Classroom management and when things go wrong.
An instructor needs to have strong expectations and procedures. I have seen classrooms where there were strong expectations and procedures and things still get out of hand because the concequences for broken rules were not strong enough for the situation.
I believe in setting rules and expectations for the very beginning of class, and also give updates on class grades at the end of each week.
One thing that I have noticed in many higer education schools is this:
Too much of an authoritarian environment leaves the students distrustful.
There is no "team" -- especially with instructor and class
There is less cohesion and less gets accomplished
Students complain about being "treated like children" -- then do what they want in spite.
Rules must be explained not just stated (e.g. no food, drinks, etc in the classroom -- computers get damaged/ insects are attracted and also get into the electronics/ LABS are still under CLIA compliance)
Cell phone usage is not allowed because we are "training the students to be professionals"
However, Ihave seen schools go down hill fast because more "micro" rules are enacted and then the class is micromanaged. This makes the students feel small and unwelcomed. It also makes the instructor look powerless to the students; hence, the instructor has no authority to make rules.
Due to this students give bad surveys, complaints and such get around town fast, the instructors are blamed for this when in actuallity they are only following what their boss expects of them. (one school I was adjunct at went as far as telling the students that they could "only wear white lab coats in classrooms or they would get a zero for professionalism for the day" . The rooms were freezing cold. Students began to quit left and right).
