A well prepared syllabus will not only give the instructor a guide to follow, but it will also guide the students and inform them as to what is expected of them and what they will get out of the coarse.
A well-prepared syllabus is important to students who need to plan absences for reasons such as court appearances or work obligations. If the syllabus lets them know when they'll be having tests or other in-class graded assignments, they can tailor their schedules appropriately.
It is important to use a well-prepared syllabus because it gives the students a clear understanding of the course, assignments, and your expectations of them.
A well prepared syllabus serves as a guideline for students and teacher. It helps the students to stay on course and to know what is expected of them.
It gives the student an outline on what chapters or areas will be covered and the necessary tools for being prepared for the class.
I too agree that a well prepared syllabus is need because this is a daily sheet that we can go by on a daily base as to how we need to direct the student.
Hi Shawna,
Good points about how to structure your lesson plans. The key is to be flexible as you say due to natural disasters like tornadoes or just in building things like fire drills. The true professional educator can bring things back to the focus of the discussion and move the class forward.
Gary
Those are all great suggestions. I like being well prepared and organized and it lets students know what will be coming up. I try to stick to it as much as possible, but do allow for flexibility, for example, when we had the tornados come through this area. Then, we get back on track. It's also a lesson for students in planning their study schedule but still be able to deal with unexpected emergencies.
Our courses are 5 weeks in length, so we move quickly and I find that my students are very interested in going over the Syllabus at the beginning of class. It tells them what is going to be covered, the books and resource materials they will need, the attendance policies and the grading. they know right off what is expected of them and when they need to complete assignments. It relieves some of the stress of the start of class.
It really details exactly what is needed or expected to successfully complete the course
Grace Haines DHCE
I think it's important to have a well-prepared syllabus because it helps to keep both the instructor and students on track. It serves as a guide and reference of what to expect. It is also a guide as to how the student will be graded throughout the course.
A well-prepared syllabus could prevent so many misunderstanding throughout the specific course. As discussed in the module, a well-prepared syllabus includes anywhere from the time of the course to the policies and procedures to follow throughout the life of the course. Students should be able to look at a well-prepared syllabus and answer their questions from the information listed in the syllabus. Of course, students will test us as instuctors on such things as tardiness or testing requirements and although we have intimate knowledge of the answers to these questions, a well prepared syllabus is sort of a back up plan to solidify your response to students.
A well-prepared syllabus answer questions that might be of concern to a student and the student is not aware of how to pass the concern on in talk. It will provide answers to questions present and future. It may even be the source of future question to assure an understanding of a specific part of the course, but all-in-all it will help to alleviate uncertainty and build lasting, understanding relationaships among teachers and their students. It provides the compass needed to assure the roads traveled are the needed roads to assist in the journey.
Hi Jaime,
Good way to keep the content and focus of the course in the minds of the students. This also shows the value you attach to the syllabus.
Gary
i agree to review weekly the syllabus is an excellent way to remenber the goals nad orientation of the course
Hi Missy,
Good analysis of how you can distribute and communicate in different ways with your students. This way you are touching on their different learning preferences so the impact of this information will be greater.
Gary
Hi Shavene,
I agree. It is a common starting place for everyone. This reduces student frustration and confusion. It sets the stage for a successful course.
Gary
I like your point about how there are different types of learners. I think that it is important to have different ways of looking at the syllabus. For example, the syllabus should be available online or via email for visual learners. Perhaps online videos explaining lessons are something that could help auditory learners. Either way, the syllabus should be layed out to where it is clear and concise and easily accessible to all students.
I think this is important for the students as well as the instructor, so that everone is aware of whats going on at all times.
Hi Aaron,
Thanks for sharing your professional development with us. As a new instructor this is common. The value of the syllabus or specific directions are sometimes overlooked. Through experience you have learned how direct you must be. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. It will be of help to other instructors I know.
Gary
