Join Pitt instructors and mental health professionals for a new installment of the Teaching Center’s Understanding Our Students series. In this virtual panel we will discuss the importance of supporting student well-being as educators and mentors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research highlights the importance of well-being on our cognitive capacities and provides us with insights on how instructors can create caring environments through the implementation of activities, assessments, and class policies that enhance connection, belonging, transparency, flexibility, and empowerment among our students.

By the end of this panel, participants will be able to:

• Describe the value of students’ well-being to academic engagement, persistence, and performance based on current research on affective science
• Identify approaches to help students thrive academically
• Develop strategies to support student well-being through classroom social engagement
• Utilize Pitt and non-Pitt resources to support students’ well-being