Do your semester group projects frequently result with unmanageable student conflict? Have you already tried consequence-oriented strategies (e.g., group grade, peer evaluations to reduce grades, threats to fire a group member or professor intervention) without success? Guiding students toward a solution will not only teach them how to manage immediate issues but also equip them with core communication and teamwork skills for future group projects. Channel frustration into a teachable moment that builds lasting soft skills.

Preventing Conflict in Student Groups: Teachable Strategies

View a student-centered Student Group Work Conflict video about these strategies.

• Vent and reflect: Allow students to “vent” about previous negative group work experiences. This creates a common bond, decreases their anxiety, and increases motivation. Managing Difficult Moments together makes the professor-student relationship even stronger.
• Assess your style: Give students a conflict styles inventory to learn more about their communication tendency. This may be a culturally sensitive or reputable assessment depending on what is more applicable to the students in your class. If the class has more group work than usual, consider making a conflict style assessment an assignment for students before any group work begins. The Institute of Peace’s Conflict Styles Assessment offers one such assessment.
• Create an action plan: Ask groups to create an action plan or contract at the first meeting. This plan may help coordinate group efforts to avoid potential conflict and bolster student teamwork.
• Discuss conflict case studies: Use class time to introduce conflict case studies; ask students to brainstorm multiple ways to respond and evaluate potential outcomes. Prompt students to engage in group discussion.

Preparing Students for a More Proactive Future

One day, our students will be in a job interview and asked, “Tell me about a past conflict and how did you handle it.”

Rather than unnecessary frustration with their group conflicts today, implement these strategies so that they may develop the appropriate collaborative and conflict-resolution skills that land them a job in the future.

References and Resources

Conflict Style Assessment. United States Institute of Peace. 

Huang, L.S. (2014). Students riding on coattails during group work? Five simple ideas to try. Faculty Focus, September, 29. 

Weimer, M. (2010). 10 Recommendations for Improving Group Work. Faculty Focus, June 1. 

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About the Author 

Whitney Scott holds a PhD and is the Director of Faculty Development at California State University, Northridge. She resides in Los Angeles, California. 
Edited by Emma Sikora, CETL Editorial Assistant Intern. 
Others may share and adapt under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC.

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Imagine a student who approaches you after class, noticeably confused. “I tried to attend your office hours yesterday,” they explain, “but when I got to the classroom, I couldn’t find you. Instead, another class was in session!” 

At first thought, you may be frustrated that the student did not understand the location of “office hours,” which seem obvious by the name. But if you step back and view this from the perspective of a student fresh out of high school, you can see the confusion. In high school, if you needed help, you would go to the teacher’s desk IN the classroom. This simple mix-up reveals a critical part of education that deserves our attention in higher education: the hidden curriculum. 

First introduced in his 1968 book Life in Classrooms, Philip Jackson defined the “hidden curriculum” as a set of unspoken or implicit rules, values, behaviors, and norms within the educational environment that are needed for academic success. The hidden curriculum is not formally taught like the standard curriculum or textbooks. Instead, it is learned as part of the everyday interactions students have with their peers and their instructors, and their school’s practices and culture. It is how students know to raise their hand to ask or answer questions, socialize with peers, and that the teacher is the authority. It is the skills, dispositions, and behaviors that help students succeed in both academics and in “real world” situations where soft skills are just as essential as content knowledge.

Impact on Our Students

As students move from high school to college, they become part of a new educational environment, with its own set of unwritten rules and behavioral norms. Most students navigate the hidden curriculum of college campuses by using what they have learned in high school, including interacting with professors, completing homework on time, and participating in class discussions and team projects.  Because learning these unwritten behaviors and norms depends on the dominant cultural context, the hidden curriculum disproportionately affects students without college-educated family members, those from different cultural backgrounds, and some neurodivergent students. These students may not have the school exposure, social networks, or family members that have gone through the college experience to help them learn the norms for college success. 

