By Dr. Jennifer Haber
With rising housing, gas, and food prices, concerns about war and immigration, and the increase in mental health issues, students often feel disconnected and anxiety-ridden. Therefore, professors need to find different ways to teach and engage students in the 21st-century classroom. Through empathy, positivity, and connectivity, professors can help students learn and grow as thinkers and writers, ultimately increasing student success.
I was 24 when I started teaching at the collegiate level, not much older than many of my students. Because of my age—and my firm belief in a strong academic experience—I was strict, sometimes standoffish with my students. I didn’t want to talk about myself; I didn’t want them to see that I was actually much like many of them.
Even as I aged, I continued to remain steadfast in my ways. My English professors had been demanding and firm; I thought I needed to be tough and detached.
Flash forward to March of 2020, when COVID hit the United States. It was a time of uncertainty and worry. With aging parents and two children at home, I was fearful of exposure. So, we kept our distance, wore masks when we did have to go out into the world, and stayed home most of the time. As a result, my kids felt isolated, missing out on many important events. My younger daughter, an eighth grader at the time, did not get to attend the school dance, be a part of the famous ninth-grade awards ceremony, or say goodbyes (as many of her friends would be attending different high schools). My older daughter, a senior, missed her prom, IB celebrations, and graduation. My family was scared and alone.
A few years later, when things seemed to get back to normal, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Under 50—with no family history—it changed me completely. After surgery and radiation, I looked different. I felt different. For the first six months, I refused to talk about my diagnosis, not wanting to uncover my secret or see the expressions of despair on people’s faces.
Then, in September 2024, Hurricane Helene came through my small town of Dunedin, Florida, and ravaged my community. Our little house, where we had lived for 22 years, took in 3.5 feet of water. We lost everything. Every book. Every possession. Every memory. Everything that mattered to me (with the exception of my family) was destroyed. Thankfully, my kids were away at college at this point, so we moved into my mother-in-law’s villa, where we lived for six months. Eventually, we sold our house, without flooring or drywall, and moved to higher ground.
What happened to me would be seen as devastating to many. At times, it seemed unspeakable to me, too. However, these experiences helped me see the world differently, see my students differently. For the last seven years, the world around me has changed me as a person and as a professor.
I realized, through these experiences, that like me, my students have a host of challenges. Inflation, immigration, and political unrest impact many of my students. Some students are food insecure. Some students lack housing. Many are concerned about their futures. A study across over 62,000 students found that 71% experienced some kind of financial worries, 53% worried about monthly expenses, 42% dealt with housing insecurity, and 14% had been homeless in the prior year or since starting college (Cornett & Fletcher, 2024).
Many students have dealt with health issues similar to mine, or worse, and with the health challenges of their children, parents, and even grandparents. And, of course, many also face mental health issues.
So, what does all of this mean?
We can too easily focus on anxiety and worry. However, I prefer to focus on empathy, positivity, and connectivity.
Empathy
The empathetic person communicates with others and views themself through the eyes of others. Empathy is about examining one’s beliefs and conditions in terms of others, fostering others’ appreciation and respect. This communicative attitude enables learners to shift the focus from the differences to the areas that bring people together.
Positivity
The person with a positive outlook focuses on the good and looks at the constructive ways they can move forward. Instead of being anxiety-ridden, they are hopeful. They turn the negative into positive and build resilience as a result. This attitude helps learners to look at the positive, even when faced with criticism.
Connectivity
The person who makes connections finds ways to bridge gaps and communicate with others to share ideas. It is about social connections and relationships that bring people together. Being connected makes learning social and helps students realize that they have a community around them.
Application in the Classroom
These ideas have become a critical part of my teaching. Based on empathy, positivity, and connectivity, I have changed the way I teach; I have changed the way that I interact with students.
Instead of being an authoritative figure, I have become more of a guide. In fact, oftentimes, when I introduce myself, I do not call myself a professor. Instead, I use words such as “mentor,” “guide,” “muse,” or “teacher.” From the beginning of a term, I work to get to know my students, asking them questions and encouraging them to schedule individual meetings with me. I have them share ideas about themselves in the seminar and try to create an environment where they want to interact with me and their peers.
Then, I build my classrooms around having meaningful conversations and connecting the material to experiences, careers, and life. For instance, in a recent seminar, I shared about my experiences with Hurricane Helene and the problem with drainage in my area. A few students shared their own stories of flooding, and one had actually endured Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The students were shocked, many stating that they knew very little about hurricanes.
I also make sure that there is relevance of material to their personal, academic, and professional lives. For instance, in College Composition 2, we spend a lot of time talking about their experiences in their communities. I remember vividly when one student shared how her son had been bullied, which led to a much larger conversation about bullying and ways to solve it. With these connections, students seem more engaged, more connected, and more likely to do better on their work.
Finally, I try to build a positive classroom environment. Research has shown that positive emotions, such as happiness and kindness, build intellectual, social, physical, and psychological responses. In fact, Purdue University Northwest created the project SHINE (Students Helping Ignite Needed Esteem), which has helped students build self-esteem with the ongoing mission to promote kindness and positivity in order to achieve academic success (Vasilko & Stewart, 2020). According to Zaky (2024), all of these ideas improve student engagement, reduce anxiety, foster a supportive environment, bring people together, and create community.
Some professors may scowl when they hear words like “empathy,” “positivity,” and “connectivity.” They may think the words are synonymous with less rigor, fewer standards, and inflated grading. But they don’t have to be. I have created a classroom where students are held to high standards yet are embraced with empathy, positivity, and connectivity. I show them what caring looks like, remain optimistic, and share my stories–and guess what? I have in return seen honesty, commitment, and positivity, ultimately increasing student success.
References
Cornett, A. & Fletcher, C. (2024, May 1). Student financial wellness survey: Fall 2023 semester results. SSRN. http://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4847795
Vasilko, K. M. & Stewart, J. T. (2020). The power of kindness and positivity in the college environment. Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement, 7(1), Article 17. https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317242
Zaky, H. (2024). Adult education and empathy: The impact on empathy development on students’ academic competencies and classroom engagement post COVID-19. International Journal of Curriculum Development and Learning Measurement, 5(1), 1-18. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJCDLM.339913
About the Author:
Dr. Jennifer Haber has been a college professor for over 30 years, with over half of them at Purdue University Global. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses, focusing on student success through empathy, positivity, and connectivity.
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