Morning Office Hours ☕️ | July: Caring is a Teaching Strategy
Jul 03, 2026 11:46 am
Hello . Pull up a chair, pour a cool drink … here’s what’s on my desk this month.
☕️ Good day, Professor. Happy Summer!
Is it too early to admit that I'm already thinking about the first day of class? Even though I am in summer mode (outside, enjoying the sunshine, resting, and recharging), my mind swirls around class content: Should I redesign that first day? Is my course site clear enough? What if this group doesn't engage as much?
I think that swirling happens because we care.
So this month, I'm thinking about caring - not only the caring we show in the classroom but also the behind-the-scenes caring we do before students ever arrive: planning, preparing, organizing, and making thoughtful choices that help learning feel inviting, clearer, and more enjoyable.
Summer has a way of slowing things down so I hope that July is giving you a little room to rest and relax… Perhaps with slower mornings, outdoor activities, family time, or at least extra time to enjoy your favorite coffee.
Here, you'll find teaching tips, technology tools, connection builders, and joyful inspiration to help you design vibrant, memorable, and student-centered college classes.
THIS MONTH'S IDEA: Caring Is a Teaching Strategy
🧠 INSIGHT: Caring often goes unseen
Students may not see the planning behind a class, but they feel it when the experience is clear, welcoming, and intentional.
Caring does not mean doing everything for students. It means reducing unnecessary confusion so they can focus their energy on learning.
Summer is a powerful time for the "important but not urgent" work: course design, first-day activities, assignment clarity, routines, and connection-building.
One of the most caring things we can do for students is make the learning experience feel less confusing before they even walk in.
👉 TRY THIS: The Important-Not-Urgent Teaching List
I'm using the Eisenhower Matrix (see Resources section for a free pdf) to think about the teaching work that matters, but does not always feel urgent yet.
Choose one course you'll teach soon and look at it from the student's first-click experience. Make a short list of things that would help the first two weeks feel smoother for students.
For example:
clearer assignment instructions
a more welcoming first-day activity
a stronger introduction speech prompt
a "what to do when you're confused" section
a simple participation routine
a visual course roadmap
Considerations:
Is it obvious where to begin?
Can students find the first assignment without hunting?
Does the welcome message sound sincere?
Is there a clear way to ask for help?
Have I created a low-pressure way for students to connect early?
💬 Ask Yourself: Which of those items is important but not urgent yet?
That is your summer caring work. Pick one small thing from the list and give it time before the semester rush begins. What is one thing I can prepare now that will help my future students feel less lost later?
FROM MY CLASSROOM & CAMERA
SessionLab is a session-planning tool that helps you map out lessons, activities, timing, objectives, materials, flow, and much more in one shareable visual agenda - with color coding that makes the whole plan easier to scan and organize.
Instead of only thinking, "What am I teaching?" I'm paying closer attention to the full experience I'm creating: pacing, transitions, energy, reflection.
Where might students need more time?
Am I giving this item enough time… Realistically? Because I definitely underestimate how long things take. [My solution: However long I instinctively think something will take, I need to double it.]
Am I meeting the objectives?
Where might the energy dip?
Where do they need to talk, reflect, move, or practice more?
Is this useful and enjoyable?
Would I want to attend this class?
That last question has become a helpful gut check. If I wouldn't want to sit through the class I designed, why would I expect students to feel excited about it?
This also showed up in a recent corporate workshop I taught where I shared my 5D Speaking Framework to help their team improve their speaking skills. Whether I'm working with college students, faculty, or professionals, I keep coming back to the same goal: I want people to leave thinking, "I learned something, I connected with others, and I enjoyed the session." That blend of value and joy is what I'm always designing for.
For me, caring about AI in teaching makes it tempting to chase every new tool. But that would be impossible. Instead I'm focusing on asking better questions:
What supports learning?
What protects student brian development?
What helps us be more productive without losing critical thinking skills?
That connects to this month's theme of caring because strong design is a form of care. When we plan with intention, we make it easier for people to engage with the material, connect with others, practice new skills, and enjoy the learning experience.
That's why I've prioritized this kind of planning this summer: the important-but-not-urgent work that will help the new semester feel more grounded when it begins.
💛 PERSONAL MOMENTS
This summer has been full of the best kind of ordinary and extraordinary moments: bike rides, outdoor walks, workouts, time with my nieces and nephews, family gatherings, celebrations, volunteering, and a whole lot of dog-sitting!
Chewie, the almost-2-year-old Yorkie we've been babysitting, has been very much in his beginner era. He's curious, energetic, confused, and SO adorable. Watching him learn the world has reminded me how much beginners need patience before performance.
And soon we'll be babysitting Macha (another family dog) and adding to the summer fun.
So far, it has been a sweet reminder that above all else, caring for each other is the heart of it all - in families, in classrooms, and in every place where people are learning their way.
RESOURCES
Free Tool: An Eisenhower Matrix for Educators.
I've shared this for years with students in my leadership course, but we need it too so I made you a template.
What it helps with: This helps you sort your teaching tasks so everything doesn't feel equally urgent. Use it to identify the important-but-not-urgent planning work that will make your semester smoother before it begins.
Use this simple planning template to help you identify what needs attention now, what can wait, what can be simplified, and what important-but-not-urgent work deserves your summer energy.
🔗 Download pdf here for free.
Also here is a short throwback video on this Time Matrix from my Youtube Channel.
Featured Tool: SessionLab
This month's featured tool is SessionLab, a planning tool that helps educators and facilitators design clearer, more intentional learning experiences.
I'm using it this summer to think through pacing, activities, transitions, and the flow of a session - not just what I want to teach, but how I want the learning experience to feel.
I invite you to try SessionLab for free. My link gives you access to a free SessionLab account with an extended 30-day Pro trial to explore the advanced features.
After the trial, you can upgrade like I did or continue on the free plan, which includes:
drag-and-drop agenda builder
up to 3 session plans
Session Briefs and Needs Assessments
feedback forms
PDF export
Public Library access
I was also able to receive an educator discount by contacting their customer service team, so I encourage you to ask about that option if SessionLab is a good fit for you.
What’s Next:
Next month, I'll be sharing more about I Love Cards and how I'm designing first-day connection cards to help students move beyond the usual "major, year, hometown" introductions.
💬 What important-but-not-urgent teaching task can you make time for this summer as an act of care for your future students?
Until next time... Happy summer and... Keep learning, inspiring, and teaching beyond the bland. 💛
Warmly,
Tatiana Rodriguez ☀️ ☕️ 🧠
Creator & Educator, Tatiana Teaches
💌 P.S. Share with a colleague who might enjoy Morning Office Hours: https://sendfox.com/tatianateaches