In an impactful article illuminating hidden curriculum challenges through student interviews, Anthony Abraham Jack describes how different high school experiences and upbringing influence the way students navigate college. One student mentions,

My being uncomfortable going to office hours: that’s the [social] class thing. I don’t like talking to professors one-on-one. That’s negative because [this school] really wants you to be proactive. And raise your hand. And talk. Freshman year, I didn’t say a word. People who I had small classes with, if I see them on the street, I recognize them. They won’t recognize me because I didn’t speak. (Jack, 2015)

In this example, a lack of understanding or discomfort with the expected behaviors in college classrooms--such as answering questions, participating in discussions, and self-advocacy--became a barrier to the student feeling part of the campus community. 

The hidden curriculum also influences student academic success, as they must have the skills to complete curricular tasks and the behaviors to engage in the learning process. Consider a group assignment where students work together to solve a real world problem. Before they can even begin, students need to know the unwritten expected behaviors for teamwork, such as taking turns when sharing ideas, setting roles, accountability, participation, and respect. The hidden curriculum also includes other aspects of college preparation including knowledge of how to navigate academic systems such as financial aid processes and registration, and use of resources such as advising or tutoring.  See a more comprehensive list of hidden curriculum considerations.

 Tips to Demystify the Hidden Curriculum

We can support the success of all students by not only recognizing our institution’s hidden curriculum, but also by intentionally “unveiling it.” For example,

• Create an inclusive syllabus: Use inviting language and explain key elements like “office hours,” which can be renamed to “student hours” for clarity. Explain how to use the syllabus and check for understanding with a syllabus quiz. See our Syllabus Guides for a checklist and syllabus template.
• Define academic jargon: Make sure students understand what you mean by terms such as “critical thinking,” “analyze,” or “class participation.” Share our university lingo.
• Use transparent assignment design: Provide learning outcomes, clear directions, and rubrics that define how students will be assessed, an approach developed through transparency in learning and teaching (TILT).
• Provide and normalize use of campus resources: Include campus resources as part of class communications and avoid stigmatizing language (e.g., Normalizing and Promoting Academic Success Support, Asking for Help Shows Strength, Not Weakness).
• Model the behaviors you expect from students: Provide feedback to reinforce your expectations, use a growth mindset approach to handle mistakes constructively.
• Promote a sense of belonging: Provide a safe learning environment, valuing all students' backgrounds and individuality. This will allow them to gain confidence in new social situations.    

Conclusion

We have the opportunity to make it easier for students every time they encounter one of these unwritten rules. By being mindful of how they show up in our classrooms and campus, we can guide them with the information and tools to “demystify” the hidden curriculum.

Resources

Gable, R. (2021b). Rachel Gable, author of The Hidden Curriculum, PUP Speaks. Video created by Princeton University Press.

Jack, A. A. (2015). (No) Harm in asking: Class, acquired cultural capital, and academic engagement at an elite university. Sociology of Education, 89(1), 1-19. (Original work published 2016)

Mintz, S. (2024, May 16). How the “hidden curriculum” prepares students for post-college life. Inside Higher Ed.

Replogle, J. (2022, April 26). You can succeed at college once you figure out all the little things no one tells you about. LAist.

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About the Author

Sarah Hosch is the Faculty Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and a Special Instructor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Oakland University. She teaches all levels of biology coursework and her interests include evidence-based teaching practices to improve student learning gains and reduce equity gaps in gateway course success. Sarah loves exploring nature, cooking, and exercising. 

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Mental health challenges in college students have been on the rise since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data suggest that over 50% of college students have experienced moderate stress over the last 30 days, with an additional 25% experiencing high levels of stress (ACHA, 2025). Over 45% of students report facing challenges with their academics in the last 12 months - 85% of whom said this issue caused them moderate or high distress. While poor mental health has been associated with impaired academic performance (Chu et al., 2022), cultivating a caring classroom environment can help to reduce student stress and bolster our student’s academic motivation and performance. 

