I have been an instructor for 3 years and I have found that setting clear rules and guidelines at the beginning of the quarter have proven to be effective. I have also learned that problems do need to be addressed immediately because they will only get worse. Once students know that you are organized and stay on task normally fall in line and adhere to the classroom and campus expectations. I love teaching and my student know that I love what I do and that I have high expectation for them in and out of the classroom.
We have classe from Mon-Thurs. 100 points per week. If they have 4 infractions in one week, then yes they lose all professionalism points and they cannot earn these back. -25 per infraction, such as incorrect uniform, not badge, no books, tardy, leaving early, or being absent. They can lose all points in one day! Usually once they know it is part of his/her grade, they tend to do very well.
John, well stated and as the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Myth may not always follow fact so make sure your students get a chance to evaluate you based on your actions and not what they hear from others.
James Jackson
Rosa, just so I am clear - 4 infractions takes them to 0 points. Are there ways for them to earn any of these points back?
James Jackson
I have all students sign a "Classroom rules " paper and have them keep a copy. It explains expectations about behavior, attendance, and professionalism. I also have set up professionalism points, each student start with a 100 points per week, if they are tardy, absent, or unruly..then 25 points are deducted per infarction. This is worth 5% of his/her grade. This seems to work well when they know it will affect the grade.
AS an instructor your reputation is what sets the tone for classroom management. The students expectations will be set by others opinion of you before they show up on the first day. Consistency is the key factor along with the ability to adapt to the groups personality.
I review the course syllabi which sets the expectations of the student and what the students can expect from the instructor. I set the example of visual aids in appearance as well as the final product during demonstrations. Also, I try to be sympathetic as my students are adult learners and career changers, who have many issues to deal with outside of the classroom.
At the beginning of the course I lay out for the students what I expect from them on a daily and weekly basis. I explain to them the consequences of not meeting these expectations, for example an inability to graduate if all tests are not passed.
I try to make them understand that the more they put in to their course the more they will get out of it. I point out that they are investing time and money and sacrificing valuable time with family in order to take this course and that they need to make sure it is worth it.
Going forward I plan to allow for feedback and suggestions from my students. I understand that they are busy and have jobs and families. I want to try to accommodate them in whatever ways possible without interfering with the rest of the class.
I would say the biggest thing I have learned is to address situations right away. This lesson pointed out very clearly how to do that and why. I wish I had been able to take this lesson before I ever entered the classroom! I have found that the simple statement of asking a student to speak to me during break or after class helps hold the student accountable, but even more importantle, holds me accountable to have that conversation with the student when I might otherwise not want to have the confrontation. This has been a great learning module, thank you for offering it!
Over the years, I have developed a powerpoint presentation that covers my classroom expectations and I have a contract that the students sign. Their signature verifies that they know the rules and if a situation occurs during the course of the semester- I have a signed document to prove they were told the rules ahead of time. I will continue to tweek my expectations as I teach because reflection is part of our job! Lisa
On the very first day of a new course, I always discuss the school wide rules and then I have the students give their input as to why they are so important to the function of the school. Then I have the students to break into small groups and come up with a class discipline plan that they think is important for the class. I also try to learn my student's name as quickly as possible, because it lets them know that they are important to me. I also have found that when I get a student is overly active, if I stand somewhere near them or give them eye contact they will stop.
In the culinary classroom there are already many tools in place that help the instructor maintain control and expectations. For example the use of a daily line-up consistently reminds students of proper uniform policies, the need to be in class on time, and the expectation that assignments should be complete prior to class.
In regards to my personal style I have reinforce the use of the white board as a means of summarizing the daily expectations and materials to be covered.
I also try to use constant positive rewards for good behavior and talking one on one with students that seem to be having personal or classroom issues.
I have been an instructor now for 8 years. In that time I have learned a lot about class management. The first day of class I set clear expections for following the rules in the classroom. The consequences for violations are clearly described. During the class students are all treated equally the same. I am always consistant with the enforcement of rules. I will always talk with a student either after class or take them out of the class to talk with them. Always show respect when enforcing rules. I will try to find something good about the student when talking with them.
One of the things that I've done to improve my classroom management style has been to ensure that I have punctual starting and finishing times for my classes. This can sometimes be a bit challenging when students or fellow faculty want to talk during breaks, or prior to the beginning of the school day.
Another approach that I have used on a daily basis is the assignment of what our school calls Employment Competency Points. These are points that affect approximately 5% of the students overall grade, and help to prepare the students for the rigors of employment.
In the future, I think that a more frequent emphasis upon the purpose of the regulations that we have at our school with regard to the ways in which they can effectively facilitate learning will help the student's to understand the value and reasonability of those regulations.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jonathan French
Ma. Louella , humor is great when done correctly. What actions do you take in the early stages of getting to know a new group of students so you can be a better judge of what topics are fair game and what topics are best to exclude when introducing humor into the classroom? Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
I incorporate humor in my teaching. I believe in the principle of "learning should be fun". I try to be as animated as I can in the delivery of the subject matter.
Tabitha, great post and most importantly is the realization that we as instructors need to inspect our results and make adjustments as needed to achieve our overall objectives for the term. Setting the stage early is key but continual reminders are also important. Every student is unique and each term will bring new challenges but if we as instructors are always focused on student outcomes then the adjustments we make along the way will most likely be successful.
James Jackson
Most of the time teachers feeling that being a Controller or Buddy is the best but I have realized neiter is good. My management style is to be a Guide to the students, Staying organized, providing the syllabus, mapping out at the beginning of class what will be covered and encouraging discussions. You can always enhance your classroom management style and sometimes if will depend on your class on how you will manage. So, I look at the students grades and attendance and determine what I might have to do differently to manage the classroom.
Gina, since you are using multiple opportunities to create the small groups you will want to ensure each student is working with a different set of students as much as possible. Such diversity also mimics what they will experience in the real world as they will not be able to select their peers but they will need to learn how to understand their peers and work with them to accomplish a common goal.
James Jackson
Joy, well stated. Part of adult learning theory has revealed that the more we as instructors can associate real world implications into the lesson plan the more students will understand and be able to reproduce on their own.
James Jackson
