I give students confidence by discussing success of former students. I let them understand that attitude,effort and enthusiasm is what they will need most to help them be a success in this class and industry. I let them know that I am here to help them and will do all I can to help them accomplish what they came here for. I will let them know of the amount of time they have to put into their work. I let them know I will be there for them, but they will be expected mto put in the effort. I have very few drop outs as the first day is very clear as to what is expected. Most all of my students attend this class as a result of the reputation of the school and success of former students.
I provide a clear, concisely written course expectation and policy list. In addition, I review why I expect certain criteria from the, allow for questions, and review objectives at each class to relate back to the reasonings for me expectations.
During the first class, I like to connect the need for academic honesty directly to integrity and ethics. I teach a criminal justice course so I really am very direct about the importance of these virtues in the CJ profession. I usually see students nod in agreement. The point is clear, direct and kept in a positive context. The nod serves as understanding of this expectation.
I make sure that their ears are open
Hi Linda,
You are going to do fine as a new instructor and I base my comments on your comments. You have a good solid plan of how you are going to approach the students and the course content. You know what you know and how you are going to share your knowledge.
Go into the class and "sell" yourself as a person that cares about student success and will be there to support them throughout the course. After that just have fun being a teacher and before you know it the course will be over and your students will have learned a lot.
Gary
I use the syllabus and course addendum to discuss all the required assignments, the expectations for those assignments, the grading criteria for the assignments, and (what I think is the most important) WHY they're doing each assignment, including how it meets a course goal/objective, how it will help them in their schooling, and how it'll help them in their future career.
I always have my students sign a contract form stating that they have read exercise and requirements and that they understand what is expected of them.
I generally lecture to them and write down the expectation. Finally, I'll review with them to make sure I cover all of their questions.
I continually question them as to what I have just discussed. I ask for group answers - to be sure everyone hears the same question / answer.
I usually go through the expectations with them in the begining of the class. Once we are done reading , I ask the students to tell me what they understood from a particular expectation.That way I can know if they got it clear and I can also guide them through it.
I am preparing to walk into my first class next week as a new instructor; both to this school and to teaching in general. As I prepare, I am staying mindful of being clear, concise and complete without coming across as a slave-driving dictator. I will be dealing with the situation of being compared with a previous instructor who has a laid back teaching style. My plan is to make sure that they understand that we are in a new term with a new instructor and and new guidelines. I Do not plan to change my expectations to meet their comfort level. I just need to keep in mind to do it with a positive attitude rather than a dictator.
I use several methods. First is the course syllabus as that describes and notes all that needs to be completed within the course. Second I have rubrics that I use for each of the assignments types. This give students a clear understanding of how they will be graded and set the level of expectations for the assignment. Student are encouraged to have them handy when doing their assignment and to review the rubric prior to submitting their assignment.
I give a course outline the first day of the course that outlines the objectives to be studied, methods of evaluation and percentages. I also give a topical outline that allows students to see when their tests and assignments will be due. I believe that this allows the students to prepare themselves for the course right away.
Hi Dorothy,
This is a good way to help your students to understand the course requirements and operating methods. This way the students can concentrate on the course without being frustrated and confused.
Gary
I would like to make sure i have a clear outline of expectations and course objectives.
Make all your expectation clear and tell them how you will help them achieve there goals.
Because I teach an on line course, I must have everything in writing. I have a classroom page that I post all class expectations on. This includes my grading criteria, resesearch requirements and school policies. I review these in my live chats with students and, when posting grades, remind them to review the classroom page if their work does not comply with the expectations.
I discuss the syllabus in detail and ask if there are any questions as we go through it. I also make all assignments and grades expectations very clear from the beginning and make sure that I explain all the things they need to do to be successful in the course.
I review the syllabus, and go through each assignment and objectives for learning. I welcome any questions about student expectations for learning, and make sure that my responses are thorough.
One thing that I find helpful for student understanding of course expectations is to be very specific in writing my syllabus/prospectus. We discuss the information on the first day of the course and review and recap weekly as the course progresses.
