10 effective classroom management techniques every faculty

10 Effective ClassroomManagement TechniquesEvery Faculty Member

Should Know

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2 10 Effective Classroom Management Techniques Every Faculty Member Should Know • www.FacultyFocus.com

10 Effective Classroom Management TechniquesEvery Faculty Member Should Know

Effective classroom management is much more than just administering correctivemeasures when a student misbehaves; it's about developing proactive ways to preventproblems from occurring in the first place while creating a positive learning environment.

Establishing that climate for learning is one of the most challenging aspects of teaching,and one of the most difficult skills to master. For those new to the profession, failure to setthe right tone will greatly hinder your effectiveness as a teacher. Indeed, even experiencedfaculty may sometimes feel frustrated by classroom management issues. Strategies thatworked for years suddenly become ineffective in the face of some of the challengestoday’s students bring with them to the classroom.

Brought to you by The Teaching Professor, this special report features 10 provenclassroom management techniques from those on the front lines who’ve met the chal-lenges head-on and developed creative responses that work with today’s students. Thisreport will teach you practical ways to create favorable conditions for learning, includinghow to:

• Get the semester off on the right foot• Prevent cheating• Incorporate classroom management principles into the syllabus• Handle students who participate too much• Establish relationships with students• Use a contract to help get students to accept responsibility• Employ humor to create conditions conducive to learning

The goal of 10 Effective Classroom Management Techniques Every Faculty MemberShould Know is to provide actionable strategies and no-nonsense solutions for creating apositive learning environment – whether you’re a seasoned educator or someone who’sjust starting out.

Maryellen WeimerEditor

The Teaching Professor

310 Effective Classroom Management Techniques Every Faculty Member Should Know • www.FacultyFocus.com

Table of Contents

How to Get Wet without Plunging In: Creative Ways to Start Class ..............................................................................4

Making a Syllabus More Than a Contract ................................................................................................................5

Conditions Associated with Classroom Conflict ........................................................................................................6

Getting to Know You: The Importance of Establishing Relationships ........................................................................7

Those Students Who Participate Too Much................................................................................................................8

10 Things to Make the First Day (and the Rest) of the Semester Successful ............................................................9

Use ‘Stuff Happens’ Cards to Handle Student Excuses ............................................................................................10

Humor: Getting a Handle on What’s Appropriate ....................................................................................................11

A Behavior Contract That Made a Difference ..........................................................................................................12

Preventing Cheating: Do Faculty Beliefs Make a Difference? ..................................................................................13

4 10 Effective Classroom Management Techniques Every Faculty Member Should Know • www.FacultyFocus.com

Starting a lecture can be chal-lenging: getting everyoneseated, attentive, and ready to

move forward with the content cantake several minutes. I have foundthat sometimes it feels abrupt anddisjointed, especially when it hasbeen a week since the last classmeeting, so I’ve been working onstrategies that help me get a classgoing without wasting time and thatget all the students engaged andready to learn. I now begin eachlesson with a creative review of thelast week’s materials. The reviewsinvolve a variety of techniques forgetting students to reflect on previouscontent and ready to move on to newinformation. They also help withbuilding relationships, a criticalcomponent of teacher-student inter-actions. Here are some of the strate-gies that I think work best toaccomplish these goals.

Who’s Your Partner?Using sticky-back name tags, I put

three or four names that go togetheron the tags. Some examples are John,Paul, Ringo, and George, or Bill,Chelsea, and Hillary. I then randomlyput the name tags on the backs ofstudents. The students are allowed tofind their partners by asking only yesand no questions. When they find therest of their group, I have them workon a short review assignment. Thiscan be a list of questions from theprevious week’s content or a reflec-tion or anything that requires thatthey work together. The process offinding the rest of the group takes

only a few minutes and gets studentsactive and focused.

Piece the PuzzleFor this activity I break the content

from the last lecture into four or fivesections. Then I take key points fromeach section and make them intojigsaw puzzles, one puzzle for each

section, with five or six pieces perpuzzle. I jumble the pieces and give aset of puzzles to each group ofstudents. I generally make each set ofpuzzles on a different color of paperand put the jumbled pieces in aZiploc bag. Each group completes allthe puzzles. This requires them tocategorize previously learned infor-mation. I like to engage in competi-tion for prizes from the local dollarstore. The first table to complete allthe puzzles correctly wins the prize.Another variation is to give eachstudent a piece of a puzzle and havethe student locate the other four orfive students who have pieces to the

same puzzle—I don’t make thepuzzles different colors in this case.

