Fearless Faculty™

The Fearless Classroom strategies directly affect our student's Social Emotional Learning. Coming back to school and campus, students are having a difficult time adapting and adjusting to the expectations being placed on them. Using FC strategies support the students social emotional learning and well-being by providing students with authentic, trusting, and collaborative relationships that still holds students accountable without reducing the rigor. I would also go as far as discussing how research shows that SEL has a positive impact on several outcomes, not just academic performance but healthy relationships and mental health and wellness. (Marybeth Murray, Early Childhood Studies)

Thank you for being our 'fearless' leaders this past year.  I am grateful for all I have gleaned from the workshops as I feel changes to my classes have been positive.  I wanted to share that next fall I am committing two of my classes to an ‘un-grading' system.  This is based on the CAFE workshops, trainings and texts.  I am very excited (and scared) as I believe this is directly related to creating a fearless classroom.  I see great benefits for creating a class of equity and psychological safety as well as student learning centered. (Jeanne Marshall, Geography/Anthropology)

During the pandemic I created more balance in my teaching approach building a community out of a classroom, working with students as a class, in teams, and individually. I noticed more engagement, better attendance, and increased performance. I was awarded Teacher of the Year in my department. (Ron Heimler, Apparel Merchandising and Management)

I was stunned when I calculated the final grades - almost everyone in my class got an A or an A-. All students regardless of grade worked harder and, I think, learned better. Their final projects are much better than last year in the same class. I actually made some of them revise their first submissions.. Even though it was more work for me and the students, I think the opportunity to recover paid off. Their Discussion Board posts were more insightful measuring in 100 - 300 words by the end fo the semester rather than a single sentence or two. Even their responses to the takeaways discussion in Week 15 were rewarding to me reflecting they learned something important that they are taking away beyond the classroom. (Olga Griswold, Linguistics and TESOL, English and Modern Languages

I really appreciate this project, it has helped enhance my work as an instructor.

Thank you and your team for the consistent dedication to the Fearless process in education.  This program has brought me to a place where I feel my teaching philosophy and what is happening in the classroom have come together. Thank you for stretching me in this direction.