How imporant is your syllabus?
Syllabus gives you and your students a guide to the class and what is expected.
LYDIA,
Yes, it is and this is why it is so important to make sure it is accurate and clearly understood by your students. It is their guide for course success if they are willing to follow it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The syllabus is my operating manual for the course. It is a contract that guides the students and lets them know what is expected. It contains the policies, procedures, resources, goals, objectives and evaluation methods.
Daryl,
It is the guide for the course so it needs to be clear and concise. This will reduce student frustration and anxiety.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Yes, as a student a syllabus created structure and allowed for a lower stress level.
Melissa,
Students need to be clearly informed in relation to the requirements of the course. A well prepared syllabus will help to inform as well as comfort them as they get settled into the course. Your value of a well prepared syllabus is a good value to have.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think a syllabus is so important not just for instructors but the students as well. As a student i loved knowing what to expect and what to prepare for. Being a student who worked full time and went to school this helped me stay focused and keep on task.
James,
This is why it is important to be flexible in how you use the syllabus and if needed provide supplemental materials to help the students to see the connections between content and application.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree that the syllabus is an essential component of the learning process. Sometimes the syllabus is ambiguous based on available resources and classes per week.
Terri,
The syllabus is the road map (GPS) for the course. It keeps everyone on the same page as the course unfolds. This is why it is important to make sure it is well written and understandable.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
i think syllabus is the best idea for being organized in the classroom for the student and insructor.
Zach,
You are right about the syllabus needing to be a living and breathing document. I don't believe I have taught a course yet that did not require some adjustments for one reason or another. Life happens and adjustments need to be made. The syllabus helps us to keep the course on target while letting us adjust as needed.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
William,
Good use of a syllabus as a guide but you are keeping flexibility in it as well so you can adapt to the current group of students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe the syllabus becomes a living and breathing document so to speak. I find myself using it to outline the course in the beginning, but I find that it must change throughout the course depending on how quickly the students grasp the content.
My Syllabus is fairly important at the begining of a term, however sometimes I feel I have to adjust it based on student performance, be it slower or faster than initially expected.
Sometimes we may cover more, sometimes less, it's more or less an outline for me when planning the class-to-class activities. I also like to put my contact info, office hours, etc. on it.
Becky,
Yes, it does. It is the road map that the class will follow for the duration of the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
