Tammy, one approach is to just discuss such issues day one of the class and provide the rules that students need to know when having classroom discussions. No classroom confrontations could be one of your guidelines. Provide a solid set of rules by which students know how they are to interact and also provide the displinary actions that will be taken if students do not follow your rules. You will also want to provide students with a clear path of what actions they need to take if they want to bring something forward that is confrontational. Redirecting their energy and providing them a clear path they can take will be sufficient for most students.
James Jackson
David, does your institution also have any way of providing an annotation in the student's permanent record? The purpose of this would be so other instructors can review past performance issues and make their own decisions with respect to further displinary actions based on their history. If a couple of courses later the student plagiarized again the instructor at that time would have access to your notes and can take the next appropriate action. Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
I agree with you Marcelo. I read the course syllabus and classroom policies with them at the beginning of every course and have them highlight and repeat back to me the most common areas they "forget". I believe that if you make your expectations and policies clear, upfront and known you minimize disturbances. Your always going to have that one that's up for the challenge. Sticking with the bottom line usually ends it and discourages others from testing the waters.
When students are disruptive of start to go off task I also use the silence and eye contact method.
This usually works, but I would like to know how to better handle situations where others students try and correct or comment on the other students disruptive behavior.
Yesterday this became an issue while working on a class project. I feel the need to review class expectations again on Monday but do not want to have any heated interaction between student.
I know I can handle it and we will move on as a class but with so many different personalities in the room it is sometimes very challenging!
One disciplinary action I had to take was when a student plagiarized a homework assignment. I held her assignment back when I returned the graded papers and quietly told her she could get her homework after class. After class I told her that I recognized her plagiarizm and that another incident would result in disciplinary action. The "see me after class" approach seems to work well with mature students.
I feel I am a guide and a controller inside the classroom. However, there are times when I have had to deal with discipline inside the classroom. One thing that I have done is wait until after lecture during a break is send an email to the student letting them know that I need to speak with them after class. If it needs immediate attention I will speak to a student on break with a facilitator.
Kitt, nothing takes the place of knowing your students so you also know what direction to take in any given situation. Some students will react better to different approaches. Rarely does one size fit all in this instance.
James Jackson
Jeremy, great topic and ensuring the students are clear on the escalation of disciplinary actions can be a great motivator for students to follow the rules. Thanks for sharing.
James Jackson
Jennifer, great idea and there many examples of this technique working well. Make sure to check with your administration and possibly with legal as some states would have issues with instructor engaging in contracts with their students. I agree with this exercise but you need to make sure you are within the rules of your institution and your state.
James Jackson
Michele, please report back and let the group know of your results. It is important we share as a community so we can learn from each other. Thanks for any information you can bring to this discussion.
James Jackson
donna, great point and every student is different and will react differently to corrective actions. By getting to know your students you will know how best to manage any given situation depending on who is involved. Thanks for sharing.
James Jackson
Linda, every college is different and hopefully the situation you describe is rare. Your are correct however with respect to ending any conflict before it can escalate. An employer would not tolerate such behavior so why should you as you prepare them to be professionals? Keep up the great work.
James Jackson
I agree with you about the first day of class and I also want the adult student feel that they have ownership of the expected behaviors by having a discussion as to the why and how of expectations and participation by the students that first day.
S.Golightly
Sharon, inspect what you expect and model the behaviors you want followed. The word "Adult" can be misleading as it does not always fall in alignment with their age. You can just as easily work with a 25 year old adult as you can a 37 year old adolescent. If you use the first day of class as a means of setting the expectations early and engage your students in discussions as to why the classroom rules are as they are, then the ability to work with both mature adults and those that are still in some level of adolescence will be much easier and less disruptive.
James Jackson
With adults if it not immediately disruptive, I will ask or write a note asking to talk to the student and then in private discuss the behaviours and review expectations of the class and have them share any mitigating circumstances that might have caused the behavior and make them aware of the effect of their behavior on others in the class. I will document my discussion with the student and from time-time in the class quitely check in with that particular student. S.Golightly
I generally use the approach to speak with a problem student after class and 99% of the time this method has worked. However, I plan on trying the "see me after class" approach allowing the student to think about their behavior.
I like both methods because they allow the student to keep their dignity and respect intact.
I feel that establishing your classroom expectations on the first day will let the students know what your rules and regulations of the classrom are. Taking points away is a good form of classroom discipline. If the problem continues they will go see the program director.
I have students sign a contract at the beginning of every class, so that they know the expectations regarding homework assignments. I make them accountable for their own work, and if there is ever a problem, I always refer back to the contract that they have signed. They need to learn that they have made a commitment in writing and the rules are not going to change.
Kenny, another technique to keep students from becoming bored is to create lesson plans that engage students and get them to interact with the instructor, their peers and the course materials. What are some techniques you could implement that would more engage the students? Sharing of these types of techniques can be great topics of discussion for all instructors to grow and gain new insights into student engagement and student success. Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
pierre, your assessment is 100% accurate. Not sure any single course can account for all of these situations. The focus however is to bring awareness that there is much more that needs to be reviewed and understood. Each instructor needs to assess their specific situation and environment and determine if more research on their specific types of issues is warranted. Discussion forums such as this one are great with respect to finding others that are dealing with similar situations and how they have come to some level of resolution. I highly recommend you continue to bring up this question in other discussion forums such as The Lounge that is a great freeware resource to all instructors and is managed by MaxKnowledge.
James Jackson
