Professionalism and Respect
At the start of each course that I teach, on-site or online, I always lay out a comprehensive guide of course expectations.
We spend the first lecture discussing the expectations and I send students home with a print version.
One of the big sections in the lecture is "Respect in the Classroom." This is a theme that I mention sporadically throughout the course.
I try my very best to maintain a positive an encouraging learning environment. I always explain to the students that they need to be professional in what they are doing/saying and that if they violate this, they will receive a grade penalty.
We often work on Persuasive research papers which is something that we take some time to address during the "Respect" lecture. I always explain that we're dealing with controversial topics, and as such, not everyone will agree. I caution students that if they do not agree with someone, it is best to move on and comment on the next paper.
I explain that they can comment on anything as long as it has to do with the writing itself, and that they should leave their personal views at the door.
There is more to it than that, but this is something I feel is very important to maintain in the classroom. It is something that should be mentioned in every online course.
Jessica,
This is awesome. To continue the respect throughout the course and emphasizing the importance of it really hits home with many students. Nice job. Thanks for sharing.
as an instructor i find some students error on the side of not saying anything thereby avoiding all controversy. when an error is made in communicating that is the time to identify and discuss the disrespectfull comment.
John,
I many times establish communication rules in that students must reply to at least 2-3 other students' posting on a discussion board or something like that. I require students to "add to the conversation" and not just say "That's a good answer." or "John is right in his reply."
I also tell students to give constructive criticism when doing peer evaluations. All of these lead to developing good, respectful communication habits.
Thanks.
At the beggining of each of my class(on-the-ground or online, I give a PowerPoint presentation that outlines the purpose, features, guidelines, and procedures for the course.
Not only will these communication tools and methods be discussed, but also posted so that students can review them, whenever necessary. (This is in addtion to the course syllabus.)
William,
It's great that you provide the content in a variety of ways. I also try to "pull out" the syllabus a week or so into class and then at various other times so the students understand that the syllabus is an important document.
Thanks!
Jessica,
It is nice to meet you. While I agree with almost all of your points here and I love the idea of a "Respect in the Classroom" lecture, I am hesitant to agree with the idea of having the students move on from papers that they don't agree with. My thinking is this: in "the real world", in business, education, nursing, etc., these students will encounter ideas and situations that they don't agree with and will have to do deal with amicably. In my courses, I have the students make sure to focus on, as you say, the writing itself and not their personal views. Generally in our discussions, I will play Devil's advocate and attempt to have the students see various issues from all sides rather than just "their" side. Thus, I do believe that even with persuasion papers, it is important for students to have disagreements (so long as they are handled in a professional, courteous manner). For one of my assignments in the persuasion unit, I will have the students write an essay from the opposite point of view so that they can better understand the opposition as well. I want the students to consider all points of view. I'm sure that I read too much into this one comment and that we agree completely; I just felt I needed to say that. Thank you for your time.
Josh Cramer
William,
Love it. Respect with a twist. Playing devil's advocate can make student really think about things and implement new ways of doing things. Nice job.
At the beginning of each course I post the following:
Student code of conduct
As a member of this class, you are expected to “show and receive respect for all people regardless of their race, religion, gender, national origin, color, or status.†Such respect specifically precludes any type of harassment, inappropriate comments, or hostile environment. I expect the climate in our class to be professional at all times.
On the first day of class, I will review these course expectations and remind the students as necessary. I typically don't have any problems once the expectations have been articulated.
Carla,
Excellent. It's simple, but effective. Nice job.
Josh, your method of having students "see various issues from all sides rather than just "their" side" is an important part of critical thinking.
Doing so encourages students to enter the realm of logic and to leave the realm of personality. This can be a good place to teach logical fallacies as well. For example, many people are used to repeating received views on an issue while judging people who advocate opposing views rather than attempting to understand those views.
June,
True. We learn so much from others and we need to be open to other people's suggestions and opinions. Thanks!
When I begin my courses, in the first chat, I go over 'housekeeping rules'. This includes but not limited to:
How to respond to others without sounding rude
How to avoid ALL CAPS unless warranted
How to avoid getting personal in responses
I try to lead by example, and ensure my students feel they are respected by me.
Hi Carla,
I like your idea of a Student Code of Conduct.
I am sure it helps a lot in ensuring proper communication manners between all in the class.
Thanks!
Nitin,
I like the term "housekeeping rules." You are providing them with good rules. Thanks!
Nitin,
Definitely. It helps all students understand how their conduct impacts others. Thanks!
Jessica,
Just wondering...
I teach several leadership courses, and students need to talk about what good leadership is, and who good leaders are. One of the problems I run into is that students want to use political figures as examples. I don't allow this, becuse when it coms to politics everyone has a view. What are your thoughts on politcal discussion?
Dale,
Interesting question. To me leadership is personal and many times political figures have other constraints (legislation, etc.) that may alter their leadership style. Just a thought.
