Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/1421945
Jenna Wilson, PhD, LMFT, CCTP Associate Professor, Department of Marriage and Family Sciences Throughout my years of experiences in higher education, it has become more and more clear how teaching and learning is very much a collaborative process, and I believe that students learn best when they feel supported, safe, and understood. Before I teach my students about how family therapists see the world, I want to understand how they see the world. Connecting with our students to understand who they are allows us to teach and provide feedback in a way that will best support them. Connecting with our students on an authentic level allows us to be transparent about how we are invested in them and believe in them. When someone believes in you, it becomes contagious, and students begin believing in themselves. Whether I am teaching a course or supervising a clinical practicum or internship, it's important to be intentionally human with students while being their professor, supervisor, and mentor. I want each one of my students to feel seen and heard. I encourage them to lead with their humanity while being a therapist for their clients. These elements foster an environment filled with collaboration, curiosity, hope, possibility, inclusion, empathy, support, and safety as they grow throughout their MFT studies and into their clinical journey. Being mindful about intentionally creating a safe and supportive environment for students is foundational. It has been my experience that learning does not typically happen in environments and professional relationships that feel unsafe and unsupportive. It's crucial for students to not only hear what you say but to see what you do, and for those two things to align consistently. As a professor, asking for student feedback and checking in with them is so useful and I believe is always something that should be encouraged. Implementing our students' feedback is meaningful as this is a powerful way to demonstrate, as their professor, you heard and understood them and their individualized needs while also valuing them as a person and professional. After all, we are all in the business of relationships. Our NCU Marriage and Family Therapy students are hard-working people from all over the world. They're strong and resilient. They've overcome some of life's most difficult challenges. They're first-generation college students and they pave the way for themselves and future generations. They inspire. They're the helpers filled with compassion, hope, and possibility. Teaching TIPS 6