Building Trust
Trust is essential to the classroom. We use the term here to refer to a student’s belief or feeling that they are safe in the learning environment, that they belong, that they will be treated with dignity and respect, and that the instructor is reliable and comes to the classroom in a spirit of goodwill. A classroom built on trust is one where students are free to learn, challenge themselves and each other, and open-heartedly support one another as needed. Scholarship happens in a classroom with trust because participants give each other the benefit of the doubt and so are willing to take risks and participate fully.
Everything begins with trust.
- Students learn better in an environment where they trust the teacher, the program, and other participants.
- Trust provides the foundation and safety to acknowledge differences in opinions, identity, and life experiences.
- Trust allows us to connect with students who are absent or seem to be struggling with assignments.
- Trust can be lost when faculty don’t act, for example, by not appropriately acknowledging and solving problems or working to restore trust when it has been broken.
“From the moment I stepped into that class, they made me feel that I was worthy. Knowing and being made to feel that we belong and that our voices and intelligence matter made all the difference.”
– Lamont Smith, 1997 Clemente Graduate, Clemente Course Board Member, Emmy Award-winning video editor
Guiding Principles
Formal classrooms may be intimidating for non-traditional students. Many have little reason to trust educational institutions, and without trust can be slow to engage, may fulfill only the minimal requirements, and often might be afraid to share opinions for fear of being “wrong.” Many may not have seen people who look or sound like them in a classroom, either as teachers or as participants, and will find it difficult to trust their instructors or classmates. Regardless of previous educational experiences, all students should feel a sense of belonging and reassurance that their contributions to the classroom are important and valued.
Principle 1: Trust Needs to Be Earned
Trust building begins before a student ever steps foot in the classroom (or logs into the Zoom screen) and it continues through the entire class and beyond it.
Faculty build trust by trusting: Giving students the benefit of the doubt and trusting in each students’ willingness and ability to succeed is essential. This trust in students might look like:
- Acknowledging and respecting difference
- Offering clear and consistent feedback on assignments
- Welcoming all students in class and other course-related events regardless of missing work or absences
- Respecting student privacy
- Prioritizing accessibility
Principle 2: Build Trust Among Participants
The importance of trust is not simply between participants and the teacher but also—crucially—between and amongst participants. Ways to build trust among students include breaking out into small groups, or holding peer review sessions where students can get to know each other, and recognize that everyone is in the same boat and doing their best. Make sure to rotate the membership of these groups so that students get a chance to interact with all of their classmates and make alliances and networks. A class where everyone trusts each other will be full of respect, deference, support, and tolerance.
Principle 3: Get To Know Students as People
In building trust, students and teachers should get to know one another in open and nonthreatening ways.
See the practice Stand Up Introductions for an efficient and equitable way to introduce everyone.
It may sound elementary, but greeting each student in a culturally appropriate manner as they come into the room is important. Greet students by name if possible, or ask them their name while introducing yourself. Make sure you are using the name that they prefer (sometimes a middle name, or a nickname), and their pronouns.
The general principle is to make people feel welcome, and to invite them to bring their whole selves to class, knowing that they will not be pre-judged based on just one or two aspects of their identities.
Principle 4: Let Students Get To Know You as a Person
Sharing details of your life, particularly the challenges and joys of your own educational journey, can bridge differences and create bonds that lead to increased trust. Sharing “invisible traits” such as class background or an immigrant experience can also create bonds with participants that might have gone unrecognized.
Calling out difference can also be rewarding. Bringing up differences in race and gender identity, for example, helps break the ice on fraught topics and allows the class to share a more open dialogue. In all cases, think ahead about how much you want to share, and what precedent you want to set regarding bringing personal stories to class.
Principle 5: Nurture the Wellbeing of the Classroom as a Whole
Students should know there is somebody looking out for the wellbeing of the whole class.