Creating a caring classroom environment encourages a relational perspective of teaching, rather than a transactional one. Demonstrating empathy, understanding, and concern for our students can increase students’ perception of caring. Belonging is a core human need - when our students feel seen and supported in our classrooms, they feel safe to explore, take risks, and learn. There are documented benefits of cultivating a caring classroom environment, including improvements in students’ motivation to learn, attendance, time spent studying, and learning outcomes (Meyers, 2009).

How to Create a Culture of Care

You can demonstrate care for your students in many ways, both inside and outside of the classroom. For example:

• Review syllabus language for kindness and empathy (e.g., explaining student hours, grading policy, attendance expectations, etc.). 
• Consider implementing flexible deadline policies where feasible - for example, using tokens to give students a limited number of late assignments, or providing a short ‘no-penalty’ grace period after deadlines. 
• Adopt Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in your courses to increase accessibility of course materials and learning outcomes. 
• Make an intentional effort to learn - and use - your students’ names. 
• Use a ‘getting to know you’ survey to understand who’s in your classroom. 
• Show students that you’re human - admit when you make a mistake or share stories of a time you struggled with the course content yourself. 
• Use ‘checking in’ surveys throughout the semester to assess students’ preparation for upcoming exams and assignments. 
• Tell your students that you care about them and believe in their ability to be successful in your course. One natural point to do this might be during a discussion of the syllabus early in the semester - after outlining the major course assignments or learning objectives, a faculty member could tell students, “While this might seem daunting, I believe that each of you has the ability to be successful in my class. I care about you and your ability to be successful, so if there are things in the way of your success this semester, I want you to let me know.” In an online course, this message could be delivered in a course overview video, or in a written message to students - either at the beginning of the semester or as students prepare for a major assessment. A message of caring could also be connected to explaining to students why you have them complete a ‘getting to know you’ survey (e.g., “I care about the students in my courses, and it helps me to get to know you better so that I can best support you this semester.”).
• Encourage students to get to know one another through icebreaker activities, discussions, and group work. 

Conclusion

Creating a culture of care in the classroom is an ongoing process, and one that is best approached through a lens of curiosity and empathy. It is not necessary to complete all of the suggestions listed above in order to demonstrate care - rather, faculty should play to their strengths and focus on the approaches that feel most natural and appropriate to them, their particular students, and their courses. Finally, many of these suggested activities are appropriate for a variety of learning modalities, and can be adapted for online courses as well. 

References and Resources

American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III: Reference Group Executive Summary Spring 2025. Silver Spring, MD: American College Health Association; 2025.

Burrow, L. (2023, January 11). Quick activities to prepare and maintain a classroom of care. Faculty Focus. 

CAST. Universal design for learning.
Chu, T., Liu, X., Takayanagi, S., Matsushita, T., & Kishimoto, H. (2022). Association between mental health and academic performance among university undergraduates: The interacting role of lifestyle behaviors. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 32(1), e1938. https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1938 

Denial, C. J. (2024). A pedagogy of kindness. (Vol. 1). University of Oklahoma Press: Norman. 

Meyers, S. A. (2009). Do your students care whether you care about them? College Teaching, 57(4), 205 - 210. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567550903218620

Miller, M. D. (2024). A teacher’s guide to learning student’s names: Why you should, why it’s hard, how you can. (Vol. 2). University of Oklahoma Press: Norman. 

Moore, C. (2024, February 12). Building a culture of well-being in your courses. CETL Teaching Tips Blog. 

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About the Author

Caitlin Demsky, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Management in the Department of Management & Marketing. She teaches courses on organizational behavior, human resource management, and work and stress. Her research focuses on employees’ stress and well-being and the work-nonwork interface. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her two young sons and taking time for her embroidery and pottery hobbies.

Photo by Nathan Dumla on Unsplash. Others may share and adapt under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC.

