Common Courtesies/
Halsey
Always keep
in mind that when you are in class, you are part of a group. Lots of different individuals make up the
group, and there can be a multitude of learning styles. Each person in the class has the right to a
productive, orderly class. You can help
make sure that the class proceeds smoothly and well by adhering to the
following:
Be on time.
In fairness to me and other
students, you should arrive on time for class. It can be distracting and
disruptive if students regularly arrive late. If there is a good reason
why you must come into class late on an occasional basis, please do so as
quietly and quickly as possible. If there is a reason why you will
regularly be late to class, talk to me as soon as possible!
If you do come in late at some time:
·
Do
not ask me to catch you up on what you missed.
·
Do
not distract other students by asking them to fill in all that you
missed.
· Do not come up to the front of the room to try to pick up papers!
-
Wait until the end of class to ask for any papers I might have handed out.
Be ready to work
Please make
sure you are in class and ready to work by the time class starts. I work very
hard to always begin class on time, with very few exceptions. Don't wait
until I start to get your books and notebooks out. Remember, it is your
education!!
Be attentive
Talking to other students when I am talking and conducting class can be very distracting to both myself and those around you. Some students cannot stay on track with what is being presented if their nearby classmates are talking. Keep in mind that even if you understand something completely, others in the class may still need more instruction on it. On the other hand, there may be times when you want to briefly ask another student for clarification about something just covered, but if you’re having trouble seeing or understanding something, I’d prefer that you ask me, as there are probably others who also need the clarification.
Do not send text messages during class
While you may think that you can send and receive text messages discretely, rarely are you the only one who is affected by this diversion of your attention. I have had students tell me how annoying it is to hear the tapping of the keys from someone's cell phone while that person had a "text conversation" with a friend. Also, while you are busy texting, you are not paying attention to material being discussed in class, and it is annoying to myself and others when you then ask questions that have already been clearly addressed during your time of lapsed attention.
Remember ringing phones are very distracting and disruptive.
Do not have
cell phone ringers turned on during class time. If you must leave your
cell phone on because it is your emergency connection with your family, please
make sure it is set to “Manner Mode”, so that only you know when a call is
coming through. Ringing cell phones disrupt
the flow of class, and distract everyone in the classroom.
Ask about matters that affect only you either before or after class.
If you have
information to tell me, or a question to ask me that concerns only you, or
something on your paper, please know that I will be happy to talk to you BUT
please wait to ask it privately. I cannot take class time to hear about
an individual matter or to look at individual papers, but will be happy to talk
to you after class or during my office hours.
Stay awake!
If you are
so tired that you can't keep your eyes open in class, quietly leave and use one
of the chairs in the hallway for your snooze. It doesn't do you any good to
be physically present but mentally absent from a class. You get no brownie
points for being slumped over your desk while I am presenting class
material! I always tell my students that the day I come in and slump over
my desk is the day that I will stop seeing that behavior as
inappropriate. I'm not thinking that will happen anytime in the near
future!
Only
use appropriate language in the classroom and hallways.
While certain expressions and profanities have crept in to
our commonly used language, they are not appropriate in the classroom.
Keep in mind that some people are deeply affronted by language that some of you
may use as part of your regular discourse with friends. Always consider
whether you would use certain vocabulary in professional situations. If
not, don't use it in or around the classroom.
Material created by J. Halsey - Updated Spring 2007 - This material should not be used without permission of J. Halsey.
DCC Home Page J. Halsey’s Home Page MPCS Home Page