Students writing an essay on a negotiated topic are required to have the topic agreed by the module leader before the end of term, and to provide a draft essay structure and an indicative list of sources. In order to ensure there are no last-minute crises, I use this approach to ensure that a) students have a good source base for topics that can be very varied (and perhaps not covered in detail in the module and/or the module reading list), and b) aware of the extent of the topic as set by the essay question.

Guidance, warnings and ground rules are all designed to make learning spaces welcoming and inclusive for all students. By taking into account individual students’ needs and experiences, and setting clear parameters for content, dialogue, and classroom interactions, all students know that the classroom is a space in which they can share their ideas in a collegial and constructive environment.

Feeling good is how we feel physically, mentally and emotionally. Everyone will have times where they do not feel good. You may feel physically poorly, or mentally and emotionally drained and struggling. There will be times when you may not feel good or function well and at these times, it is important to have a toolkit that you can use to help yourself and to make positive changes. The more you practice these skills, the more you will understand what works best for you. Subsequently it is important to promote these strategies and focal points to colleagues and students.

Acknowledging emails is a very simple wellbeing practice to put in place. It takes very little time to send a quick response acknowledging receipt of an e-mail. Within a learning and teaching context, it helps to set boundaries and expectations. The acknowledgement of an e-mail reassures the recipient that you have received their communication, but also gives you a little more time to respond, helping you to manage your own workload.

In order to improve student inclusion in teamwork, student experience and learning from the outcomes associated with group work, and student access to help and support, team formation methods should be considered. This pedagogy advises the use of personality profiling, and consideration of student’s ‘minority status’ to form well-balanced teams.