Creating Welcoming Rituals

How you begin your class communicates to your students what you value in the classroom or digital learning environment. Faculty can also help create an inclusive space by acknowledging differences across students and naming resources that may be relevant to supporting students from all cultures, identities, and abilities on campus. It is important to tell students why they are adopting practices that contribute to an environment of belonging. Whether you teach in a classroom or digital learning environment, you can be intentional about setting a welcoming tone that invites students in, such as playing music as students arrive or showing a picture of a cute puppy to lighten the mood. You can create a routine of starting class with a quiet minute or deep breathing exercise. There are many short and simple meditations that you can do to center and focus the class. <a href=”https://student.korumindfulness.org/free-guided-meditations.html”>Koru Mindfulness</a> offers many free guided meditations and breathing exercises, and most are 5 or 10 minutes.