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In classes we often find ourselves wanting students to engage in their reading practices more deeply. Sending students off to read a chapter for a class discussion or activity often produces either not doing the reading (prof will discuss in class or post summary notes so why bother?), not getting main ideas and details (often due to weak strategies and poor vocabulary), or failing to sustain attention long enough to get the overall gist of an extended and detailed argument (attention span issues for everyone!). If you want students to get all the ideas from a reading assignment, you will need to help them. Here are three ways to improve students’ reading in your classes right now.

Review Your Resource Starting Points

First, take a look at this statement from a subgroup of the National Council of Teachers of English that includes college writing teachers, formally titled Position Statement on the Role of Reading in College Writing Classrooms. Though it is addressed to and designed for writing teachers, it contains a great set of strategies and approaches as well as readings and resources for all faculty. (Note: In the interest of full disclosure, I co-chaired the committee that created this statement in 2021.)

Explain the What, Why, and How of Reading in Your Class

Take the time, in class, to review with students what you are asking them to read and why. Doing so can help with motivation, or at the very least, students will understand your rationale for the assignment you have given them. As you look at the material, even if it is textbook material, point out the ways that the text is designed to help them read the material effectively. Particularly with a new textbook, point out headings, glossary, review questions at the end of the chapter, charts and graphs and so forth. The review questions, often at the ends of chapters (or online) in textbooks, can help students pay more attention to the reading, keep them focused, and help them get key points. Point out how the text is divided into sections with headings, because you can use those to divide the discussion of the material in class. 

Practice Reading Skills in Class, Together

A third strategy can help with in-class discussion and summarize key points of a reading for all students. This approach entails dividing an assigned reading into sections and creating groups (works well for breakout groups on Zoom or, of course, in person) to look at each section. The task is to create a 25-word summary of the section that can be posted to a Google Doc or discussion board in Moodle, creating a full sum of the chapter or reading selection. The summary has to be exactly 25 words, not 24 or 26. 

Students will see this as a challenging kind of game. The discussions that result, however, will have students talking about the ideas presented in the text, how they relate to other information you have presented in class, their prior knowledge, perhaps from other courses, and other material they might bring into the discussion. Developing readers will gain insights from those with stronger reading skills. They help one another with vocabulary or look up words in the text’s glossary or in the dictionary. 

The section-by-section summaries produce a solid summary of the reading material which, posted in Moodle, is available to the class for review. Students who haven’t done the reading will feel some peer pressure and will make more of an effort to do the reading for future discussions. Do you want students arguing about which are the most important points in a section of material that need to be included in those 25 words? Do you want them choosing which interpretation best captures the point the author was trying to make? Do you want to be sure they get the key terms and concepts that need to be in the 25 words? You bet! My experience suggests that this approach can re-shape how students complete the reading you assign.

Conclusion

We know from national data from standardized tests, from careful studies of students’ untimed actual reading and writing, and from tests of online reading and analysis that current students are not the critical readers and thinkers they can be. In your teaching, you can help them develop skills to be successful in your class and all the others. You can learn more about how to help students with reading by checking that position statement from NCTE. You can also share what you know about reading, and that’s a lot because that’s how you got to be a faculty member, but providing a guide to the assignment. And in class, you can have students work collaboratively to summarize a reading and have a detailed discussion of the material that you want them to learn.

These approaches will help you help students be better readers and achieve your own teaching goals.

References and Resources

Conference on College Composition and Communication. 2021. Position Statement on the Role of Reading in College Writing Classrooms.

Horning, Alice S. 2024. The Case for Critical Literacy: A History of Reading in Writing Studies. Logan, UT: Utah State University Press.

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About the Author

Alice Horning is a professor emerita, retired from the Department of Writing & Rhetoric and the Department of Linguistics since 2016. She continues to do research and write about student reading problems.  She continues to teach for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Michigan, where her upcoming class will be on Language and Social Change in October. She blogs at Critical Reading in Digital Times on WordPress.