We know that the “squeaky wheels” in any classroom end up taking a lot of time and attention. That’s fine when they are on track and moving the discussion forward and less fine if they are distracting and leading the conversation into tangents. In either case, facilitators should be clear through their words and actions that they are looking out for the whole class, and not just the loudest individuals.
To help manage classroom discussions, and perhaps give a talkative student a position of responsibility, see the practice that we call
Keeping Stack.
Anecdote: Admitting You Don’t Know
One of our students said that her instructors were the best she had ever had. When asked why, she said, “Because when you don’t know something, you just tell us you don’t know.” This seemed like faint praise in the moment, but upon reflection, being open about our own ignorance:
- Gives an opportunity to talk out how scholars might find an answer
- Positions the teacher as a fellow seeker of knowledge
- Reawakens the curiosity that animated our initial ambitions in academics
- Shows that a lack of knowledge doesn't have to undermine one’s self-image or be a roadblock to learning
Practices
Practice 1: Stand Up Introductions
We used to have students introduce themselves. The first student would say something like, “I’m doing this for my kids, this is my last chance,” and get a big round of applause. Unfortunately, by the time the fourteenth student said, “I’m doing this for my kids,” they would get a shrug and a nod.
In order to balance the acknowledgements and to get people to recognize their affinity with one another, we now use a different exercise.
I tell them to “Stand if…”: “...you are doing this to be a role model for kids.” A subset of students then stand, they recognize each other, and then I follow up and say, “What are the kids’ names?” and students will offer, “My son is David, my daughter is Maria,” or “My granddaughter is Helen,” or “My best friend’s daughter is Giselle.” The question is intentionally framed more generally than “Are you a parent?” because oftentimes there are grandparents or aunts, or family friends who are raising children, or adults who are inspired by other children in their lives, neighbors, or nieces or nephews.
This can also be a chance to mention that I am a parent, and share a little bit about myself if I choose to.
Other questions follow, with exhortations to stand up.
- “Stand up if you are here to become a better writer?” (Almost everyone tends to stand!) Follow up: “What do you want to write?” or “What do you write?”
- “Stand if you know someone who has taken this class.” Much of our recruiting is by word of mouth, so there is always someone who stands, and testifies that their friend/mom/co-worker told them how great this class is. This helps establish our good name in the community, and shows that completing the class is achievable.
- “Stand if you know someone else in this class.” This helps identify friend groups, siblings, or parent-child pairings. One year, two people who lived in the same building recognized each other on Zoom and introduced themselves. “Hey, my name’s H—and I live on the second floor. I see you in the mailroom sometimes.”
- “Stand if you have someone who will keep you accountable.” This is often a boss, or pastor, or friend who recommended the class. It’s good to find out about people’s networks and to remind the students that they ARE accountable.
- “Stand if you want to be an effective advocate for your community.” Follow up: “What is that community?” It could be Haitians, it could be LGBTQ, it could be a neighborhood group or PTO. It could be a large extended family.
- “Stand if you speak a language other than English.” Followed up by “What language?” This tends to frame immigration and bi-cultural experiences as a positive and offers an opportunity to make clear that these skills are perspectives are an asset to the classroom.
Add other questions that matter to you or your community!
Practice 2: Keeping Stack
Teaching a class while fielding questions and student contributions from all corners can be difficult, and students can sometimes feel ignored or undervalued as a result. One solution is to ask a student to “keep stack”—watch the classroom (or Zoom screen) for hands that go up, record them in order, and make sure the instructor knows that questions and comments are pending. A student keeping stack might gently interrupt a teacher to say, “Mary had her hand up, and after her, Ramon, and then Desiree.”
The “stack keeper” is a role that can rotate throughout the term. Students in this role have a job that encourages them to pay attention to the dynamics of the room, the needs of their fellow students, and the class conversation. They also practice leadership.
The advantages of keeping stack include students feeling seen and heard, knowing they will not get lost in the shuffle. Because the effort is led by students, there is also shared responsibility, as students work to ensure that each voice in the room is heard and valued. This can be particularly important during lively discussions, where many students are eager to add to the conversation.