Session Coordinator: Erica Chirico

Student absenteeism and poor-quality interaction between faculty and students may contribute to students not taking advantage of the most important resource of the school: faculty's knowledge and experience. Fundamentals of positive interaction are: mutual respect and trust, empathy and openness. Students appreciate faculty who are approachable and open to communication and notice the specific way of interacting with each faculty in both positive and negative aspects. If interaction with faculty is sub-optimal students might feel neglected, and this will lead to negative outcomes, impact academic performance, increase student absenteeism, especially now post-pandemic when "in-person" interaction needs to be re-established or, at least, consolidated. By examining examples of interactions, we aim to identify the positives and the negatives and find ways to improve, to make student-teacher interaction more meaningful, more engaging and impactful.

Positive teacher-student interactions are vital for student success. They contribute to academic achievement and promote personal and social growth. The multiple interactions between teacher and student occur in various settings and revolve around numerous issues encompassing teaching, advising, and mentoring. The knowledge and wisdom that comes along with meaningful teacher-student interactions can potentially transform students' lives. At the end of the focus session, participants will be able to: 1) appreciate the benefits of both formal and informal teacher-student interactions, 2) attain a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms and dynamics of said interactions, 3) identify the pivotal factors that deter or facilitate interactions, 4) design and create safe spaces to engage teachers and students in meaningful, impactful, and positive interactions.