Practical Aspects of Teaching

Written and Edited by Mercedes Munster

Revised

August 20046

BEST PRACTICES

TEACHING METHODS/TRICKS FOR THE CLASS ROOM

FOREWORDS

As a new instructor many years ago in a high school setting, I called on a student to answer a question. The student responded,” You’re picking on me ‘cause you don’t like me.” I responded, “No, I don’t dislike you, if I disliked you I would ignore you.”

There are many different ways to ignore a student in the classroom, up to and including not answering their questions. Some instructors lecture and never look at their students to judge if they are even paying attention. Some instructors speak in monotones and never communicate their love of their subject to their students. This is not to say you are to become the student’s “buddy.”

YOU are the salesman of your chosen field. You will be competing for their attention with their families, social lives, MTV and all the other pulls of the real world for your student’s attention, interest, and time. If you are not enthusiastic about your subject it follows your students won’t be either. You should ask yourself often how you can motivate them to learn and enjoy your subject.

Pretend for a minute that you are teaching and you are not aware that a video camera is taping your lecture. For the play back how would you rate your self? How would your students rate you?

These are just a few of the factors you need to weight every time you step into your classroom. You are trying not only to teach your students, but for them to become “life long learners.” Students need to learn more in shorter periods of time. How can you assist them in this learning process?

This booklet is prepared with ideas to help make instruction easier for both student and instructor. Most of this information is a distillation of over seventy hours of education classes and thirty three years in the education field. Adages that have helped me:

An Educator effects eternity. William James

Nothing can replace common sense

Learning is a change in behavior.

Motivation: Show the donkey your carrot

Never assume they understand.

If Hitler would have had Abe Lincoln’s teacher…

Outline

I.Preparation

II.Syllabus

Styles of learning

What is learning?

Class room settings

Best Practices

Grade Book

Calling roll

Study Buddies and the Name Game

Uses for quizzes

Extra credit

Types of testing and make up test practices

Group and individual presentations

Participation grades

Using computers to enhance learning.

Audio Visual Aids

Vocabulary

Class room decorum and student behavior

Safety

Miscellaneous

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Table of Contents

Preface3

PART I – PRACATICAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE CLASS ROOM4

  1. Preparation 4
  2. Syllabius 5
  3. Syllabi Format for Courses5
  4. Things You Should be Given by Division5
  5. Personalized Syllabus Format6
  6. Suggested Items to be included in the Syllabi7
  7. Syllabus Check List 8
  8. Classroom Setting 9
  1. Best Practices
  1. Grade Book 90
  2. Calling Roll 11
  3. Study Buddies & the Name Game12
  4. Types of Testing and Make-up Practices12
  5. Final Exam 14
  6. Tests 14
  7. Grades14
  8. Uses for Quizzes 14
  9. Extra Credit 15
  10. Make-Up/Quizzes 16
  11. Lab Grades 17
  12. Group and Individual Presentations17
  13. Participation Grades 17
  14. Using Computers to Enhance Learning18
  15. Audio Visual Aids 19
  16. Motivation 19
  17. Vocabulary 20
  18. Writing in Non Communication Courses20
  19. Classroom Decorum and Student Behavior21
  20. General Policies and Procedures 21
  21. Drug-Free Campus Policy 24
  22. Family Education Rights & Privacy Act 25
  23. Safety & Telephone Numbers to Call25
  24. Miscellaneous26

PART 2. THEORY

  1. What is Learning? 27
  2. Bloom’s Taxonomy 28
  3. Application of Bloom’s Taxonomy to Learning30
  4. Styles of Teaching 35
  5. Types of Personality Effecting Teaching36
  6. Right Brain/Left Brain40
  1. Forms

Grading Sheets for group and individual presentation50

Sample Roll Book53

Preface

This booklet was written for new instructors to use as a practical way to solve somesolve some of the classroom problems faced by a new instructor. It is offered as distillation of many years of teaching and expertise by many of our talented instructors.

YOU are the salesman of your chosen field. You will be competing for your student’s attention with their families, social lives, MTV and all the other pulls of the real world for there attention, interest, and time. Not to mention the diversity of our student population by gender, age, and ethnicity. If you are not enthusiastic about your subject, it follows your students won’t be either. You should ask yourself often, how you can motivate them to learn and enjoy youryour coursesubject..

Pretend for a minute that you are teaching and you are not aware that a video camera is taping your lecture. For the play back how would you rate yourself? How would your students rate you?

