Showing compassion for our students but maintaining expectations is a tricky balancing act. This short Chronicle article, The Power of Telling Students Why, argues that we should explain to students why we have specific policies, rules, or deadlines. If we can’t, then maybe those things should be reconsidered. As noted in the article by one respondent:
“I think it’s a form of respect for our students,” she continued, “to be able to have a why, and where we don’t have a good one, really then thinking about whether that’s a policy we can do without.”
By reflecting on our practices and being transparent with our students, we can avoid confusion about or resistance to our expectations.
Karen Spierling, who suggested this article, adds that “Talking through the ‘whys’ of assignments and policies can also give students a framework for thinking about how the work they are doing in our classes translates into important habits of mind, skills, and practices that will help them succeed in their professional lives after Denison.”