Speaker
Description
Kindness and respect are important in the scholarship of teaching and learning, but not necessarily given the much-needed time. This presentation will explore the transformative power of kindness and respect in the Graduate Student Success Centre, a self-access centre for graduate students in education in a Canadian university, in which graduate teaching assistants support their peers, primarily multilingual students from diverse backgrounds and work to create a sense of community for students in the programs.
Keywords
Self-access learning
community
multilingual learners,
Short summary
Kindness and respect are important in the scholarship of teaching and learning, but not necessarily given the much-needed time. This presentation will explore the transformative power of kindness and respect in the Graduate Student Success Centre, a self-access centre for graduate students in education in a Canadian university, in which graduate teaching assistants support their peers, primarily multilingual students from diverse backgrounds and work to create a sense of community for students in the programs.
Abstract
Kindness and respect are important in the scholarship of teaching and learning but not necessarily given the much-needed time to be nurtured among faculty, staff, and students. This presentation will explore the transformative power of kindness and respect in the Graduate Student Success Centre, a self-access support centre for graduate students in education in a Canadian university, in which graduate teaching assistants (GTA) support their peers and work to create a sense of community for students in the programs. The majority of the students in the programs are multilingual learners from diverse backgrounds, and many struggle with the rigors of graduate studies in terms of language and content while adapting to life in a new cultural and academic setting. First-hand observations and description of how the center has become a nurturing hub, cultivating a culture of kindness and respect and generating a positive, uplifting and inclusive space for all. In the Gen AI era, this has become more critical, and a humanizing and community of learners focused approach may lead to a stronger sense of belonging among students. Strategies that self-access centres – which can apply to centres at the undergraduate and graduate levels – will also be shared. For academic leaders and faculty who are invested in the holistic development of their students this presentation will be insightful in terms of approaches that can benefit students and faculty.
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Saturday or Sunday |
|---|---|
| Title | Kindness, Respect, and Community in a Self-Access Centre in the Gen AI Era |