These are just a few of the factors you need to weight every time you step into your classroom. You are trying not only to teach your students, but for them to become “life long learners.” Students need to learn more in shorter periods of time then ever in our history. They also need to become “ life long learners,” since information about jobs tells us that they will have to re-train at least three to five times over their working career or more. How can you assist them in this learning process?

This booklet is prepared with ideas to help make instruction easier for both student and instructor. Most of this information is a distillation of over seventy hours of education classes and thirty four years in the education field. Adages that have helped me:

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. William James

Nothing can replace common sense.

Learning is a change in behavior.

Motivation: Show the donkey your carrot

Never assume they understand.

If Hitler would have had Abe Lincoln’s teacher…

If you can relate it to sex they will learn it

Good luck on the best challenge of your life! Mercedes Munster, Assistant Dean

PART 1

  1. I. PREPARATION or Where do I Begin?

You were hired because of your competency in your chosen field. While you know your subject matter, you may not know the all the tricks of being a great instructor. To assist you should be given a copy of the master syllabus and a copy of the textbook used for the course by the academic division that hires you. The master syllabus basically is your road map of tells you the material you must cover to reach the outcomes for the course. Nothing is more important than preparation prior to teaching a class. You will be faced with several decisions prior to starting to teach.

Teachers plant the seeds of knowledge

Each department has a master syllabus for each course. You will be given a copy and a copy of the textbook used for the course by the department. This document basically tells you the material you must cover to reach the out comes for the course. Nothing is more important than preparation prior to teaching a class. You will be faced with several decions prior to starting to teach. How much time do you have to cover the material in the master syllabus?

The semester is 15 weeks long. The last meeting of the class is the final exam. So for a three credit hour course that meets once per week; you will have 14 classes plus the final exam. In other words a three hour credit class meets for about 42 hours plus the final exam. You need to divide the material into manageable amounts and pace yourself to make sure that the material is covered.

How do you pace yourself to cover the material and still allow time for tests, discussions, and questions, and the unexpected?

Using the syllabus divide the material and take in to account the number of tests you wish to give in the semester and how much time you want to allot for testing. This will give you an estimate of the amount of time you will have to cover the material. You should try to build into the schedule time for review and the unexpected like a bad weather or illness on your part. No one plans to be sick.

First and foremost you need to become familiar with the material. Next survey the material and decide on a logical and clear mannermethod of presenting it to students in the order of the syllabus. Motivation should be included in how you will present the material. This schedule should be included in your syllabus for the course. This will prevent students from asking the question, “What did I miss?” Go thrurough the material and look for new terms. Write the new terms or vocabulary words down by chapter. These lists can be handed out for students to look up the meaning or definition and turned in as homework. This will insure that they have at least familiarized themselves with the material before lecture. Homework can beequalaveraged in as one test grade. Every semester you teach you will have to do preparations. Sometimes the individual class syllabus mustwill change because the book or the master syllabus changes.

II.SYLLABIUS

A. Syllabi Format for Course

a.Many instructors consider teaching as being “on.” I knew one instructor who said the words, Show time,” before entering the classroom each time. I personally prefer saying, “Magic time.” Since nothing to an instructor is more satisfy than seeing the smile on a student’s face when they finally understand a difficult concept.

SYLLABUS

What is a syllabus? It should be a road map of what is to be taught during the semester. What should be in the syllabus is determined by the master course syllabus, which each instructor is required to personalize.

SYLLABI FORMAT FOR COURSES

The course syllabus is the individual syllabus that an instructor creates every semester for his or her particular classes. Based on the Master Syllabus (course description, goals, objectives and core content), will be included. It is should be revised each semester and a copy must be given to the Associate Dean of the Division or Department head. This course syllabus should respond to the specific needs of the students and the circumstances of the class. It is expected that the instructor will elaborate, expand on, and individualize the Master Syllabus within the limits of program goals and guidelines.

The course syllabus must be distributed to all students at the beginning of each semester. Eventually the College is working to put all individual course syllabi on a web site. Other information, the course syllabus must contain office hours and location of the instructor, texts and other educational materials, assessment guidelines, College and classroom policies, all of which conform to College and division practices and procedures, as well as to the more general requirements of the master syllabus. The course syllabus shouldcould include a week-by-week calendar of assignments and activities. (See a copy of the format for the Course Syllabus and a list of Measurable Terms following.) It is a good way to pace the material and to provide for the unexpected.

