Talk to your students about what is happening
No matter the course modality it is essential to acknowledge the anxiety and fear that our students may be experiencing due to current events (e.g., campus, local, statewide, national, global). Whether you do this synchronously (e.g., face-to-face in a physical classroom, virtually via a conversation in Webex) or asynchronously (e.g., an email to the class), let your students know that you are aware of how difficult this all is for everyone, and let them know that you want to support them.
Consider if there are ways to incorporate a current event into the class itself or give students opportunities (such as through a reflective writing exercise) to express their concerns. Review the Helping Students Manage Traumatic Events post along with the Be Identity-Conscious page.