Wellness in the Classroom FLC Portfolio | Kristina Vassil ✅

JAPN 128: Introduction to Japanese Popular Culture

Reflection on Instructional Change

• The Wellness FLC started with a couple of impactful assignments. One was to watch a video created by an instructor and researcher at Pima Community College about Trauma Informed Teaching and Learning. The other was to attend a workshop run by the CSUS CARES office on how to identify students in distress. Both sources provided alarming statistics on the increasing percentage of students struggling with mental health issues, and the various societal/economic reasons for this recent surge in numbers. It was in the first month of the FLC that we all began to think about how, as non-health care professionals responsible for teaching our various fields, to integrate wellness strategies in our classes. It was a daunting task. But the FLC taught us a variety of specific strategies that we could easily implement, which need not be burdensome, time-consuming projects. We learned that simply acknowledging to our students the inextricable connections between student health and academic health (thus bringing empathy and compassion into our classrooms) could make a difference to our students. The FLC provided concrete, demonstrable practices that faculty could employ to help relieve stress and anxiety and thus improve student performance. The most effective strategies for me were learning inclusive learning practices centered on communication and flexibility, and also specific health tips for mitigating times of heightened stress.
• As demonstrated in the images below, I made a concerted effort to diversify high stakes assignments to accommodate different learning styes, and to provide flexibility with deadlines (within reason) for students who needed it. Students were appreciative with even a one-day extension. For the final assessment in JAPN 128, in Spring 2024 I offered three different format options. Student could take a final exam, write an essay, or create a video. For students who chose the video option, I provided a template for a Pecha Kucha presentation, or students with advanced video skills could use other programs. I also added attempts to lower-stakes quizzes, and accommodated all students with extra time if needed. As a result, I had fewer students drop the class, or simply disappear. I also created Japan-specific PPT slides with stress relief strategies recommended by the National Institute of Health, and the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare. Students enjoyed comparing the two. Regular Announcements posted in my online class helped students keep up with upcoming deadlines and stay on track. I often received requests for extensions after such announcements. Without them, students may have simply missed them and fallen behind.
• The FLC provided a variety of activities and hands-on learning opportunities to help us make changes to our instruction. Guest presentations (or workshops) and readings/videos provided information and data to help motivate us to make changes in our classes. Multiple well-vetted resources were provided throughout the FLC. The Wellness in the Classroom Toolkit and resource pages for students on the Canvas site were especially valuable to me. We all enjoyed both the large and small group discussions during the meetings. FLCs provide a special opportunity for faculty to meet and interact meaningfully with other faculty from across the university. Among the assessments that benefited me were creating the wellness handout for students, and learning about the "Seven dimensions of Wellness," which unpacked for me the various types of "wellness" and effectively showed how they all work together to affect us all as human beings.
  

 

Evidence of Learning

Handout of stress-relief strategies suggested by NIH and the Japanese Ministry of Health.	Changes made to the final assessment project to accommodate different learning styles.	I implemented regular reminders in Announcements to help keep students on track. A wellness module added to the Canvas site.

Moving Forward

The Wellness in the Classroom FLC provided an exemplary set of resources on the Canvas site that participants could easily copy into our courses. Using this information, I created a Wellness Module in both JAPN 128 and JAPN 1B with three pages of resources for students: Core Campus Resources, Student Support Centers and Programs, and Other Resources. I will continue this practice in future courses. In addition, I will continue to implement and build on the inclusive teaching strategies we learned to mitigate student stress and anxiety (implementing low stakes assignments/regular communication/options for different learning styles, regular reminders, etc.) Finally, every FLC meeting started with a short relaxation exercise so that participants could experience firsthand the effectiveness of a 5-minute breathing activity on one's focus and mindset. I will continue to implement these exercises in my face-to-face classes, and to encourage students to do them on their own in my online classes.

Faculty Biography

Kristina Sakamoto Vassil is an Associate Professor of Japanese in the Department of World Languages and Literatures. She specializes in Modern Japanese literature and teaches courses in Japanese literature, civilization, language and faculty-led study abroad. As an instructor, she strives for constant improvement and has prioritized implementing inclusive teaching practices to serve our diverse student body and promote student success. For Kristina, this means building specialized skills/abilities, enhancing critical thinking, and building confidence, resilience, and empathy.

Program Sponsors

This work was supported by the CSU Office of the Chancellor, Sacramento State Division of Academic Affairs, and Sacramento State Student Health and Counseling Services.