I have prepared an outline describing my particular expectations from the students, as well as my Institutions expectations in general.
I use a seperate addedum specifing policies concerning late work, missed days and assignments.
Hi Howard,
You make a great point about what to expect from students. By putting in the form of expectation you are sending a very clear message to the students about what their performance needs to be in order to meet those expectations. These are not suggestions of performance but expectations and the students need to know and accept it. If they do then they will have success in the course.
Gary
I have recently brought a thesaurus to class to help ESL students understand what is being discussed so they may use it or I use it to find other words when they give me the look of not understanding. I use a term Pearl and of course I did not realize to them it looked like and registered as PEARLA ( pupilary response ).
Thanks,
Tom
I go over all of the rules on the first day of class. I give out my course syllabus and objectives and student calendars for the mode. This way my student are aware of my expectations and what it takes to complete this course successfully.
After I give my presenatation of class objectives, etc. I ask what questions the students have and answer them. I then give a 'fun' quiz or have the class play a little game to test their understanding. To follow up I ask the whole class key qeustions like "what happens if you miss a test". These activities usually create a positive feeling and help the students understand the goals, objectives, topics to be covered and expectations.
In the clinical setting i outline what they are being evaluated on.
ask students questions on the course content
The best way to make sure that the students understand what the instructor expects of them is to have a syllabus. Outline the instructor’s expectations and discuss with the students about their responsibilities on the first day of class. Let the students know about the
instructor’s expectations. Some of the expectations might be:
· Expect the students to come to class on time
· Expect the students to participate in class.
· Expect the students to spend certain hours to study outside class
The instructor would need to provide clear guideline to the students to let them know what is going to occur in the course. The instructor should include the course goals, objectives, general policies and procedures in the syllabus. The percentage of the grade associated with each assignment should also be stated. Give every student a copy of the syllabus on the first day of class. It is also a good idea to post the syllabus online a week before the first day of class.
making the student feel good about themselves and able to make my ecpectations
By using clear articulate speech and observing students facial expressions, I am able to tell if the student understands.
The method or technique that I use to make sure that students understand what is expected of them is to invite each student to participate in class discussion about the course expectations. Students are required to respond to a course “agreement” that the course expectations were reviewed, understood, and agreed upon.
Hi Debra,
Your method gets the students looking at your syllabus and then the Q&A the next class gives them the opportunity to seek clarity if needed. This should get them off to a good start in terms of the course requirements and expectations.
Gary
I give them the respect each other speech and tell a story or tow about how I have handled situations in the past
This is something I've contemplated doing but haven't incorporated it yet. I took a class once in which the first quiz was over the syllabus. It required everyone to read it in detail!
Personally, I go over most everything on the syllabus but let them know as adults, they need to read the remainder and understand it. I give them time at the beginning of the second course to ask any questions on the syllabus.
I ensure my course expectations are clear by providing objectives and goals that cover course material. I utilize a class schedule to let students know when and how they should be completing or meeting expectations of objectives and goals listed in the syllabus. I also use a majority of my first class to explain my expectations regarding the goals and objectives and encourage students that do not understand my expectations to contact me. I utilize continuous feedback with students to clear up any misnomers of class objectives or goals.
Have them repeat the question and give me a demonstration on the material that we just covered
Hi Dinah,
This is a good point about the "pay me now or pay me later" saying. By investing the time to be clear on expectations for the course you do reduce student questions and concerns from the very beginning. This also helps to get them settled into the course so they aren't as nervous about what it takes to pass the course since they know from day one.
Gary
I find spending the necessary class time during the first class is critical to avoiding problems and issues later in class. Being clear and firm about what is expected and how students can be successful is a very good investment of your time, not only for the students' success, but also to avoid numerous questions and concerns later in the class.
