Strong Student Campaign is a featured program all Montclair instructors are encouraged to use. At the core of this program is the idea that positive learning outcomes depend on transferrable skills that are shared by most strong students. This campaign was developed by Academic Affairs, Student Development, and Campus Life, making explicit what it takes to become strong – small, simple acts that lead to success.
This page consolidates teaching resources that support Principle 2 of Montclair State University’s Teaching Principles: Pedagogical Strategies that Support Learning.
The resources below will help you use appropriate teaching strategies to build and foster an inclusive learning climate that allows for transformative learning for each student.
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Suggested Practices and Resources
Connect with Students
Students learn best when they see themselves as connected to their instructors, something which is possible in both small and large classes, and in any discipline.
Active and Engaged Learning
Bringing students to the limits of their knowledge and capacity deepens learning– rehearsing, applying, transferring, and creating activities bring students to those limits and beyond.
Community and Belonging
If students feel comfortable and “at home” in your class, they take risks, enjoy learning, and are able to reach out when they are in need.
Collaborative Learning: Groups and Teams
Collaborative learning advances learning and essential skills of communication and task management, vital skills for an educated person.
Critical Thinking
Training students to think rigorously, systematically, and with strategies that enable new ideas and connections is at the heart of the university experience.
Effective Lectures
Active, engaged learning during a lecture is essential, and good lecturers master strategies to ensure all students are not just listening, but learning.
Trauma-Informed Pedagogy
Trauma-Informed Pedagogy seeks to understand and acknowledge students’ experiences and to create an environment in which they feel welcomed and supported.
Contemplative Pedagogy
Contemplative pedagogy involves teaching methods designed to deepen awareness, concentration and insight.
Cultivating Student Success
Students who experience a diverse learning environment where dialogue across difference is practiced will be more knowledgeable about points of view of others than their own, and thus better prepared for the global society and workplace environment.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Design and deliver all course elements for maximum accessibility to give every student equitable opportunities for success.
Attendance
Options and considerations as you develop your attendance policy and respond to special situations.
Best Practices for Faculty in Supporting Mental Health
Strategies for identifying and addressing emotional distress in the classroom.
Student Support Resources
Use campus resources to connect students with academic and other support offered by campus partners.