Roundtable ReviewWith this activity, I have students

get out a sheet of paper and write alist of numbers from one to ten. ThenI instruct them to put one importantidea from the previous lecture on thefirst line. The paper is passed to theperson on the left. Each time thepaper is passed, the person receivingthe paper writes a different idea.After a few minutes I call time, andthe papers go back to the originalowner. This represents a collection ofideas for future review and study.I have found that the preparation

for these activities takes very littletime and that the results are veryworthwhile. My students anticipatethe activities, and I look forward tohaving the students in a place wherethey are ready to learn.

How to Get Wet without PlungingIn: Creative Ways to Start Class

By Patty Kohler-Evans

I now begin each lesson with a

creative review of the last

week’s materials. The reviews

involve a variety of techniques

for getting students to reflect

on previous content and ready

to move on to new information.

5

For years I’ve introduced mycourse syllabus by saying, “Thisis your contract for the course.”

And all too often the document readmore like a contract than a true rep-resentation of my conceptualizationof the course. So I revised my intro-ductory composition course syllabusin an attempt to create a morelearner-centered academic experi-ence. Although these elements havebeen at the core of my teaching, mysyllabus did not necessarily makethem explicit or clearly articulatetheir function to the students. Basedon advice I found in several resourcesregarding the syllabus, I came to seethat a teacher needs to consider theways a syllabus can be useful tostudents. My goal was to make mysyllabus more than the standardcontract between my students andme. I wanted it to become a tool forlearning.I began by analyzing my syllabus

using a rubric that I developed with acolleague based upon principles oflearner-centered pedagogy. Theoriginal design of the rubric was as atool for administrators to determinethe degree of learner-centeredness ina department or unit based upon areview of course syllabi. The rubrichas three main categories, each withseveral subcategories. The maincategory, Community, includes sub-categories that relate to the accessi-bility of the teacher, the presence oflearning rationale, and evidence ofcollaboration. In the category Powerand Control, the subcategories focuson teacher and student roles; use of

outside resources, and the generalfocus of the syllabus: Does it focuson policies and procedures or is itweighted toward student learningoutcomes? Is there opportunity fornegotiation of policies, procedures,assignment choice, etc.? In thecategory Evaluation andAssessment, the subcategoriesexamine the use of grades, thefeedback mechanisms employed,types of evaluation, learningoutcomes, and opportunities forrevising or redoing assignments.A review of my syllabus inspired

me to revise. I made several changesto emphasize the concept ofcommunity. Although I have alwaysprovided rationales for assignmentswhen I talked about them in class, Iadded a rationale statement for as-signments in the syllabus. I alsoprovided rationales for all policiesand procedures so that they wouldlook less like arbitrary laws set downby the teacher and more as thoughthey served enhanced learning. I alsoincorporated more teamwork and col-laborative projects, again with arationale tied to learning outcomes.Finally, I made an effort throughoutto disclose information about myself,mostly in regard to my experience asa composition teacher and a writer.The most significant change I made

was in the area of power and control.Instead of establishing an attendancepolicy, class participation rules, orpenalties for late work, I indicatedthat all of these would be negotiatedby the class. Because the course ispopulated by first-semester students,

I was reluctant to share much morepower than that.My former one-page syllabus was

now 10 pages and included a shortphilosophical statement on learningto write along with writing- andlearning-related justifications forevery policy and procedure. In aneffort to make the syllabus a workingpart of the course in which studentsdiscovered for themselves what theyneeded to know about the course, Ihad them write their first essay onthe syllabus. I asked them to considerthings like their expectations of theclass, what they thought my expecta-tions were, what they thought theyknew about me, and what their rolesand responsibilities included.I was actually eager to read the

essays. In some respects, I felt thatmy work was being evaluated bythem, which provided an interestingtwist on power and control. Theiressays became another feedbackmechanism for me. Equally if notmore interesting was the conversa-tion among the students as theyprepared to write. I use WebCT, so Isuggested to students that they usethe discussion board tool as aprewriting strategy. The discussionwas lively and, I believe, productive.Even students who had beenreluctant to participate in class dis-cussions about the syllabus weighedin online with great authorityregarding their interpretation of it.My syllabus is still a work in

progress. Most important, at thispoint, is the tone my new syllabushas set for the semester. Making thefirst essay a response to the syllabushas focused more thought and timeon it than in any of my previousclasses. It has served as a catalyst fordiscussion, for setting goals, and fordiscussing writing. It has focused ourattention on learning and made everyaspect of the course intentional. Thissyllabus is much more than thestandard contract between mystudents and me.


