ALSSO

I had the pleasure of being able to attend ALSSO this week, and it was a great conference. The sessions were largely about how to emotionally and mentally support students so that they can be successful. There were some really good panels about mentoring, safe spaces, inclusion policies, and creating environments that promote connection and belonging. The keynote was particularly good and was about the importance of supporting positive mental health practices. I strongly believe in this kind of supportive approach to instructing, so I was nodding along in agreement with just about everything.

There was also a session, which was my absolute favorite, about using music in teaching early writers. I loved that one. It was about how universal music is and how it’s such a great tool to build connections.

I left the conference with this phrase on my mind. Be kind. Be supportive. Make people feel seen and respected.

Yep, yep, and yep.

Good conference and one I hope I’ll be back to next year.