  Honestly, my willingness to encourage health may be part of the reason I get the "he cares" comments.  Or maybe I get the "he cares" comments are because I am sympathetic to students in my communications, just a simple "I am so sorry you are going through this" or "put your health first" in an email.

I assume we all worry about #1. 

Maybe it's just that I am nice and personable to my students.  I simply do not have an aggressive, alpha personality. 

It's not a bad thing to care about your students as long as one stays appropriate.

[Puget]

Actually, there is lots of research showing that feeling connected has a big impact on academic success and retention.

Everyone likes to be related to as a human being--you don't have to be their friend, but be friendly, be compassionate even when firm, and keep an eye out for students who may need some extra support or resources-- you don't have to be the one to provide that, but I do think it is absolutely part of our job to help connect them to other campus resources.

I agree with the_geneticist that little things make a difference --

I too show off my cats, and ask students about their pets.
I get them trained to return an enthusiastic "good morning" or "good afternoon" at the beginning of class, it becomes a little ritual.
I try to incorporate bits of humor (often very nerdy humor).
I tell them to go play outside on nice days.
When I enforce rules I explain why, rather than "because I says so".
I occasionally bend rules when circumstances warrant.
I lend them an empathetic ear when they are stressed or distressed, and make referrals as needed.
I cheerlead when they are making an effort to improve.
I complement them when they've done well, showed curiosity and engagement, or demonstrated their passion for using knowledge for good.

In short, I try to treat them as humans and collaborators in a joint learning project, not as impersonal "customers" and certainly not as the opposition.

[Ruralguy]

It helps to have a relatively small number of students. Its then much easier to tell if John or Linda has missed class for the week and then maybe contact them about it. Otherwise, you may never notice, or only notice when looking at a huge spreadsheet with gaping holes for assignments.

Otherwise, I do think a little goes a long way. Showing up with some good cheer, answering emails without sounding like you are calling out a moronic petulant cheater (even if that's what some are) really does help. Of course, natural born extroverts have it a bit easier, but anyone can show outward signs of caring about your presentation and caring about individuals, at least somewhat.

[AvidReader]

I also do a lot of little things in the context of Wahoo Redux's list. For 2 and 3, I email briefly (form letter with name inserted) if a typically attentive student misses more than 2 classes. If they come begging for an extension, or have tales of woe, I point them to relevant campus resources (student support services, free counseling, food pantry, etc.) regardless of my response within the course.

I teach large survey courses, and I agree that having some connection also seems to make them more attentive to the class. Things I do intentionally:

• Chat with students before class
• Learn their names and nicknames
• Write down their majors in my attendance book and refer to their majors throughout the class (e.g. "this activity will be especially useful for Suzy, Karen, and Pete, because as psychology majors you will need to . . .)
• Refer to improvements I see in their writing whenever possible.

Among first-year students, many tell me that I am the only instructor who bothers to learn their names.

AR.

[apl68]

In short, I try to treat them as humans and collaborators in a joint learning project, not as impersonal "customers" and certainly not as the opposition.

This is why libraries have traditionally referred to users as "patrons" instead of "customers."  "Customers" has gained a great deal more use in library circles in recent years, but I've resisted using that term in my own work.  "Patron" emphasizes more of the relational, human element.  People who come to the library aren't just paying us for a service (most of which are free to the public anyway) and then that's it.  They are, as members of the community that funds us, ongoing supporters of the institution, for the good of themselves and the rest of the community.  They and their needs matter.  We try to treat them like they and their needs matter.

That said, we try to be caring but are not care-givers.  Please don't leave your small children here unattended for hours at a time!

[Golazo]

Maybe this is a LAC thing, but it is pretty common at my university that professors are willing to talk with students about things beyond academics. This is of course depended on class size--if I had 50 students, as in some of my past jobs, I'm going to struggle to know everyone's name, let alone as people. But in general I know my upper level students (at least before the pandemic) fairly well, and some students very well, and I think this helps me a lot in class. Part of this may be because I teach freshman seminar in the major and do advising for graduate school and competitive fellowships, so I know students over several years, and some of them come to talk to me in office hours.

During the pandemic I've found a big difference between students I knew pre-pandemic and students I've only every met online--it is a lot harder to get to know students through Zoom class and occasional Zoom calls.

[downer]

This is all good food for thought. Thans.

All my classes this last semester were asynchonous online. I had something like 180 students total.

I made some effort to personalize the classes but it is hard to do that. I can probably do a bit more than I have. And I haven't been good with the social niceties of emails. There have been quite a few one word answers.

I find some students just want to do the work and don't care about the personal connection. They have busy lives and take a pragmatic view. But others do really want that kind of personal connection, and that is easier to achieve in face to face classes.