Making a Syllabus MoreThan a Contract

By Roxanne Cullen

6

Students can and do regularlydisrupt the classroom.Sometimes they are openly

hostile, challenging the teacher’sauthority and objecting to course re-quirements and classroom policies.More often, the conflict grows out oftheir inattentiveness and passivity.They arrive late, leave early, talkduring class, and don’t even botherto hide their boredom.Faculty researchers (reference

below) wondered whether character-istics of courses and instructors mightbe associated with conflict. They alsowondered whether instructors’ prepa-ration and caring attitude towardstudents related to the presence orabsence of students’ disruptivebehaviors. And they were curious asto how instructors went aboutresolving conflict and whether theyperceived the techniques they used asbeing successful.To find answers to these questions

and to document whether the differ-ences between hostile and inattentiveconflict were real, they surveyed anational sample of psychology profes-sors. Faculty who completed a 71-item questionnaire were asked toanswer while thinking about a singlecourse they had taught recently inwhich they experienced a high levelof student conflict.Analysis of the survey results docu-

mented a number of importantfindings. First, the hypothesis aboutthere being two different kinds ofconflict was confirmed. Second, “wefound that the amount of conflict thatfaculty reported was actually

unrelated to many characteristics ofcourses or instructors.” (p. 183)In other words, things like the in-

structor’s gender, race, age, years ofteaching experience, full-time versuspart-time status, and class size didnot relate to the amount of reportedconflict. These findings are at odds

with some previous research that hasdocumented that students tend tochallenge the authority of female pro-fessors and faculty of color moreoften than they challenge white malefaculty. Other research results do notfind correlations between instructorcharacteristics and such things asstudent ratings of instructor effective-ness.However, these researchers did find

some interesting correlations betweeninstructional methods and conflict.For example, “the use of lecture cor-related directly with inattentiveclassroom conflict. On the otherhand, using discussion or active

learning related inversely with inat-tentive classroom conflict.” (p. 182)Hostile conflict—as in challenging,

open resistance—was found to berelated to “whether faculty expressedcare toward students, communicatedrespect, behaved sensitively, andremained warm and engaged.” (p.184) Faculty who did not approachstudents in these ways reportedhigher levels of conflict. And thesefaculty behaviors were also found tobe most effective at reducing conflict.The researchers describe thesemethods as “working alliances” andreport results that suggest facultybuild them when they attend “to theemotional bonds that exist in theclassroom,” when they promote “acommon sense of purpose whenteaching,” and when students aretreated respectfully despite agree-ments. (p. 185) Even though morethan 61 percent of this samplereported that they ignored conflictand the behaviors associated with it,this strategy was related to pooreroutcomes.In sum, based on these findings,

faculty are well advised, yet again, totake seriously their relationships withstudents. In this case it seems that anounce of prevention may well beworth the pound of cure.

Reference: Meyers, S.A., Bender, J.,Hill, E.K., and Thomas, S.Y. (2006).How do faculty experience andrespond to classroom conflict?International Journal of Teaching andLearning in Higher Education, 18 (3),180–187.


Conditions Associated withClassroom Conflict

By Maryellen Weimer

Hostile conflict—as in

challenging, open resistance—

was found to be related to

“whether faculty expressed

care toward students,

communicated respect,

behaved sensitively, and

remained warm and engaged.”

7

About two or three semestersago, I conducted an informalexperiment with two of my

classes. With one, on the first nightof class, I asked students their namesand major courses of study. I intro-duced myself in much the same way,with a brief statement about mychosen field. With the other class, Ispent time during the first andsecond class sessions on activitiesdesigned to acquaint students witheach other and establish how wewould conduct the class. I used whatI learned about students that firstnight throughout the rest of thecourse. When I compared feedbackfrom the two classes, I was amazedat the differences between the two.For example, one student from thesecond class noted that these activi-ties made the class more “userfriendly.” He left class lookingforward to the rest of the semester.I’d like to share some of the activi-

ties I used to get students connectedwith each other and with me.

What’s in a name?When students introduce them-

selves, I ask them to tell us theirname and also to share what thatname means, if they know that; totalk about the individual for whomthey were named; and to indicatewhether or not they like their name. Ihave also asked whether they livetheir name. For instance, my name,“Patricia,” means loyal. I tell studentsthat fits because I am generally a

faithful friend. In some casesstudents don’t know what their namemeans. I have found that they arevery willing to do some research tofind out what it means and to thenshare that information with the restof the class.

