Students are human beings first. They must be respected and valued. Teachers have to ensure that their self-esteem is not diminished. Rather they have to act to increase the self-worth of students.

1. Caring for Students
Anup K. Singh, Ph.D.

2. When Instructors Are Hurt?
• Students talk among themselves
• Students ignore the instructor
• Students ask questions to underrate the
instructor
• Students make unwarranted comments
• Students enter late in the classroom
• Students throw surprises and shocks

3. When Students Are Hurt?
• Undermining by the instructor
• Lack of integrity and fairness on the part of
instructor
• Harsh treatment by the instructor
• Lack of support from the instructor
• Unprofessional behaviour of the instructor
• Ignoring students’ questions and concerns
• Instructor being teaching-focused

4. Roles of a Teacher
• Instructor
• Mentor
• Pygmalion
• Guide
• Friend
• Toxic boss
• Aloof performer
• Grader
• Only teacher, not a learner

5. Why Instructors Don’t Care?
• Lack of student-centred culture
• Naval gazing by instructor
• Poor commitment and competencies for
caring
• Personal difficulties of instructors
• Too much worldload

6. What Is Student Caring?
Caring is a conscious and relational process of
understanding a student as an individual,
valuing him for what he is, and developing him
to enhance his self-image and learning

7. Elements of Student Caring
• Appreciating a student as an individual and
recognising individual differences
• Facilitating learning of each and every student
• Creating supporting classroom climate
• Being available to students
• Providing feedback and encouragement
• Seeking feedback and monitoring learning
process

8. A Student as an Individual and
Individual Differences
• Each student is worthy irrespective of his learning
capability and pace
• Each student wants recognition
• An instructor has to know each student: his
background, interest in learning, learning difficulties,
unique contribution, etc.
• Each student has to be given attention and
encouragement
• An instructor has to adjust to individual learning paces
and styles
• A student sometimes requires personal interaction and
communication

9. Facilitating Learning
• Be interested and enthusiastic about your subject.
Demonstrate its importance to students
• Use less of lecture, more of simulations, exercises, and
cases
• Use various student involvement techniques
• Show that you care for students and they are of great
importance to you
• Use variations in facilitation
• Encouragement peer learning
• Greater power distance, lesser participation. Don’t use
power, facilitate
• Be a role model to your students

10. Supporting Classroom Climate
• Clarification of expectations from students
• Moderate and reasonable expectations
• Encouragement for participation
• Reward for asking questions
• Co-creating class norms for student behaviour
• Attentive listening to students
• Maintaining poise in emotive situations
• Sense of humour

11. Instructor Availability
• Let students know that you are available after
class for clarification and discussion
• Encouragement for raising questions through
emails
• During out of class interaction, give at least
15 minutes for clarification
• Use out of classroom interaction to know and
support a students

12. Feedback and Encouragement
• Continual and detailed feedback, not grades
• Analytical feedback on written work
• Using both positive and negative feedback
• Discuss feedback if required
• Encouragement for continuous improvement
• Give students model answers
• Tell students about the best answer and poor
answer

13. Seeking Feedback and Monitoring
Learning Process
• Review previous learning in each session
• Ask students about your facilitation style
• Take mid-course formative feedback
• Critical analysis of student feedback
• Checking on students’ comprehension and
understanding
• Paying attention to non-verbal feedback
• Asking probing questions
• Giving small quizzes, three minute essay, case
analysis assignment, etc. to check learning.