TESTBANKSELLER.COM
Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Teaching Following is a brief overview of some rather sensitive topics and the manner in which either I (or other instructors I know) handle these issues. The suggestions given are mere suggestions and may not be applicable to your situation. 1.
I wish I knew students would arrive late for class. Some students habitually arrive late for class. In Washington, D.C. with its cold winter climate, late arrivals disrupt the class by having to remove their coats and gloves, organize their umbrellas, and then “set up” for class. Some of my classes have been at night and the late arrivals often arrive with dinner, unwrapping their meals, crinkling napkins, and spilling drinks. To discourage late arrivals, consider the following: a.
b.
c.
2.
Institute a point penalty so that any assignment not turned in promptly at the beginning of a class is marked late. Explain that courts reject late filings and that students need to learn the “rules of the road” as soon as possible. These point penalties encourage promptness. Remain silent until the student is completely seated. The silence in the classroom is deafening, and most students make the effort to appear on time thereafter. This “silent treatment” also works well when students talk during your presentation. When I observe such talking (more than a mere comment or two), I usually stop talking completely for however long it TESTtoBrealize ANKSE LLroom ER.isCsilent. OM Once I have their takes for the talkers the attention, I will continue the presentation. On occasion, I have said, “Excuse me. Are there questions? If not, I will continue.” Post a sign on the door indicating that students should wait until the next break to enter the room so as not to disrupt other students.
I wish I knew that students would ask for numerous letters of recommendation. During my first couple of semesters of teaching, I was inundated with requests for letters of recommendation (nearly all of which were for law school applications). What made the task more difficult is that some students who requested recommendations were only average students. This situation is much easier now that most students applying to law school send one complete “packet,” including recommendations, to the LSAC central admission center, which then sends separate applications to each school. The process is also made easier by the use of electronically submitted recommendations. To make the task of recommendation-writing somewhat more manageable, consider the following: a. b.
State that students must earn a grade of “A” or “B” in your class for you to provide a letter of recommendation. Require that you be given at least three weeks advance notice for providing a recommendation.
22
TESTBANKSELLER.COM #1 TEST BANKS WHOLESALER
