Setting the Tone: Building Classroom Trust from Day One

Many faculty are heading into the new academic year bracing for classroom conversations they can't predict, and sensing distrust from students. That distrust can show up as silence, hedged answers, and students opting out of discussions that might otherwise provide meaningful learning experiences. The good news: trust can be built through classroom structures and ongoing practices.

In this webinar, two CDI Educators who are also current higher ed faculty members share the concrete practices they use to foster trust—starting with how they set classroom intentions on day one, how those intentions are utilized across the semester, and how modeling intellectual humility and vulnerability can shape classroom culture. We also speak concretely about options for trust-building, from small activities to bigger structural choices. We explore why tone-setting early on pays off later—allowing faculty to respond, rather than react, if conversations get tense.

We also hear directly from a current student about what makes a classroom feel like a place where candor is possible, and what they’ve seen faculty do that helps build trust. The session will close with a live Q&A.

What You'll Discover

• Concrete and field-tested practices for setting intentions on day one—how they differ from ground rules, and how to keep them alive so you can call back to them when discussions heat up.

• How sharing vulnerability and modeling intellectual humility build classroom trust—and where the limits are.

• What students say actually makes them willing to speak candidly in class.

Expert Panel

Moderator: Eliza O'Neil, Senior Curriculum Manager, Constructive Dialogue Institute

Featuring:

• Dr. Janelle Rae, Director of Undergraduate Studies & Assistant Professor, Spalding University School of Social Work

• Dr. Collin Anthony Chen, Director of Graduate & Undergraduate Programs, Stanford University McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society

The panel is joined by Mary Om Yaung, Bachelor of Science in Social Work student at Spalding University.