While many computing courses have adopted culturally responsive pedagogy, these approaches does not provide sufficient guidance on how to incorporate students’ emotional needs to help create a supportive and trusting learning environment. My work addresses this gap by examining how assessments contribute to feelings of shame and exacerbate inequities in computing classrooms. I use qualitative methods to understand how to minimize inequities that arise from assessments and help create computing learning environments that do not heighten feelings of shame. This research offers strategies for instructors to create more equitable, emotionally supportive computing courses.