Get Your Students Hired
I recently added a calendar to the handouts I give to students the first day of class. It was very helpful in giving the student a clearer picture of what is expected but I felt I did not have as much flexibility to focus on students specific interests and discussion. I have evaluated my calendar and will be changing some things to make it more flexible without giving up the explicit explanation of expectations. I could always use some suggestions with this however.
I also provide each of my students a calendar with deadline dates, exam dates, and any planned activity I have for the class.
I believe in allowing the students to know in advance what is coming, allows them to prepare and plan, and this in itself prepares them for 'the real world' of deadlines, and upper managment demands on their time.
Calendars are a great idea, but the pace at which things happen in each class is different, as it depends on several factors:
- how many students are enrolled
- how many are attending/contributing/participating
- and others (proficiency, motivation)
So I set up my calendars as "tentative, subject to change" so that in case I have to push things back, it is not a problem.
Our department has a class session requirement which specifies 1/3 lecture time and 2/3 studio time. I count the 1/3 as addressing the whole class. During the 2/3, students ask questions and call for individual instruction. This proportion can act as a "safety net" for your requirements.
The calendar is a great idea, but yes, it should have some flexibility built into it. I design mine so that quiz dates can be postponed by (only) one class session. Critique times and/or dates can be pushed back. Midterm and Final exams cannot be pushed back. And if one quiz or critique is pushed back, the next cannot be. When certain circumstances arise, I even allow the students to have some input on the process.