Being Consistent and Fair
If you tell your students that late assignments are not accepted you need to follow your rule. As an instructor you will inevitably get a student or four that miss a homework assignment and want to turn it in late. It can be hard to tell someone that you are unable to accept their assignment even though they had some issues but it is the right thing to do.
When students are out on the job, they have to learn to be on time. This is a good point
I appreciate your consideration of emergency situations, especially this year with several of my students experiencing H1N1. In most of their situations, I was able to witness their illness so I didn't feel they were trying to evade work and most who were ill were my hardest working students.
While I strive to be consistent, I have also seen that in the business world, there is some room for the issues beyond our control such as illness.
It sure can be a tough call at times, though.
Hi Angela,
Good point. These are the students that don't do well out in the work place and can't figure out why they are dismissed or never get promoted. Work ethic and dedication seem to escape them.
Gary
A student who doesn't like "homework" and repeatedly fails to turn in assignments on time simply conveys that they believe they may pick and choose what they want to do. I ask them, "How will your employer respond when you neglect responsibilities at work because you *don't like it*?"
Hi Maggie,
This is very true. You may want to talk with your college administrators and other faculty about how the standard of quality is going to be enforced in the college. For maximum growth there has to be consistency throughout the campus as you mentioned. If there isn't strive to maintain the standards in your class because at least you will be modeling a standard of excellence that others can strive to achieve.
Gary
I am also teaching at a career college for the first time and find that my students are not as prepared for "strictness" as I thought that they would be. I am finding that no matter what level I teach or type of school, I hear the same excuses as to why work isn't completed on time or even fully done. It is much easier for the instructor if there is consistency throughout the school.
I uphold to the policy established in the class. Assignment are accepted only when they are due. I don't flex unless there is an emergency situation. I haven't had any problems so far.
Hi Rich,
You make a very good point. There needs to be consistency throughout the college campus. If there isn't then it presents a real challenge for those instructors that want to maintain high standards for their classes. One way to do this is to work with the advisory committees and get their input. They will help the college set the standards since those standards are based upon the requirements of the field.
Gary
This is my first quarter teaching at a career college and I found that many of the students are not used to being disciplined in the manner that you speak of here. After the first assignment, only 1/3 of the class would have a passing grade. I feel that the consistency should be school-wide so that students aren't blindsided by the 'unusual' strictness on one new teacher.
Hi Jennifer,
You make a key point that sometimes is hard to get across to students. They have to be qualified and on-site to be successful in their career. If they can understand this concept early in their education then they can create a future for themselves if they don't then they are never going to progress as they would like in their career.
Gary
Hi Gary,
This is a very good point. If you are not consistent and hold the line on your course polices then you are going to have all kinds of management issues with your students. Be firm, fair and consistent and you will do fine.
Gary
For this exact situation I hand out a syllabus and go over the details and have the students sign off that they received it and are responsible for the material in it. I do not allow late assignments, I tell them that if in the field they are late, they inconvenience their team mates and they can risk the life of a patient. They are in a professional field and part of being a professional is being on time.
