By Ashley D’Antonio, OSU College of Forestry
Resilience is one of the first concepts I learned as a recreation ecologist. In recreation ecology, “resilience” is the ability of part of an ecosystem (i.e., vegetation, wildlife) to recover from the disturbance caused by outdoor recreation. I think about resilient teaching similarly, as the ability of a learning environment to recover or – maybe more importantly – to adapt to disturbance or change. I have largely thought about resilient teaching in terms of creating learning environments that support students‘ resiliency. Recently, I have been seeking techniques to build resilience in my own life to be better positioned to support students. One way that I have been fostering resilience for myself is through practicing gratitude.
During the pandemic, like many folks, I was experiencing feelings of burnout and high levels of stress. In response, I read Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski (2019). This book outlines various practices for preventing and recovering from stress. One of the recommendations made by the authors is to practice gratitude. It is important to note that gratitude is not the same as “toxic positivity.” Practicing gratitude is not about willfully ignoring life’s challenges or difficulties but mindfully and actively recognizing life’s positive aspects, people, and events. To learn more about the difference between gratitude and toxic positivity, I recommend this short Headspace Podcast with Dr. Laurie Santos, Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology and host of the Happiness Lab Podcast. Since reading Burnout (Nagoski & Nagoski, 2019), at the end of each workday and every evening, I write down a few people or events in my day that I am grateful for. Despite the ample scientific evidence to the contrary (e.x., Wood et al., 2010), I honestly did not think a daily gratitude practice would effectively reduce burnout and stress. However, it was a relatively easy habit to start and maintain, and I have seen a positive change in my well-being.
Even with my daily gratitude practice, it did not occur to me to consider how I might incorporate gratitude into my teaching until recently. As part of the Center for Teaching and Learning’s No Strings Attached Book Club, I have been reading Geeky Pedagogy by Jessamyn Neuhaus (2019). To my surprise, a section of the book is dedicated to gratitude as part of a reflective teaching practice. A gratitude practice in a teaching context could be as simple as writing down three positive things that happened in your learning environment. How or where you document your gratitude is flexible. I record my gratitude notes in a daily planner or a gratitude journal but there are also many app-based gratitude journals and trackers (consider privacy and cost if you plan to use one of these apps). Examples of positive events in a teaching context could be having an engaging discussion, a student asking a thought-provoking question in class or on a discussion board, or a student demonstrating that they have engaged with learning materials deeply. Research on gratitude and well-being has shown that expressing gratitude for someone else has longer-lasting, positive outcomes than keeping your gratitude to yourself. So, another way to enact a gratitude practice in teaching could be to verbally thank students for their attendance and participation in the course. Geeky Pedagogy (Neuhaus, 2019) and Gratitude in Education (Howells, 2012) contain other excellent examples of what gratitude can look like in teaching.
Practicing gratitude in a structured way in a course could also support students in their well-being and resilience. All of my courses incorporate a short, low-stakes, daily reflective assignment at the end of each class period or module. Currently, the reflections focus on key takeaways and “muddy points.” However, this upcoming fall term, I will ask students to list one thing they are grateful for from the class session or week’s learning materials and activities. I will also be more intentional with verbally expressing my gratitude to students in class or via written feedback or announcements in Canvas. Overall, I will expand my gratitude practice more mindfully into my teaching and hopefully further support myself and my students in building resilience.
References:
Headspace. (2023, April 4). Podcast: The Power of Gratitude with Dr. Laurie Santos [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zym8dalGUw
Howells, K. (2012). Gratitude in education: A radical view. Springer Science & Business Media.
Nagoski, E., & Nagoski, A. (2019). Burnout: The secret to unlocking the stress cycle. Ballantine Books.
Neuhaus, J. (2019). Geeky pedagogy: A guide for intellectuals, introverts, and nerds who want to be effective teachers. Morgantown: West Virginia University Press.
Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical psychology review, 30(7), 890-905.
About the author: Ashley D’Antonio is an Associate Professor in the Forest Ecosystems & Society Department in the College of Forestry. She is a recreation ecologist and teaches undergraduate courses in the Tourism, Recreation, and Adventure Leadership (TRAL) degree.
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of guest posts about resilience and teaching strategies by members of the Spring ’24 Resilient Teaching Faculty Learning Community facilitated by the Center for Teaching and Learning. The opinions expressed in guest posts are solely those of the authors.
Top image generated with Microsoft Copilot
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