T-shirt collageSometimes I have students

introduce themselves to each otherby creating a T-shirt that representswho they are. I supply each studentwith a pre-drawn T-shirt pattern on asheet of paper. I ask students to usemagazine pictures, markers, crayons,etc., to design the shirt.Usually, I bring all the materials to

class. Students tend to talk to eachother about themselves as they aredesigning their T-shirts. I do a shirttoo. I believe this shows students thatI value this activity. Students seem toreally enjoy doing this activity, andthey usually work very hard toinclude multiple aspects of them-selves in the collage. Students listenattentively when it’s time to share theT-shirt collages, and even at the endof the semester they still rememberinformation about their classmates.

Identification of personalinterestsIn many of my classes, I ask

students to share information abouttheir personal interests and learningpreferences. I use a questionnaire toobtain this information, and I tellstudents to only share what they are

comfortable having me know. A com-mercially available product thatgenerates this information is theLearning Express-ways™ folder.

Asking for written feedbackI frequently ask for written

comments at the end of lectures.Students may comment about theclass, express a concern, or shareother information. I respond to allcomments in writing and return themat the next class. Sometimes I askstudents to rate their understandingon a 1-to-10 scale, and sometimes Iask for a brief reflection.Since I have started to invest more

time in getting to know my students,I have noticed that my relationshipswith them have improved innumerous ways. When studentscome to me after the course hasended, I still remember their namesand something about them. I havealso noticed that I have morestudents asking questions about theirchosen fields. They regularly tell methat they value the activities as well. Ibelieve that the time invested in rela-tionship building increases students’motivation and commitment to thecourse. Recently, I overheard onestudent commenting to another abouta group assignment that I had made.She was admonishing her fellowclassmate to seek out other studentswho were different as a way to enrichthe experience. Whether theseexamples are a direct result of the re-lationship building I can’t say forsure, but I am convinced that it doesmake a better climate for learning inmy classes.


Getting to Know You:The Importance of EstablishingRelationships

By Patty Kohler-Evans

8

What would we do withoutthose few students who arealways ready to speak—

who make a stab at an answer whenno one else will, who ask for clarifi-cation when they are confused, whoeven respond to things other studentssay in class? Most of those studentswe would like to clone. But thenthere are those who communicate toexcess. They would answer everyquestion if we let them. They wouldhappily dominate every classroomdiscussion if allowed. We call thesestudents the over-participators; in theresearch literature they are known ascompulsive communicators, and re-searchers estimate that a bit morethen 5 percent of students fall intothis category.The rest of the class loves and

hates these classmates. They areloved because they take the pressureoff everyone else. They are hatedbecause they speak so much. Theirendless contributions soon boreothers. And they are hated becausethey make those who struggle to con-tribute feel woefully incompetent.Their behavior also presents all

sorts of problems for the teacher,who would love to call on somebodyelse, but often that familiar hand isthe only one in the air. Generallyover-participators are bright students.They care about the content and havethe level of motivation a teacherwould like to see in all students. Buttheir determination to keep them-selves always at the center of discus-sion tests in most of us the patienceand commitment to participate.

Generally teachers do not rebukethe over-participator in public.Researchers in the study mentionedbelow asked students what theyexpected teachers to do about fellowclassmates who over-participated.They found that students expectteachers to manage compulsive com-municators through managementstrategies that are not rude ordemeaning. Students “do not want towitness a fellow student subjected tonegative sanctions when it comes tothis particular transgression.” (p. 28)When teachers do not address the

problem, according to this research,students rate them lower onmeasures of credibility and affect orliking. In fact, doing nothing aboutcompulsive communicators results ineven more negative student percep-tions than does addressing theproblem punitively.What’s the best advice, based on

this research? Address the problemusing positive and constructive com-munication strategies. It helps tohave a discussion early in the courseabout the characteristics of effectivediscussion and teacher-studentexchanges. If students are asked todescribe those conversations thathold their attention and help themlearn, they are usually quick to namethe over-participation problem andstate preferences for dialogue inwhich many people participate.Teachers should design participationactivities that require the contribu-tions of many: small groups present-ing brief reports, sharing examples,or offering summaries.

It may be useful to talk privatelywith the student who is participatingtoo much. It may help to make clearhow and why too much communica-tion from one student inhibits thelearning of others. Perhaps thestudent could be encouraged to movehis or her participation to the nextlevel by not just answering questions,but asking them; by not just makingcomments, but specifically respond-ing to things other students say inclass.Participation norms are established

early in the course. If a teacher holdsfast to hearing from lots of studentsright from the start, that norm will beestablished and can be maintainedthroughout the course.

Reference: McPherson, M. B., andLiang, Y. (2007). Students’ reactionsto teachers’ management of compul-sive communicators. CommunicationEducation, 56 (1), 18-33.


