Hi Marcia,
What a thorough job on your part to ensure your students are clear on everything. Your students should not have a reason to complain.
Patricia
Hi Jim,
The syllabus is an excellent road map to make everything known. I even have my students refer back to their syallbus throughout the grading period so that they can see the importance of the syllabus.
Patricia
Hi John,
It sounds like you provide a thorough overview of your syllabus. I also like to include my personal rules that are unique to my class only on the syllabus.
Patricia
Review the syllabus on the first day
I provide a clearly-written syllabus containing: text and supplemental materials information, measurable objectives, a calendar for due dates on class assignments, my grading policy related to the school's grading scale and my position on accepting late work, the weighting of course components, the attendance policy, my contact information, a supplemental page with the school's policies related to attendance, cheating/plagiarism, grade appeals, drug/alcohol use consequences, etc. The first class of each term starts with an explanation and class discussion of the syllabus contents.
presenting the course outline in an articulate professional manner
Hi William,
Very old, yet effective method. It is certainly a good way to keep everyone abreast as to what is going on.
Patricia
Hi Vanessa,
Well organized, consistent and fair in your way of doing things! I am sure your students fully understand what is expected of them.
Patricia
Syllabus. It is detailed stating objectives, textbook(s), readings, grading scales, projected class and laboratory schedule, exam dates, etc.
If small unscheduled assignments come up, I give a detailed handout of requirements.
Hi Lori,
You are thorough to me! Your students certainly cannot use not understanding or I did not know as an excuse.
Patricia
During the first day of class, I review the class syllabus, expectations, grading and homework. Thissets the timeline for the course as well, I also share my contact information and office hours and obtain their form of contact information as well. Setting expectation and help keep everyone informed and limits the excuses later.
I do the same things and everyday I write my lesson plan on the board, it's a constant reminder to the students what is going to happen today and what I expect for homework. It also let the late students know what they have missed and according to the time I have posted on the board, where we are or should be so they don't have to interupt the other students trying to catch up. When we go on break, they can get the information they missed from the other students; unless they have a doctors excuse or obiturary, then i will tell them what they missed. This plan has worked well for me for eleven years.
I always make announcements regarding due dates of assignments. I also provide a calendar that the students can print out and keep with them that clearly states all upcoming due dates and especially the last date an assignment will be accepted for partial credit. I also post the dates a late assignment will be accepted as well as the point penalty for each day late. I also have a clearly written Late Work Policy included in my syllabus.
Lori
Hi Tim,
I like the idea of having the students initial each section. This type of action let the students see the seriousness of the document, and it holds them accountable.
Patricia
I provide a detailed course syllabus to each student during the first week of class, and I go through the entire syllabus during the first hour of the first class meeting. I go section by section and have students initial each section on an acknowledgement sheet as we complete each sectional discussion. I also provide a calendar with all due dates on the first day of class.
I use lots of handouts- one with the syllabus, a calendar, project and homework descriptions, point breakdowns for each assignment, etc.
Hey William C.
I was excited to see your post. I too perform the similar process. I have to admit, I started writing the assignments on the white board for myself (to ensure that I stayed on track), but it turned out that many students really migrated to that type of communication with regard to assignments. Then, I was hooked to do it every week.
- William Wittman
Hi Patricia,
Great point about students listening to each other more receptively. If you get some of the students to "buy in", they can assist with less receptive students to "buy in". That goes a long way.
- William
Hi William,
Students can certainly get things twisted. It is always good whenever students become your advocate because they know the information was presented. Students tend to listen more receptively to each other.
Patricia
