1st Edition
Enacting a Pedagogy of Kindness A Guide for Practitioners in Higher Education
Drawing from the lived experience of educators, this book explores the concept of a pedagogy of kindness through practical applications and strategies for teaching in higher education.
Conversational in tone, narrative-based and rich with practical stories, ideas, and strategies, this book provides guidance to help educators shape their teaching. It covers all aspects of teaching in higher education, including curriculum design, delivery, marking and feedback. Each chapter describes a specific perspective on practical applications of kindness, including authentic strategies used to increase positivity and connection in teaching and learning. Through a series of case studies, it provides relatable examples that educators can apply to their practices as they navigate a dynamic and rewarding teaching environment.
This book will help educators who are keen to bring the joy back to their teaching and who want to connect with their students and see learning come alive again in higher education.
1. An Introduction to a Pedagogy of Kindness
Airdre Grant
Sharon Pittaway
2. Kindness in course and curriculum design
Mieke Witsel
Lachlan Forsyth
3. Kindness in assessment
Jo Munn
Rachel Matthews
4. Deliberate design is kind design
Kelly Galvin
5. The realities of enacting kindness in teaching practice
Charlotte Overgaaard and Dr Jacqueline Mackaway
Debra Adelaide
Lauren E. Stephens
Matthew Harrison
6. Storying unlearning for intended, enacted and felt kindness in online environs: Implications and opportunities for people, pedagogies and place
Abbey MacDonald
7. Kindness, creativity, productive failure, and agency: An exploration with an example from educational research
Edwin Creely
8. Black feminism: A pedagogy of radically enacted kindness
Ameena L. Payne and Dr Aris M. Clemons
9. Leading with heart, authenticity and insight: The (hard) work of enacting kindness across an institution
Tim Moss
10. Sustaining others without starving yourself: Educator wellbeing, compassion, kindness and self-care
Alan Borthwick OBE and Mark Cole
Sandra Grace
Jeff Janowick
Samantha Chang
11. Conclusion
Airdre Grant
Sharon Pittaway
Biography
Airdre Grant is an experienced academic, author and educator with over 20 years’ experience in teaching and learning. She worked in the Centre for Teaching and Learning at Southern Cross University for 15 years as an academic developer. In her role in the Learning Innovations team at Deakin University, Airdre supported academics’ pedagogical practice in online teaching and learning environments through a focus on learning and assessment design. She is currently writing her third book, a novel about women in the workplace and the challenges they face maintaining their kindness and compassion.
Sharon Pittaway was an educator for over 20 years with experience teaching Preps to postgrads. As an English and Drama teacher, Sharon was keenly aware of the human-centred nature of the teaching–learning relationship. Her move into pre-service teacher education saw her continue to develop and refine her pedagogical practice and in her leadership roles, she supported others to examine and reflect on their own. Sharon’s personal quest to be kind, initiated by the example of her grandmother, was at the forefront of her thinking and pedagogical practice throughout her years as an educator.
