FOCUS ON LEARNING

OPEN SPACE MEETING NOTES

June 6, 2012

Topic of the Meeting:

Discipline in the classroom

Meeting Initiator/Convener:

Tracey Marshall

Recorder:

Katrina McDonald

Meeting Participants:

Lisa Roots

Jamie Smith

Tracey Marshall

Glen Barkley

Andrea Leskowsky-Grupp

Steve Moghini

Greg Peet

Angie Dekelow

Valerian Tibu

Valerie Lapp

Shayne Bedford

Alan Stewart

Iraj Mehrnia

Ana Bernal

Dalton Burger

Kathy Phillips

Items Discussed:

·  What issues arise in class? How to deal with them? How to document them?

·  Some people use contracts. Others are considering using them

·  The student code of conduct has power.

·  When students sign up to be students, they are agreeing to the code of conduct. You may not need a contract if you use the code of conduct.

·  If you’re going to use a contract then you have to be willing to enforce it.

·  Discuss with students: What should professors do/not do to help you learn? What should students do/not do to help you learn?

·  Every classroom is different. Labs are different again due to safety issues.

·  What about lateness? Would you lock the door and students can only come in at break?

·  Putting it in the course outline can help as it’s the contract between the professor and the student.

·  Some colleges have academic code of conduct forms. This can help if things persist as there will be documentation of a history of issues.

·  Talk about it on a weekly basis. Refer back to the course outline whenever there’s an issue – not just on day one.

·  Set the tone at the beginning.

·  If you relate the discipline to a document then you’re not the bad guy. Then it’s not you, it’s the course outline.

·  Some teams try to have the same rules and expectations as one another so that students aren’t confused and teachers have support from another.

·  Scavenger hunt, bingo game or other fun way to review the course outline in the beginning of class could help.

·  Prevention rather than having to implement discipline. Any ideas? Some teachers were concerned that they were not strict enough.

·  Start in week one and be consistent.

·  If you are too soft, there is always someone that will push it.

·  It’s not fair to other students who want to get their work done, when someone is behaving inappropriately.

·  Use the students to help set the boundaries and police each other.

·  Show some shocking videos of the consequences of not working safely in shops/labs, etc.

·  Call them out, embarrass them, and shock them. This has resulted in good attendance and no accidents for one teacher.

·  Students are sometimes upset when the teacher is not strict enough.

·  If I give students latitude, then I make sure they know that is a grace to them, nothing more – I’m not a softie.

·  Ask for mutual respect. But set the tone when people are not behaving appropriately.

·  Different situations require different approaches. Safety issues require more swift and strict approaches.

·  Emphasize the right to get an education and not interfering with other students’ rights.

·  I like to impart a lot of respect – healthy authoritative respect. Get to know them – not a buddy thing, but caring about them. Express disappointment. Mutual respect makes expression of disappointment very powerful.

Recommendations/Action to be Taken:

·  See above.