I plan to arrive in class 15 minutes before time in order to set-up and connect with my students. I feel this will help them “open up” to me as I will appear more approachable to them. I plan to share something that happened in my life (school, work, social life) and/or something I am happy or concerned about and encourage them to do the same. I will share my clinical experiences (past and current) and use language that inspires and encourages them to remain motivated with the course material. (Motivating; Lang, 2016, p. 216)

Additionally, during the semester, I have decided to give a “shout out” to select students upon timely and successful submission of their work for every quiz and assignment due. I plan to include every student during the term in this gesture of appreciation, so that they feel validated for their efforts. I encourage seeking clarification and help from each other and myself as the instructor and make the students at ease. I self-disclose (sparingly) about my own experiences and normalize help-seeking behaviors (Belonging; Lang, 2016, p. 189).