Foundation Skills/What is pastoral care of students and should you be Involved?/Should you be involved in the pastoral care of your students?

Providing pastoral care may come naturally to you, or you may need to develop your skills in this area. As you will have discovered in Nadine Muller's (2014) article: Supporting Student Wellbeing in Higher Education: Why & How, one of the best ways to help support well-being in your students, is to keep your life in balance. Taking on every student issue, alone, will add to your workload, and create stress. Knowing when to refer students to the many support services that are available, and when to ask for advice and assistance from colleagues is essential.

Most importantly, if you maintain an inclusive classroom, your students will develop their confidence within a trusting environment, and feel comfortable asking for help. People need empathy but they don't need pity, and being able to offer practical assistance as well as listen is key. For example, you might advocate on a student's behalf to save them having to go round explaining their difficult situation to several people. Think about whether it is better to be pro-active or wait until issues arise, such as lack of engagement and low attendance.


 * What other ways could you provide pastoral care on a daily basis to your students?
 * Are there any boundaries, or issues that you simply should not discuss with your students?