Planning for the unexpected
I know that we cannot plan for the specific unexpected events that crop up during class time. But what are some sugesstions as to handling them when they do?
Hi Jennifer,
What a tough way to start off a new career. Glad to hear you are making progress with both your skill development and course content. My once a week class has been canceled twice as well and as you say it is tough to capture what has been lost while moving the class forward. We are in the middle of another blizzard as I type this so my Wednesday class is not looking good either.
Gary
Good advice, Gary! I am a first-time instructor and my course meets only once per week. Of course, it was during one of the worst Winters in Indiana history - my class was canceled TWICE! It was difficult to get back into the swing, and to get caught up. I am not 100% satisfied with the results, but we've done okay.
urge and repeat to the students again that communicating what is going on so that "we" can go from their
Yes, the students have all different family life situations, financial situations, work, etc. to juggle. Often, the hectic juggling stresses show up in the way they behave or things they say. As an instructor, I need to be a sounding board, but only to let them know I acknowledge their angst and care about their well being, yet, not be overly attentive to only one student. The class has to go on, and when I act composed and confident my students will gain from it.
Hi Jem,
Your approach is so important. Knowing they can focus on the course and learning for a period of time is critical for students with busy lives and outside distractions. With your support they are able to see how what they are studying is going to impact their future career plans. This is a major part of motivation for them.
Gary
Personally, I try to make the classroom an area where the student always feels "safe"...I don't mean safe from harm, but rather it is a place where they will have a constant sense of comfort. Ie, no matter what is going on in the outside world, or what issues they are having, they know that our classroom will always offer the same comfort.
Within this, we know we have to work and do our jobs as students (and educators) but that when we come to "our" classroom, we are all in it together!
Of course, we have to plan for these occurrences that we can't control, like the above mentioned happenstances...but for the most part, our classrooms are safe/comfortable places to be!
I think it can also be important to have an idea of what may occur in your area. A good way to get an idea of this is to know your students as well as possible - information about which of them is in a final semester, or who has taken the course before and not passed will give you an idea of some attitudes and ideas that they might have, which can hint at inter-classroom problems. Of course, even knowing your area well doesn't mean you won't be surprised by out of the blue events, but you can help prepare yourself by knowing as much as possible about your students.
Hi Peter,
With all that goes on in our culture today we need to reflect on some of the challenges our students and we ourselves face not only in terms of learning but in personal safety and confidence.
Gary
Wow, that is extreme. I have a friend at UT where the shooting was this week, and thanks to Facebook, we were all kept aprised of the events as they unfolded. Pretty scary stuff.
Hi Robert,
This is a good point. Students often bring to the class outside issues that impact their attitudes for the day. This is why it is important for instructors to "read" the class each day so he/she can adapt to the mood of the class and still be effective in teaching.
Gary
Even little things can grow to be a distraction in the classroom. An angry student who had a bad day with Financial Aid or another instructor. These are things that have to be dealt with one way or another. It may simply be pulling the student aside and away from others to calm the situation and prevent it from getting out of control. People will feed off of one another and it can quickly erupt into chaos. Maintaining control of any situation as best you can is always paramount to an excellent learning environment.
Hi Michael,
It all depends on what those unexpected events are. One night while teaching a shooting occurred near our building and the police came and ushered us into a safe part of the building. Once we were given the "All Clear" we were to go back to class. Needless to say after being herded into a small room where we waited with armed escorts and then going back to the classroom the students were not in the frame of mind to focus on the topic of the night. This is an extreme example but things come up all the time that need to be dealt with and overcome. Ignore them or recognize them, resolve them and then move on. This will show the students that you are not going to be taken out of your game and that you are going to maintain control of the learning environment. This will set the for the class and move the class forward.
Gary
