From the first day of class, every action has a meaning for our students. If there is furniture in the front of the room, I try to move it out of the way (to communicate that I don’t want any barriers between us). We always begin and end precisely on time (to send a message both about punctuality and respect for the class).
I usually start by “cold calling†a student with an “action question†(What should so-and-so do?) and give her whatever time she needs to make her case. I encourage exchanges between students with body language (about which I’ll say more in a future piece).
I may ask students in the rear if they can read what I am writing on the board (to demonstrate concern for the class). In other words, these are planned elements of a participant-centered class in which little else can be assured.
I then repeat these behaviors in my first several classes. It takes no more than two or three repetitions for students to understand how class is likely to proceed and how one prepares for it.
While some of these behaviors are relevant to every class, other behaviors, such as how I begin class, may be varied from time to time to signal that some practices are not predictable.
These are all implicit ways of setting expectations. Other matters may require explicit communications. For example, a written or verbal message may be needed to describe criteria to be used in evaluating class participation or a final exam.
Whatever method we use to set expectations should reflect our own teaching style and intended objectives.
This raises several questions:
Have you thought about how you set expectations for or with your students?
Do you consciously follow a pattern in what you do?
What behaviors are off limits?
In short, what works for you?
