Making it about me: does self-disclosure enhance students' learning or is it too much information?

This session discussed the controversial topic of self-disclosure in teaching in higher education.When discussing certain historic events, political positionings, and potentially traumatic situations, it is important to ensure our education remains accessible to students to support mental health and support student success.This session asked the question of how supporting self-disclosure differs from traditional pedagogies and queries whether such practice is self-indulgent oversharing or whether it can help students dive deeper into a topic, scaffold learning, and build empathy.Many teaching staff who research and teach in disciplines where controversial topics are discussed are asking themselves, is it okay or not okay to disclose?What are the risks and benefits to teacher and student?Would you be comfortable using your own lived experience in your teaching, and under what circumstances?This session held a discussion at the ALDinHE Conference for delegates to share perspectives from their individual institutions, their disciplines, and their personal practice.