Get Your Students Hired
Hi Theresa,
I really think it was very smart on your behalf to get the students involved in the situation and let them provide the feedback. That one student was really on point, he/she said it all! How effective this method worked having a 99% completion rate the second go round. Well done!
Patricia
After grading the first assignment of the semester, I was shocked that only 50% of the students completed the assignment. The syllabus clearly states that no late work will be accepted (unless there is prior discussion with the instructor or doctor's note, etc.) I posed the concern to the class as a whole and said, "What do you think about this?" The students took it into their own hands and stated that their job as students is to complete assignments on time and there's no excuse. One student said, "In the professional world, you show up late for a meeting or fail to turn in a document into the court at 8AM, you're screwed. Done. It's unacceptable. Take responsibility and do your work. Otherwise, why are you here?" Afterwards, almost 99% of assignments were completed on time. It was far more effective to have students demonstrate the point rather than an authority figure. It created more of a team effort (students and teacher working together) and the class held each other responsible.
The service that students are paying for is the information we impart to them as instructors. This information is a combination of facts (subject matter) and skills (time management). It is important to emphasize that as professionals in ther chosen field, students will not only need to demonstrate competency, but do so efficiently. Use yourself and your course as an example of content (course information) delivered efficiently (length of course).
Hello Bobbi,
Make it plain to them, in the real world deadlines are established to be adhered to or else... We are setting our students up for failure if we make it seem like late assignments are fine.
Patricia
Hi Jason,
We have to do both...teach the skill, yet make them employable. Students must realize tardiness is unacceptable in the workplace. Deadlines are established to be adhered to not ignored.
Patricia
If you are continuing to be late with your assignment that shows a lack of responsibly on your part and this could carry over to the work place
Deadlines are part of reality. If you are scheduled to catch a plane and arrive late, you will be left at the gate.
The same principle applies in business. You will not help the professional development of the student by giving in to excuses (unless there is supporting documentation of a crisis). It is also unfair to the other students who adhere to the class requirements.
I agree having strict assignment policies should get students ready for the "real world" but I find that if I do not schedule make up assesments a very high precentage of my students would not meet the course requirements. They also seem to feel that its my job to teach a skill, not to make them employable.
we have 15 days and 90 clock hours per course and in one of the courses I manage there are over 20 different lab worksheets that have to be read and graded before the end of the course.
With only about 30 minutes a day to devote to these items and with 30 students per class, (600 sheets) you must set deadlines or you will feel like you have to take them home to finish. We do not allow that here. If they don't like the deadlines tough!