ABSTRACT
Although it is fairly common for postsecondary students to experience mental health challenges during college, faculty often misinterpret the behaviors that may signal these challenges as signs that students are disengaged, lazy, disorganized, or unmotivated. This chapter outlines a professional development workshop that draws on narrative to educate faculty about mental health in an effort to foster compassionate responses to students who exhibit behavior that instructors may misinterpret in the ways listed above. By drawing on narrative-based accounts, professional development leaders can raise awareness about mental health stigma and encourage faculty to consider their potential role in reinforcing that stigma when they respond to students who exhibit behaviors that they deem to be undesirable for college success.
