Appropriate humor and confirmation as instructor rapport-building behaviors

ABSTRACT There is an increasing need for instructors to develop meaningful relationships with college students in the classroom to better support student mental health and well-being. Developing instructor-student rapport offers one way to fulfill student relational needs and promote positive student outcomes in the classroom. However, there is a pronounced gap in what we know about specific strategy instructors can employ to build rapport with students. Thus, this study forwarded appropriate humor (i.e., related humor, unrelated humor) and confirmation (i.e., responding to questions, demonstrating interest, teaching style) as potential rapport-building strategies. Results suggested that both appropriate humor and confirmation are viable behavior instructors can use to build rapport with students, and practical suggestions for instructors hoping to build rapport in the classroom are outlined.