The Update Desk

Well … any updates?

“I got the job!”

We all smiled and clapped as a student revealed she had finally heard the good news she’d been anxiously awaiting the past few weeks. She’d landed a role as a part-time substitute teacher at a high school near the university. For an undergraduate education major, a substitute teaching job is a much-sought-after gig. It allows them to gain some hands-on experience while they are still in the process of earning their degree.

Just a few weeks earlier, she had mentioned feeling nervous about the interview. Her classmates jumped in with suggestions for how to prepare. It was wonderful to see this come full circle, all during the much-looked-forward-to moment of connection I call the Update Desk. At a time when college classrooms often feel transactional, I’ve found that carving out five minutes for human connection can transform the learning environment.

What Is the Update Desk?

The Update Desk is a designated time during the first five to 10 minutes of class during which students are welcome to share any updates: a book they just read or a movie they want to recommend, feelings about upcoming exams in other courses, or a current event happening in our community or beyond. The space is theirs, and they almost always take it.

It doesn’t require much preplanning. I project a simple slide that reads “The Update Desk” and gives a few prompts to spark ideas. At the beginning of a semester, students are unsure: “I’m confused. Professors don’t usually ask me to share updates with the class,” one said. But by week three, we’re hearing about what concerts students are looking forward to, what movies are must-see or what’s happening in the world that’s making them anxious or hopeful.

At the end of each semester, when I ask students for feedback on the course, both undergraduates and graduate students often mention the strong sense of community they felt in our classroom and the update desk being a highlight:

“This is a wonderful way to create a classroom community and engage with our peers.”

“I feel more welcome in this class than others. :)”

“It makes you feel more human than other professors that just lock in and teach with no sign of emotion.”

Why Building Community Matters in Higher Education

Some college instructors might be thinking, It’s not my job to get to know students. It’s my job to teach them. However, numerous studies have shown that when students feel welcomed, seen and like they’re part of a community, they are more likely to invest in their learning. They are more likely to persist when coursework becomes challenging. They collaborate more freely and they see their instructors as more approachable.

K–12 teachers often make it a priority to get to know their students deeply. So why do we stop trying to foster human connection when students enter higher ed? Why not get to know the people you’ll see several times a week for four months? Not doing so feels like a missed opportunity for building lasting relationships. As humans, we have the innate desire to belong and to feel connected to those around us.

Addressing Common Concerns

In my higher ed teaching experiences, my classes usually range from 15 to 25 students, which makes the Update Desk more doable. But even in large lecture courses, instructors can experiment with moments of connection. In a 200-person lecture class, an instructor might ask students to share or respond to a question on a polling app like Mentimeter. An instructor can invite students to discuss a question with a partner or small group. For an online course, a weekly update discussion thread can offer similar moments of connections asynchronously.

I’ve observed other classes of similar sizes as mine (25 or 30 students) where no one knows each other’s names (and sometimes professors don’t know the students’ names, either). Think about that. In almost any other setting, we’d consider it unusual not to know the names of those we regularly work with. Why is it acceptable in higher education?

The professor speaks, the students listen. Assignments go out, assignments come back. Semester over. But higher education should be about more than learning and regurgitating information. It should also be about creating lasting connections and support that students can lean on as they continue in their academic and later their professional careers.

Some instructors might think, I don’t have time for that. However, the five to 10 minutes you “lose” by asking students how they’re doing (and making space for real answers beyond the instinctual “good”), can lead to more meaningful learning than you’d expect.

A Lesson From a Former Professor

A former professor of mine, the late Renate Simson, taught African American studies at Syracuse University. When I was an undergrad, I was incredibly shy (surprising, considering I’ve since spent my career talking in front of rooms full of people). I rarely raised my hand. I was afraid to say the wrong thing and often thought I had nothing of importance to say at all. However, in Dr. Simson’s class, that changed. She took just a few minutes each class to make us feel welcomed, to help us connect. In that space, I finally felt comfortable speaking up.

I took two more of her classes, and when she saw me at the beginning of a new semester she’d say, “Nice to see you again.” I felt seen.

Reflect and Implement

So take a moment to reflect. What could both the instructor and students gain from fostering a stronger sense of community in the classroom? What do you have to lose by trying? (Probably not much.) And what could just five to 10 minutes of true human connection unlock?

The next time you start a new course, try beginning the class with one simple phrase:

Well … any updates?