During times of crisis, war, and in the wake of traumatic local and national events, many Barnard instructors institute regular check-ins to hear how students are doing. While group check-ins can be effective, many Barnard students have shared that they may not be comfortable sharing how they are doing in class-wide conversations. With this in mind, if instructors are interested in knowing how students are doing, there are several other ways to do this:

• Reach out to students individually via email if you suspect they may be having a hard time or have become silent in class-wide check-ins. We recommend doing this privately and not asking students to stick around after class or approaching them during class.
• Invite all students in a class to fill out a short form at the end of class with the option to include their name.
• Express your commitment (e.g., in email or in class) to supporting all students’ learning and state your concern for the wellbeing of everyone in the class.
• Reflect on whether you are prone to express greater sympathy to some students more than others and consider approaches to universalize your commitment to supporting students.
• Prepare students in advance if you are planning to do a whole-group check-in or discussion about challenging events and allow them to opt out.
• If you perceive a student to be struggling and believe it would be beneficial to refer them to their Class Dean for additional support, fill out an Early Academic Report.
• As you're checking in with students or fielding requests from students regarding extensions, consider refraining, when possible, from asking them to explain the details of their reasons for requesting flexibility or formal accommodations. Some students have shared that they have had to repeat several times the reasons for these requests, which required them to re-live painful aspects of their recent experiences.

This resource draws on principles of trauma-informed pedagogy, and we encourage instructors to consult that larger resource for further research and advice on spotting the signs of trauma and practicing trauma-informed teaching. We also recommend May Imad’s “Pedagogy of Healing: Bearing Witness to Trauma and Resilience” for instructors who may be interested in planning ahead for the spring semester by drawing on lessons from teaching during and after the pandemic.