Teaching With Heart: Expanding Loving Pedagogy in STEM Higher Ed Classrooms

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 5:10 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Equity, Innovation, and Pedagogical Rhythms: Transforming STEM and Curriculum Practices Across Contexts (Table 3)

Abstract

The Teach with Heart Project aims to support faculty in the STEM higher education classroom to develop pedagogy in a way that honors all the humans in the room, including themselves,. This paper describes preliminary findings from the faculty participants’ reflection prompts through their two consecutive semester engagement with the cohort and a smaller discussion pod. Analysis and discussion of these findings will focus on the barriers to sustaining compassionate practices and pedagogical love, arguing that administrative and institutional structures must change to better support faculty and student well-being. Efforts to support mental health and inclusion for STEM students must include transformation of curriculum and pedagogy as well as incentives and evaluation structures that reward compassionate, supportive teaching practices.

Author

• Cortney E. Holles, Colorado School of Mines