Setting the tone activities

Ways to let students know you care, early on and throughout the semester.

Activity

Fast Friends

This is a great warming-up activity that helps to build close connections between students.

Maha Bali

Learning to Love

This reflective activity allows students to consider love as a motivation and outcome in education.

Felecia Caton Garcia, Heather Wright

Activity, Equity Unbound Activity

Checking in with GIF, Emoji or Meme

A fun and quick way to check in or end a class with your students.

Maha Bali

Equity Unbound Activity

Alternative Approaches to Grading

Consider different approaches to grading and how they can affect the classroom atmosphere and more!

Maha Bali, Mia Zamora, Jasmina Najjar, Laura Gibbs, Clarissa Sorensen-Unruh, Arley Cruthers

Auditory Affect

Students explore an auditory digital tool and afterwards reflect on and talk about their experience

Heather Kretschmer

I Wish My Students / Teacher Knew

This activity helps to promote positive student-teacher connections.

Amena Magdy

Equity Unbound Activity

Survey Students Early in the Semester: Pre-Course Survey

Use a pre-course survey to get to know your students early on in the semester.

Maha Bali

Equity Unbound Activity

Gratitude Journal

Support students' wellbeing by suggesting a daily or periodic practice of gratitude, promote radical self-compassion.

Maha Bali, Nadine Aboulmagd, Hoda Mostafa, Azza Awwad

Equity Unbound Activity

Third Places for Ongoing Community Building

Creating semi-formal, semi-synchronous spaces outside of class time for students to socialize with each other.

Maha Bali

Equity Unbound Activity

Teaching Ethics with Theatre of the Oppressed and Liberating Structures

Engage everyone in making sense of profound challenges. Use to address difficult or confusing topics.

Maha Bali

Equity Unbound Activity

Purpose to Practice

Use the Purpose to Practice structure with students to co-develop community guidelines for the class.

Maha Bali

Equity Unbound Activity

Meditation

Meditation provides an opportunity for students to relax before or after teaching.

Nadine Aboulmagd

Equity Unbound Activity

Authentic Open Letter/Video Addressing Students

Learn about different ways you can address your students at the beginning of the semester.

Setting the tone activities

Thick Greetings