Shaping Classroom Culture and Responding to Disruptions √ §

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, students think about classrooms, both virtual and physical spaces, differently than they used to. You may have noticed that student expression and thinking have become more polarized, politically and otherwise. National and international confrontations and challenges may be spilling over into your classroom. Meanwhile, you aim to create a positive classroom culture that maximizes opportunities for students to learn the course content, while also maintaining freedom of expression and civil behavior.

In this workshop we will look at some possible sources of student behavior that may disrupt the harmony of your class, share strategies for dealing with disruptions or uncivil behavior, and discuss how to foster a positive classroom environment to mitigate the potential for incivility. Participants will discuss several scenarios in small groups and will learn about UMBC’s policies and processes for handling disruptive or uncivil student behavior.