Teaching Methods: Creating an Effective Learning Climate

A classroom climate in which all students feel they are accepted and supported can do much to enhance learning. The links below contains articles designed to help instructors deal effectively with diverse student populations and develop rapport with their students.

Teaching Strategies: Creating an Effective Learning Climate (University of Michigan, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching).
Strategies for creating inclusive college classrooms that improve the learning climate for all students.
Link: http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tscelc.html

"Establishing Rapport: Personal Interaction and Learning," Neil Fleming, consultant on teaching and learning. (IDEA Paper #39, October 2003).
Discusses four factors that help an instructor develop rapport with students and strategies for improving instructor performance in these areas.
Link: http://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_39.pdf

"Breaking the Ice and Establishing Rapport: Learning Students' Names," Joanne Holladay (University of Texas at Austin, Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment).
Discusses the importance of learning students' names and describes methods for doing this.
Link: http://www.utexas.edu/academic/diia/gsi/tatalk/breakingice.php