Classroom Management

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Classroom Management
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What are the issues?

• Please write down three examples of disruptive
  behaviors that in your experience have made the
  classroom less conducive to learning

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Uncivil student behaviors

• Annoying, but not prohibited
• Cutting class
• Not paying attention
• Sleeping in class
• Acting bored
• Using computers not related to class
• Being unprepared
• Refusing to answer direct questions

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Prohibited student behaviors

• Arriving late, leaving early (when it disrupts
  others)
• Holding distracting conversations, disapproving
  groans
• Dominating class discussions
• Using cell phones or pagers during class
• Cheating, plagiarism
• Public challenges to faculty credibility,
  in-class accusations of faculty of being
  prejudicial
• Verbal and physical disrespect
• Threats (including threatening to give a poor
  evaluation or to go to the dean)

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The Inattentive Student

• Why is this a problem?
• Why are some students inattentive?
• What can you do?
• Lets role play!

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The Inattentive Student - Solutions

• Discuss your policy the first day
• Remember, faculty rights and responsibilities
  protects you
• Take charge of the room layout, if possible
• Can even tape off the back row
• Make your teaching more active
• Address problems as they arise

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The Angry Student

• Why is this a problem?
• Why do some students become confrontational in
  class?
• What can you do?
• Lets role play!

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The Angry Student - Solutions

• Open the door or move into the hall
• Know his/her name
• Reflect back his/her feeling
• Summarize what they have said and terminate the
  conversation
• Buy time (the 24 hour rule)
• Respond later
• Document the interaction

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Excuses

• Can do work early, but not late
• Spell out the consequences and then
• Stay firm
• Be consistent

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The Dominator

• Why is this a problem?
• Why do some students dominate the discussion?
• What can you do?

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The Dominator - Solutions

• Emphasize importance of bringing many
  perspectives to bear on the subject
• Small group work
• Writing task before discussion
• Randomization of speakers
• Give him/her a task
• Rotating chair
• Recorder
• Process observer

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Academic Misconduct

• See reading about plagiarism
• Ways to Prevent Cheating
• Develop group norms or an honor code
• Provide many reasonable opportunities for
  students to demonstrate achievement
• Reduce anonymity
• Talk to students who arent doing well
• Alternate seating, alternate exam forms
• Proctor exams

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Classroom Management Issues

• Academic Misconduct
• Aggressive Students
• Attendance
• Discussing Controversial Topics
• Disrespectful Instructors
• Dominant Students Quiet Students
• Emotional Psychological Problems
• Inattentive Students
• Unprepared Students

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Tips for Minimizing Problems

• Publish expectations in the syllabus and review
  in class.
• Address issues when they come up.
• Be consistent in application of University and
  course policies.
• Also, online classes are governed by the same
  policies!

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Disrespectful Instructor Behavior

• Please write down three instructor behaviors that
  you find to be uncivil or disruptive to the
  learning environment

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Disrespectful Instructor Behavior

• Prohibited
• Changing assignments or test dates without
  warning
• Canceling class without warning
• Belittling students through sarcasm, humiliation,
  intimidation, or profanity
• Not showing up for office hours
• Taunts
• Threats of harm to career or to physical person,
  etc.
• Vulgarity
• Harassing comments and actions
• These behaviors in instructors and students are
  prohibited by law.

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Disrespectful Instructor Behavior

• Not Prohibited
• Arriving late for class, leaving early
• Poor lecture skills
• Refusing to answer questions
• Deviating from the course syllabus
• Refusing to allow make-up exams, extensions or
  grade changes

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Sources

• Teaching Tips (Chapters 10 14)
• University of Utah Student Code
  http//www.admin.utah.edu/ppmanual/8/8-10.html
• University of Utah Faculty Rights and
  Responsibilities www.admin.utah.edu/ppmanual/8/8-1
  2-4.html
• Thank you to Stephanie Richardson