Care in the classroom: Supporting students in social-environmental responsibility and anxiety

In this module we explore nature inclusive methods that can support sharing, reflection and processing of emotions around global uncertainty, climate change, ecological and social decline/loss/impairment. 

Increasingly, staff and students are confronted with these realities throughout their study program or research efforts and may experience various levels of anxiety or emotional despair. Other students may not feel any involvement or sense of responsibility, while this is deemed important in the WUR vision of responsible change makers for science and society. Bringing these realities together in the classroom is challenging and boundary crossing. However, it also aligns with WUR's ‘whole person’ approach to learning, where personal development of values, motivation, care and responsibility are actively supported in class. 

It is usually beyond the scope of an academic lecture to address emotional reflection and processing. However, teachers can also no longer ignore the reality of deeper emotional levels reaching the surface in class or in conversation with students. This course can support teachers to be better prepared for emotional responses. In three days, this module dives into key concepts, methods and facilitation skills of working with emotions in class. A set of broadly useable methods are offered to firstly experience together and secondly use as inspiration for course implementation.

This is the third module in a series that will allow you to deepen your understanding of and ability to apply nature-inclusive methods. Full series:

• Module 1: onboarding module on nature inclusive education and worldviews regarding human-nature relations. Consisting of self-study and several moments of exchange and reflection
• Module 2: Teaching with nature: exploring and implementing (outdoor) relational teaching methods (2 full days planned for early spring 2025)
• Module 3: Care in the classroom: supporting students in social-environmental responsibility and anxiety 
• Module 4: course & curriculum design workshop on the translation of the learning from earlier models into course and/or curriculum design.

These modules have been developed and will be co-taught in collaboration between NatureCollege foundation (Lian Kasper and Louise van der Stok) and TLC (Marca Gresnigt).

Target group

We welcome all WUR education staff who are excited to implement nature inclusive methods in their teaching and/or interaction with students. (Teachers, study advisors, programme committee members)

Pre-requisites for this module

Module 1: onboarding module on nature inclusive education and worldviews regarding human-nature relations.

or other relevant experiences.

Learning outcomes

After the successful completion of this module you will be able to:

• Recognise and respond to diverse emotional responses to social-environmental concerns
• Experience your personal emotions around social-environmental concerns and how they affect your teaching
• Distinguish when and how to appropriately make space for emotional responses in class

Additional goal:
Experience several methods to acknowledge and make space for the emotional aspects of social-environmental issues in class

Module 3 activities

Total time investment: ~38 hours
Contact hours: 2 half days and 1 full day

On the first (half) day, you will be introduced to the Work that Reconnects from Joanna Macy, a leading author, activist and Buddhist scholar who spent her lifetime developing key methods for practicing active hope in relation to global concerns. Joanna has used these methods around the world to support hope and care among communities of people who are directly facing the consequences of decay. 

On the second (full) day, we will experience a full spiral of methods together to understand the effect, meaning and limitations of this work. It is also an opportunity for the teacher to experience and understand their own emotions in relation to global concerns, in order to be prepared for facilitation in class. 

On the third (half) day, we will discuss practical ways in which you can implement these methods in class. We will discuss points of attention for good program design and facilitation of emotional methods.

Literature

• Documentary about the work of Joanna Macy
• Info about her method and descriptions of exercises

Costs

Participation is free for Wageningen University & Research staff involved in teaching in a Wageningen University Degree programme.

Cancellation

We consider registration as final. When cancelled within three weeks before the course activities start, your chair group will be charged all costs of your subscription (€350,-).
If there are less than 6 participants in the course, the Teaching and Learning Centre may cancel the course and notify you at the latest 2 weeks before the start of the course.