As university professors, we are experts in our disciplines and understandably often focus foremost on content when we design our courses. However, students are not always able to access that content if there are cognitive or affective barriers in the way. The following concepts are 5 well-established prerequisites for learning, especially for first-generation, underrepresented college students. These are connected and mutually-reinforcing pieces that together form a “circle of success.” Download a PDF of this page here.
AGENCY: A sense of self-determination is built through transparent teaching, student choice, and having a voice; through metacognition and learning how to learn; through developing emotional self-regulation; through knowing when/how/where to get help.
BELONGING: A sense of mattering is created through classroom community-building; by students feeling ‘seen and valued’ and through trauma-informed and healing-centered pedagogy practices.
CULTURAL WEALTH: The rich assets and resources developed in communities of color can be accessed and leveraged in academic spaces through culturally responsive teaching and asset-focused assessment.
EFFICACY: The belief in one’s capabilities to accomplish specific tasks is developed through modeling and experiences of success (scaffolding); is tied to intrinsic motivation; and resides in learning relationships.
RESILIENCE: The ability to bounce back from adversity can be fostered through coaching; grounded in Embodied Practice; supported by cognitive reframing of failure and perfectionism; and undergirded by social networks of support.
