Enhancing student success through caring actions

In a previous post, we discussed the importance of learning students' names. In this one, I will continue that thought and expand on it in relation to enhancing student success through respect and care. 

For a moment, think about a teacher you had that you really liked. One that affected, impacted, or changed you in some way for the better. What was it about that teacher that made you feel that way about them? Teaching is more than just delivering or presenting information. It is a relationship between teacher and student that is just as important and analogous to the relationship between clinician and patient. We all learned in PA school the importance of developing a relationship with your patient and that the outcome of their treatment plan is significantly affected by how they feel about you. Research has shown that patients are more likely to follow a treatment plan when they have a positive relationship with their clinician and trust their clinician (Birkhäuer et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2022). The same is true for teachers and students. 

Learning students' names is just one way of fostering a relationship that supports learning. Other ways include tailoring your feedback to students, responding to emails promptly, and showing students respect and care. Let's address each one of these. 

Individualizing Feedback

Although it is beyond the scope of this piece to dive into the importance of effective feedback, I think we all agree that it plays a significant role in learning and student success. The goal of feedback is to provide students with specific, detailed information about their learning so they can use it to improve (Martin, 2023). Equally essential is that feedback be tailored to the student's work, showing that you actually read it and are commenting directly to them rather than the impersonal and imprecise "good work" or "this is what I expect of you." 

I suspect you have had the experience, as a student, of receiving an assignment back and wondering whether the teacher actually read it. Either the comments are so vague, or there are hardly any. When students get a paper back like this, they can feel defeated and frustrated, given the effort they put into it, potentially making them less likely to put in the same effort on the next assignment. This isn't what we want to support in our students. In my experience, this has been a common rub point for students when using rubrics. Let me say, rubrics are a viable and effective assessment tool when developed and used correctly. However, if the faculty leave no additional comments beyond a check mark in the rubric, students may feel disappointed and discouraged. 

The key here is to be intentional about assignments when creating your courses, so you build in enough time to provide individual feedback. It doesn't have to be voluminous – even just a few specific, personal comments or a summary at the end that provides effective feedback but also clear evidence to the student that you actually read their work. 

Timely Response to Emails

This topic is a potential powder keg. The key here is 'timely,' which doesn't mean 'immediately.' I have long advocated that faculty establish boundary times for when you will respond to emails — for example, between 8 am and 6 pm —and clearly provide students with that information in class, in your syllabus, and on your office door. This helps to mitigate the issue of students getting frustrated because you are not responding. One caveat I used to tell students was that if I hadn't gotten back to them in 24 hours, email me again. Research showed that 91% of students were comfortable with faculty responding within 24 hours (Chang et al., 2016). The truth is, sometimes we get so many emails that we miss one or two. This way it puts theirs back on top of the list. Once students know you are sincere in your commitment to respond to them and provide an option if they don't hear from you, it helps reinforce that you are reachable and will get back to them. 

Show Students Care and Respect

We earn respect by showing respect and by being consistent and trustworthy. In one study, students described examples of respect as teachers showing care and concern for students' academic success and for students' personal well-being (Singer & Audley, 2017). In addition, students who feel cared for by their professors may put more effort into their coursework (Dickinson & Kreitmair, 2021). If you consistently show respect to all students, they notice and you will gain their respect in return. In addition, showing respect helps build a trusting relationship, which then fosters increased attendance, participation, and success in the course (McMullen, 2025). 

What we say and how we say it, as well as our non-verbal communication, also play a role in earning student respect and trust. When I did my student teaching many years ago, my mentor teacher commented on how I didn't smile. I was so intent on teaching that I didn't realize it. She strongly encouraged me to relax a bit and smile more because doing so helped students feel calmer and more receptive to learning. I never forgot it. 

Building trust and respect in the classroom can be achieved by instituting basic practices in your day-to-day work with students. Sometimes, it's the smallest gesture or look that communicates care and respect. Being consistent is also key to success.  

References

Birkhäuer, J., Gaab, J., Kossowsky, J., Hasler, S., Krummenacher, P., Werner, C., & Gerger, H. (2017). Trust in the health care professional and health outcome: A meta-analysis. PloS one, 12(2), e0170988. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170988 

Chang, C-W., Hurst, B., & McLean, A. (2016). How fast is fast enough? Education students' perceptions of email response time in online courses. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange, 9(1), 1-11). https://aquila.usm.edu/jetde/vol9/iss1/1/ 

Dickinson, A.R. & Kreitmair, U.W. (2021). The importance of feeling cared for: Does a student's perception of how much a professor cares about student success relate to class performance? Journal of Political Science Education, 17(3), 356-70. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15512169.2019.1659803  

Martin, D. J. (2023). Are your assessments fair and balanced? Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/educational-assessment/are-your-assessments-fair-and-balanced/ 

McMullen, J. (2025, October 8). Teaching with kindness: How caring for your students sets the stage for success. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/teaching-with-kindness-how-caring-for-your-students-sets-the-stage-for-success/ 

Singer, A.F. & Audley, S. (2017). "Some teachers just simply care": Respect in urban student-teacher relationships. Journal of Critical Education Policy Studies at Swarthmore College, 2 (1). doi: 10.24968/2473-912X.2.1.5   

 Wu, D., Lowry, P. B., Zhang, D., & Tao, Y. (2022). Patient Trust in Physicians Matters-Understanding the Role of a Mobile Patient Education System and Patient-Physician Communication in Improving Patient Adherence Behavior: Field Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(12), e42941.