POINT TO PONDER: What would be a successful outcome for a student to have learned in your course? (Hint: A grade is not the answer.)

On the following page is a suggested format for Course Syllabi which instructors must present to Associate Deans of their Division and give to students at the beginning of every semester for each course. The core of a Course Syllabus must be consistent with the approved Master Syllabus.

(Reference: Master Syllabus, Policy and Procedures Memorandum AA-1503.1.)

B.THINGS YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN BY YOUR DIVISION

  1. A copy of the master syllabus
  2. Textbooks
  3. Roll book
  4. Keys
  5. Employment Contract
  6. Scantron sheets
  7. Location of Adjunct office if provided and the telephone number
  8. Telephone number of the Division
  9. Telephone number of the Division Counselor
  10. Hours of lab assistants and location of lab materials
  11. Hours of Division learning labs

C.

Course Syllabus Format

This is a suggested format for Course Syllabi which instructors must present to division chairs and give to students at the beginning of every semester for each course. The core of a Course Syllabus must be consistent with the approved Master Syllabus.

COURSE NAME

Instructor: ______Course Sections(s): ______

Office (place & hours): ______Meeting Place(s): ______

Safety Issues & Rules: ______

1.Course Name (complete): ______

2.Course Prefix and Number: ______

3.Course Description: Includes catalog description but may be more detailed.

4.Prerequisites and Co-Requisites: ______

5.Course Goal: General statement of the purpose of the course; may indicate how consistent the course is with the College Mission and the needs of Delgado students; if appropriate, indicates program goals met by the course.

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6.Course Objectives: Specific outcomes in the format, “You will be able to . . .” This may be an elaboration of learning objectives, giving more detail than the course Objectives in the Master Syllabus. The instructor may wish, for example, to include specific outcomes in oral communication, writing, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.

7.Course Content: A schedule of Classes with Learning Activities. The instructor must provide students with a weekly or daily outline with details of assignments, exams, and other activities.

8.Texts. Readings and other Educational Materials: Required Texts for purchase, Supplementary Texts, Library Readings, Audio-Visual/Computer Materials, Supplies or Special Equipment.

9Assessment: Evaluation and Grading System: How will performance be measured and evaluated? Specify expectations of students. Include assessment objectives (student knowledge, skills, attitude, and behavior); specify outcomes criteria. Make-up test procedures if any.

10.College and Classroom Policies

Approved June 20, 1995

Suggested Items to be Included in the Syllabus

INSTRUCTOR/CLASSROOM POLICIES

The general guideline is that all classroom management policies should be communicated clearly (ideally in writing) to the students and that these policies should be applied fairly to all students in the class.

If the instructor has any policies related to absences or tardiness, or any classroom management practice, then that practice must be written in an addendum to the generalenral syllabus used by the department. This should include addendum to the general syllabus used by the department. Thiese policy statements should include a policy on cheating and plagiarism, cell phones use during tests, and classroom civility. A sample statement for academic integrity follows this section. Refer also to the Delgado JudicalJudicial Code found in the Student Handbook each semestercourse schedule and later in this booklet. Please note this includes downloading work from the internet and turning it in as orifinaloriginal work. The addendum or personal policy statements must be given to each student. It is suggested that they sign a sheet that they have received a copy of the syllabus.

All instructors should have a written policy in their syllabus regarding student absences, tardiness, making up missed work, missed test, turning projects in late, cell telephone in the class room and during tests, beepers in the classroom and a method that student can contact you. The best method would be to get an E-mail address for the College E-Mail system and give it to your students. It is not a wise policy to give students your home telephone number. Instructors are requested to tell their students not to call the Evening/Weekend Division Office if they are to be absent or late to one class. Telephone messages should only be regarding extended absences. Additionally, adjunct instructors should inform students that phone calls are returned at the instururctor’s convenience.

Students brininging their children to classes are a difficult and complex problem. The College and the instructor incur a liability problem when the instructor allows students to bring their children on campus. It is inappropriate to leave children in the halls unsupervised. It is distracting for adult students, who paid for a class to have to tolerate children in class. Students should be informed from the first class that children are not to be brought to school.

It is an excellent idea to have each student complete a small index card with their name and the telephone number or numbers where they can be reached during the day and prior to the start of class. While the roster will have the telephone number of the students many of these numbers are not accurate, due to students failing to change them in the Registrars Office. Just a reminder that many of our students commute to our campus from places as far away as Houma or Baton Rouge and appreciate knowing when classes will not meet or have to be canceled at the last minute.