2018 Fall Faculty Institute: Teaching, Leading, and Learning Through Compassion
About the 2018 Fall Faculty Institute
Keynote Speaker: Christopher Kukk
This talk combines research findings in the fields of neuroscience and social sciences to demonstrate how and why compassion is a key source of success in achieving several interconnected goals in education (i.e., more effective teaching and learning as well as more productive teams/departments).
Christopher Kukk is the author of the text The Compassionate Achiever and Professor of Political Science/Social Science at Western Connecticut State University and the founding Director of the Center for Compassion, Creativity and Innovation.
Schedule
| Time | Room | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 11:40 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Grille | Lunch featuring a performance from Pitched Slapped |
| 12:40 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. | Grille | KeynoteChristopher Kukk |
| 1:50 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. Session 1 | 105 | Keynote Follow Up |
| 104 | Simple Mindful Practices for the Classroom: Increasing Students’ Capacity to Engage, Reflect, and LearnKim Griswold, Liz Huntington, and Jeannine Webster, Instructors, Student Learning CenterTeaching is an art that depends on effective communication with our students, but it is in the spaces between our words that students truly learn. Incorporating mindful practices into our classrooms can enhance our students’ capacities to engage with new ideas, reflect, and learn on a more meaningful level. This workshop will explore simple, contemplative techniques to encourage deeper learning experiences both in and out of the classroom. | |
| Craven | Navigating the Maze: Labyrinth Walks & Academic LifeKathryn Finin, Associate Professor, Department of EnglishFrom ancient times to present, humans have experienced the benefits of mindful/contemplative walking. Labyrinth walks reduce stress, quiet the mind, and ground the body. While labyrinths look like mazes, they are actually a single, winding path with no dead ends or wrong turns. The session will start with a very brief introduction to labyrinths and labyrinth walking. Primarily, however, this is an opportunity for participants to experience the ancient practice of labyrinth walking on a temporary labyrinth in Craven Lounge. Following the walk, there will be some private time to reflect on your experience. Toward the end of the session, we will discuss some strategies for benefits of integrating this kind of practice into the college classroom. | |
| 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Session 2 | 104 | Privileging Our Bodies: Enfleshing Our Pedagogies in the ClassroomDr. Greg Hummel, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication and MediaIn this break out session, we will reflect on and examine the ways that we communicate with our bodies in the classroom. Attending to our bodies beyond Cartesian dualism, this session focuses on dialoguing with ourselves and each other about the importance of recognizing and interacting with bodies in the classroom. In doing so, our goal is to understand both our bodies and our students’ bodies differently while working to incorporate our bodies into our already-existing pedagogical strategies. |
| 130 | Introduction to Contemplative PedagogyKristen C. Blinne, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication and MediaIn this workshop, participants will be introduced to the philosophy and practice of contemplative pedagogies or teaching and learning methods designed to cultivate presence – via heightened awareness, deep concentration, self-reflection, and the cultivation of greater empathy and compassion for oneself and others. Within this session, a variety of methods will be explored and several contemplative pedagogy practices will be facilitated, encouraging participants to understand how students might experience contemplative pedagogy. Additionally, a resource guide will be provided for further reference. | |
| 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Le Cafe | Cocktails |
