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.