Upper Peninsula Teaching & Learning Conference - 2026

College students who are navigating high levels of stress, perfectionism, and fear of failure often experience difficulties with motivation, resilience, and academic performance (Kahn et al., 2023). Simultaneously, faculty are expected to maintain academic rigor while responding to growing student needs, often without additional time or resources (Riba, 2025). This session explores how mindful self-compassion can be integrated into the classroom as an evidence-based approach to support student learning and faculty well-being. This session emphasizes practical, easy-to-implement strategies that faculty can apply across disciplines, including compassionate syllabus framing, resilience-building feedback practices, and brief in-class techniques that support student attention and engagement. Presenters will also discuss how faculty can manage stress through mindful self-compassion strategies. Participants will leave with concrete tools, examples, and language they can immediately apply to support student resilience, improve classroom engagement, and create learning environments that benefit both students and educators.
 
Kahn, J. H., Fishman, J. I., Galati, S. L., & Meyer, D. M. (2023). Perfectionism, locus of control, and academic stress among college students. Personality and Individual Differences, 213, Article 112313.
 
Riba, E. B. (2025). Towards defining the faculty role in supporting student mental health. Current Psychiatry Reports, 27, 319–325.