Catherine Denial’s new book, A Pedagogy of Kindness, explores the act of kindness as a pedagogical tool and practice. She begins by exploring how the academy has been structured historically to privilege rigor over compassion, creating a situation where undergraduate students are perceived as potential cheaters and graduate students are pitted against each other. She acknowledges that ableism and racism have been “baked into academia since its inception” (p.1) influencing academic understanding of knowledge creation and performance expectations for both faculty and students. This reality often promotes authoritative instructor behaviors using a language of punishment. Denial then contemplates, “Why not be kind” (p. 9)? In response she offers evidence-based practices and personal experiences to answer the question linked to her role as Bright Distinguished Professor of American History and Director of the Bright Institute at Knox College. Denial’s short book offers a way of reorienting teaching by focusing on instructor well-being and understanding who our students are today (as opposed to who they were fifty years ago) and what hurdles they face in a post-COVID environment (p. 10). She states that a pedagogy of kindness is “about attending to justice, believing people and believing in people. It’s a discipline” (p. 2).
Denial emphasizes the importance of incorporating kindness into teaching, beginning with instructor self-care. She argues that faculty must first be kind to themselves in order to foster authentic and effective learning environments. She posits, "We cannot be good teachers and live unexamined lives" (p. 21) and then advocates for a practice of self-care that promotes healing. Understanding one’s own positionality, including biases and privileges, is essential for faculty to engage meaningfully with students. To facilitate self-reflection, Denial includes a social identity reflection chart (p. 23). She encourages faculty to use freewriting or voice recordings to complete the chart and essentially recognize where they most often experience oppression and privilege in their own lives and how such thinking impacts their behavior in the classroom.
One of the key elements of Denial's pedagogy is attention to the use of language, particularly in syllabus design. She urges faculty to revise their syllabi with kindness, moving beyond authoritative rhetoric promoting punitive late policies and offering students flexibility with an acknowledgement that life happens. For example, instead of simply penalizing late work, faculty can offer options for students to manage their time better while also setting clear boundaries for their own (instructor) well-being. Denial suggests that faculty include contact information but clearly state response times (e.g., 24–48 hours) and set aside times for rest, ensuring students understand these expectations upfront.
Denial also highlights the syllabus as a relational document, often a student’s first introduction to the course (p.41), and one articulating “a complex overture to learning (p. 42). She stresses the importance of setting realistic expectations and including important campus resources, such as links to the food pantry, health services, and housing information. These additions demonstrate care for students' holistic success, both in and outside the classroom.
Kindness in the classroom extends beyond the syllabus, moreover, and includes student engagement. Denial advocates for a pre-course welcome, suggesting that faculty connect with students before the class begins to reduce anxiety and clarify expectations for the first day. This approach aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which provides multiple ways for students to engage with the course material. Denial encourages faculty to continue welcoming activities throughout the semester to create a sustained sense of belonging. This practice also involves welcoming the diversity of our students and increasing the accessibility of our courses (p. 66). A chapter on assessment offers multiple assessment examples such as “ungrading,” a practice involving students in assessment design and offering them more consistent and extensive feedback on class assignments (pp.75-76). Denial also promotes application of the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) method pioneered by educator Mary-Ann Winkelmes which emphasizes explaining the purpose of assignments to students, outlining the tasks they need to complete, and making the grading explanation “crystal clear” (pp. 77-78).
Ultimately, Denial’s Pedagogy of Kindness calls for a compassionate learning atmosphere. This begins with faculty self-reflection, intentional course planning, and ensuring that student voices are included in course design, decision-making, and assessment. Denial wants educators to divest themselves of the idea that students are antagonists (p.104). She concludes, “We deserve an academy that is kind (p.101). In implementing the pedagogy of kindness, she envisions not only a more welcoming student environment but one that promotes more successful faculty and students. In the end, there is nothing really new in Denial’s book, especially for faculty who are already deeply committed to student success. Where Denial succeeds brilliantly, however, is in bringing her thoughts together as a manifesto, leaving little room for valid criticism of a pedagogy of kindness.