Adapting to students - don't
I started off trying to be flexible and understanding and found that I was flexing too much. This caused a lot of stress for me.
If you accept late homework, you will receive a wave of late work at the end of the quarter. I have tried making the penalties stiffer and stiffer until I actually saw some results. I tried 10% penalty for late homework (little impact), then tried 50% penalty (that made a difference). In some classes I do not accept late homework at all (this way, we can grade the homework together in class). There is complaining (once or twice) and then they realize that they need to be prompt - so 90% of the students are on time with 90% of their homework.
I also don't do make-up tests. Period. (Well, if your father is in the hospital, or you are in the hospital/jail, we will talk about it. Other than that, you just get a zero for that test/quiz.) This may sound harsh, but it is working for me. I usually do only one make-up exam all quarter in all classes combined!
I tell students that if they are late to the airport (whether a good excuse or bad excuse) the plane will leave without them. They get it.
This has reduced some of the end of quarter grading stress that I was experiencing.
Ah so true, student accountability, what a concept, to me this is one of the most important skill to learned, even more so than how to turn a wrench, we all have to be accountable for our actions or lack of.
In my current module, my students professionalism grade is based upon their ability to keep track of their time during lab. When released to lab, the student must clock in on their r/o, clock out at break, clock back in after break and again at the end of lab.
This type of "grading" puts the resonsibilty back on the student. If the student misses a clock punch, oh lets say coming back from break, the student then looses his time from after break to the end of class. Thus this "missed punch" influences their professionalism grade.
This type of grading is told up front and
repeated several times during the module. Sfter 2 or 3 times of missing a puch, the student usually pays more attention to the punches as opposed to where they are going to for lunch.
Alice, So true. We've got to make our students accountable for themselves. If we don't teach them this important skill while they are still in school, they'll learn it the hard way when they graduate and enter the workforce.
Dr. Melissa Read
I think your analogy is great! So many of the students have nothing but excuses- this would be an "eye-opener" for them. I am going to adopt it.
This should be the students' stress, not mine.
I also experienced this situation myself so I set up stiffer penalties. Students still try get around it though... The most problematic aspect is tardiness. I work in a culinary school, so coming in late means walking into the class in the middle of a demo or when production has already started. Since they can get up to 10 points daily for attendance I take of 9 points out of 10 for being late. Students complaint and find this too harsh but it has made a difference. Sometimes they even question what is the point of coming to class for only one point but I remind them it's not only one poit, it's also an education that they are getting. I used to take off only 5 points but that didn't made a difference in their total grade.
David, Cell phones can be really distracting. I usually recommend asking students to turn them off during lecture. However, another great method is to - every now and again - make cell phones part of the lecture. Students can use them to quickly search for answers in quiz games where they are competing against other students. This makes learning fun.
Dr. Melissa Read
in mt classroom cell phones are not allowed if i see them its a warning the second time i give them the option to give me the phone for the day or get points deducted if they try to continue i ask them to leave the class after the first couple of days no more cll phone use
Andrew, Great metaphors, thanks for sharing! Sometimes we have to put the value of proper time management into perspective for students. Finding the right language to do so is key.
Dr. Melissa Read
"I tell students that if they are late to the airport the plane will leave without them."
Great analogy, Joan! I often tell my students that tardiness and late work are akin to punching a time clock- if it already ticked over to 7:01, there's no rolling it back to 7:00.
Nuance, Cell phones are such a big distraction in the classroom. I'm really glad you brought this up because they can also cause major distractions during exams and can enable cheating too!
Dr. Melissa Read
I agree with policies that uphold the student being accountable. If you do not have a solid policy for deadlines & attendance, some students will attempt to take advantage of the situation and it is not fair to those students who truly want to be in the classroom learning.
I agree the students will take advantage of a lineant instructor , for example the school that I work for does not allow for students to have cell phones in class, therefore if one goes off I give a Pop Quiz.
I agree that if you are not objective in expectations, deadlines, grading criteria, some (not all) students will take advantage of you as an instructor. I learned this the hard way.
I now review class syllabus, expectations, due dates and grading criteria day #1, and remind students as due dates and test dates approach. I inform students that they are responsible for meeting deadlines, regardless of outside situations, as these deadlines are established and communicated in advance. If a student does have extraordinary cercumstannces (and can provide supporting written documentation), I have the student discuss the situation with the program dean and myself to see if special consideration is warranted.
I feel that being firm but fair provides students with some of the "soft skills" (i.i.meeting deadlines) that will help make them successful and reduce stress for them. It makes assessment of student performance less stressful for me as deadlines and grading criteria are clearly established from the beginning, making grading "adding up the numbers".
I agree with most of what has been said about late homework, later research papers, make-up tests and coming in late for class. My experience has shown me that conscientious, serious students do their homework, research papers and take their tests on time. The students that violate schedules are usually the students, that don’t open a book, do homework or prepare properly for tests. My recommendation is that a teacher should be strict as far as schedules and due dates are concerned. I also leave the door open a little for students who seem to have valid reasons for lateness. I’ll allow for lateness on occasion as long as the student is not taking advantage of my understanding.
I have learned over the years students will take advantage of a flexible teacher. I will not let the student make up a quiz. I will let the student make up a test but 10% will be deducted every day. The test still needs to be taken even if the student waited for 10 days. Their score would be 0%. This cut down the amount of make up tests and stress on my part.
