Pedagogy of Belonging: Pausing to be human in higher education

Valuing care and self-care in higher education requires a conscious pause and rethinking of how we are together as educators and students. The pandemic caused various complexities, including changes in curriculum delivery, deadlines, and assessment modes, leading to feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, and change fatigue, which contributed to the emergence of panicgogy. This paper argues for the need to disrupt this way of being and experiencing the pandemic through valuing humanity and repositioning self-care and care by and for academics to inform their pedagogy. Presented is the narrative and the design story behind Pedagogy of Belonging (PoB), a systems informed framework that prioritizes relationships and humanizes teaching by placing students and educators at the center of curriculum and pedagogical decisions. PoB provides a pedagogical framework for progression throughout the teaching cycle. The paper suggests that PoB is a conscious pause, a contemplative practice that interrupts panicgogy, collective exhaustion, and disconnect in higher education. PoB repositions holistic education at the heart of what educators do, facilitating interconnectedness and encouraging a rethinking of care and self-care in higher education through the domain of belonging underpinned by relationships, engagement, and communication.