I used to commute by train every day to work and on numerous occasions I would find myself becoming aware that we had stopped in the middle of nowhere and been stationary for several minutes. As time wore on, passengers would start to become agitated, wondering if it was a red signal or trespassers on the lines and consequently how long the delay might last. Not knowing makes it difficult to plan. I’m sure many of you probably ignore these emails as not relevant, or let them slide because who has time to deal with all the emails we get or perhaps they just come across as spam (or worse). The point is, I can’t ever really know.
Communication is key. I try to make sure students have as many opportunities to contact me as possible, giving out post-it notes in class, encouraging them to ask questions, wandering around during activities, making myself available afterwards where possible, highlighting my advice and feedback hours, using alternative contact options such as What’s App or Slack. But I also respond as quickly as possible to any email enquiries. Not just because I think it’s good practice (ingrained from my days in customer service), but also because all of these communication opportunities allow me to put the onus for taking control of their own learning back onto the students.
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