Small Changes, Large Impact

Good Enough is Good Enough

In the final section, we want to recognize that you cannot possibly do everything. This pressbook provides numerous strategies for an inclusive classroom—it is unrealistic and unhealthy to ask that you incorporate them all. But doing what you can, even if it feels small or insubstantial, can make a meaningful impact on your students, your relationship with your students, and those students’ relationship with learning. Students notice the steps you take to make them feel safe and comfortable in the classroom, and they definitely notice when those little steps improve their learning. As mentioned in the earlier section, creating a culture of compassion also means compassion for the self. Know that you are enough and treat yourself with care (Pope-Ruark 2022, 110).

Small Teaching

Making changes to courses takes time and energy that you may not have. “Small teaching” is a framework developed by James Lang to identify small modifications to course design and teaching practices that can have powerful impacts (Lang 2016, 243). These approaches are appealing because they tend to take less time and energy; they are often more accessible and easier to implement, helping to eliminate the excess stress that major course modifications can have while still improving the experiences of students and teaching practices. Lang also emphasizes that the possibilities are endless in terms of what change you might be able to implement and create (2016, 245), and encourages thinking about what you can do rather than what you cannot.

Bridging the Gap

If you feel overwhelmed, remember that it is a feeling your students are probably quite familiar with; they understand what that is like and the impact it can have. Students will most likely not become more disengaged or uncomfortable if you choose to share your personal experiences in an appropriate way. Part of creating a compassionate environment is about taking steps to form and strengthen connections with students and colleagues. Both professors and students sometimes need reminders that at the end of the day, we are all human beings with complex lives and experiences. Whether that means letting students know when you are overwhelmed or simply stating your research interests on syllabus day, by allowing the classroom to become just a little less impersonal, you can bridge the gap between yourself and your students to make everyone feel more comfortable in the classroom space.