I suspect the other things I need to do is provide more stage setting for the pedagogy. One naturally focuses on problems with student work. I give some positive feedback, but a good deal more criticisms. It will probably help students if they don't take it personally. So I should do more explanation to the class of what the process is meant to be like.

[Anon1787]

The emphasis on the professor caring probably does reflect the attitude of most American students today. I doubt that it is universally true across time and space (how about students in Singapore or Sweden?).

[Caracal]

This is all good food for thought. Thans.

All my classes this last semester were asynchonous online. I had something like 180 students total.

I made some effort to personalize the classes but it is hard to do that. I can probably do a bit more than I have. And I haven't been good with the social niceties of emails. There have been quite a few one word answers.

I find some students just want to do the work and don't care about the personal connection. They have busy lives and take a pragmatic view. But others do really want that kind of personal connection, and that is easier to achieve in face to face classes.

I suspect the other things I need to do is provide more stage setting for the pedagogy. One naturally focuses on problems with student work. I give some positive feedback, but a good deal more criticisms. It will probably help students if they don't take it personally. So I should do more explanation to the class of what the process is meant to be like.

Yeah, I also think it helps to tell the whole class the things you say to individual students. For example, I tell students I'm fine with giving extensions, or that I know things sometimes go south at the end of the semester and I'm happy to work with students, but they need to contact me.

[Vkw10]

For large classes, even generic comments can add a bit of caring personality.

Mention that the weather looks nasty, so you want them to be careful as they leave your class. Or suggest that it's a great day for a walk by the river.   Mention the campus food bank one class and the counseling center the next. Show them the campus event schedule and remind them that most activities are free. Mention that you attended a bassoon recital because your brother played basson in high school. Start class by playing a tune from the library's Naxos World Music database and show them how you found Ghanaian music.

[Hegemony]

Two of my professors, once in undergrad and one in grad school, went the extra mile and encouraged me. They sat down with me and talked over my future plans. They expressed belief in my abilities. They looked out for extra opportunities for me. One of them saw a notice of an obscure book on the subject I was interested in, told me about it, and ordered it for me. (This was pre-internet, when things like that were harder for me to do.) Without the first one, I never would have gone to grad school and would never have realized I could be an academic. I am still in touch with her, 40 years later. Without the second one, I would have missed out on enormous amounts of guidance, course correction, and inspiration. Needless to say I am still in touch with him as well. I try to be the same to those students of mine that I can help this way, and to go the extra mile for them when I can. A few times I've been able to make a real difference for them, in helping cut through intransigent university bureaucracy that was holding them up, or when they were baffled in the face of grad school applications, or whatever. However much I do, it's only a fraction of what's been done for me.

If you're not feeling it and not inclined to go to bat for students or give them that extra little bit of encouragement, then certainly you shouldn't feel compelled to fake it. But I hope there will be enough people who do do a little bit more when they can. As in all things — education, the IT help desk, the customer service phone line, consulting doctors, dealing with bureaucracy — it's the people who help a little bit more than average who really make things less burdensome in this world.

[ergative]

For large classes, even generic comments can add a bit of caring personality.

Mention that the weather looks nasty, so you want them to be careful as they leave your class. Or suggest that it's a great day for a walk by the river.   Mention the campus food bank one class and the counseling center the next. Show them the campus event schedule and remind them that most activities are free. Mention that you attended a bassoon recital because your brother played basson in high school. Start class by playing a tune from the library's Naxos World Music database and show them how you found Ghanaian music.

This is what I've been doing. I convene a huge first-year introductory sequence, but although I herd the lecturer cats I don't actually do much of the teaching. Most of the students only know me through my updates and emails. I started sending out weekly 'state of the class' wrap-up emails in which I always started by commenting on the weather, sharing a brownie recipe,  announcing I'd spend the weekend watching Star Trek or The Expanse, mentioning that the wild garlic was in season by the river if they like foraging, sharing some links to a youtube video series that formed an introduction to critical film theory through the Michael Bay Transformers movies, and so on. Little things that showed them I was a person and had interests and wanted to share things with them, before reminding them that their final essay was due next Tuesday and they had to read through pages XXX for Thursday.  It didn't require me to do any actual emotional labor, but it meant that students were more comfortable approaching me if they needed something.

The goal I'm aiming for is to make sure the students know they can ask for help and support and they'll get it, but I'm not going to do extra work if they don't want it, because that's exhausting.

[Caracal]

The goal I'm aiming for is to make sure the students know they can ask for help and support and they'll get it, but I'm not going to do extra work if they don't want it, because that's exhausting.

And probably not possible if you're teaching big classes at a big school. At SLACs, it is normal and expected for faculty to really know every student and do things like contact them if they stop showing up to class. If you're teaching 160+ students a semester, you can't do that without really heroic and exhausting efforts. As Ergative says, however, you can signal that you are available and eager to help students who come to you and that can go a long way.