Those Students Who ParticipateToo Much

By Maryellen Weimer

9

Ilike to arrive in the classroom wellbefore the students. It gives metime to get things organized. I

create an entrance table (I use chairsor desks if there’s no table) thatholds handouts for students to pickup. From day one the students learnthe routine: they arrive, pick uphandouts on the entrance table, andread the screen for instructions. Theyknow what to do, and it saves time.Here’s how I recommend introducingthe routine on day one.

1. Post your name and the nameand section of the class on thescreen, so that when students walk inthey know that they are in the rightplace.

2. Write “welcome” on the screenand have directions that tell studentswhat they need to do immediately.Example: “As you enter, please tellme your name. Then pick up asyllabus, a card, and a folder fromthe entrance table. Fold the card sothat it will stand on your desk, andwrite your first name on it in BIGletters. Add your last name and majorin smaller print. Write your name onthe tab of the folder, (last name first,then first name). Read the syllabusuntil class starts.” [Note: By askingstudents to tell you their name asthey enter, you can hear how thename is pronounced, and avoid theembarrassment of pronouncing it forthe first time yourself.]

3. When it’s time for class tostart—start class! Late arrivals cancatch up by reading the screen.

4. For classes of 25 or less, I havestudents do brief, 10-second introduc-tions. I tell them there will be averbal quiz after all the introductionsand that they can win stars if theyknow who is who. (Have fun withthis, but remember that these areadults and college is not like juniorhigh.)

5. For larger classes, I havestudents introduce themselves tothree or four people around them,and then we might do “stand-ups”—stand up if you are a Spanish major,stand up if you are an educationmajor, and so on. I explain thatstudents need to know each other forour small group work, and in casethey have a question.

6. I collect the file folders and putthem alphabetically by student nameinto a big plastic carrying case. Whenstudents need to turn in assignments,they find the box on the entrancetable and they put their papers intheir respective folders. When papersare graded, they can pull their gradedtests or assignments from theirfolders. The beauty of this system isthat time is never wasted by passingout papers. For small classes, I puthandouts in the folders of absentstudents.

7. After the introductions and theexplanation of the folder and boxsystem, I turn to the “Today we will”list that I’ve written on the board,posted on a large paper flip-chart, orprojected on the screen. I like toactually write this list on the board,so I can return to it even while pro-jecting my notes. A “today we will”list outlines my plan for the day. Forexample, for the first day, my “todaywe will list” says:• See screen for instruction for cardand folder.

• Introductions• Turn in folders• Go over syllabus completely• Mini-lecture on ___________• Interest inventory• Do you know what to read/dobefore the next class?

Note: The “today we will” list letsme walk around the room, teachfrom the projection system, and thenlook at the list for what I should donext. I tend not to forget things if Ihave the list. As the semester pro-gresses, the “today we will” listmight contain warm-up questionsthat then appear as test questions.The list helps students who arrivelate or leave early see what they havemissed.

8. The mini-lesson/mini-lecture—whether it’s a short overview of thefirst reading assignment, somesample problems, or 10 interestingquestions students will be able toanswer at the end of the course, Istrongly recommend doing somecourse content on the first day. Forclasses that last longer than 50minutes, I include a short studentactivity. I also think it’s important tobegin with course material on dayone so that students begin to see whoyou are and how you teach. Since Iteach courses in teacher education, Ioften talk about my teaching career. I


10 Things to Make the First Day(and the Rest) of the SemesterSuccessful

By Mary C. Clement

PAGE 10�

10

include a few stories about howtimes have changed and about howsome things in teaching neverchange.

9. Interest inventories are great forthe first day of class. An interestinventory is just a short list ofquestions about students’ back-grounds and interests. It may assesstheir prior learning as well. Inaddition to name and major, studentscan write about a hobby, interest, orgoal. Do not be too personal. You canhave them answer several questions

about content—maybe solve aproblem, write a short paragraph oranswer specific questions. Finallyopen-ended questions are useful:• What are your goals aftergraduation?

• What has a teacher done in thepast that helped you to learn___________ ?

• Is there anything else that youwant me to know about you andyour course of study?

You can always add one funquestion:

• If your song played when youentered the room, what wouldthat song be?

10. Every good class has an intro-duction, a body, and a conclusion. Iusually teach the mini-lesson, andthen save the last six to eight minutesof class for the interest inventory andindividual questions. This way,students don’t have to wait on othersto finish. I instruct students to turn intheir interest inventory as they exit.As they are writing, I alphabetizetheir folders and put them in the boxon the table. Another good closure isto ask if they know what to read/dobefore the next class, and if theyknow three people to ask about theassignment if they have a question.


Students and excuses seem to gohand in hand. Sometimes theexcuses result from real events

and personal problems that legiti-mately prevent a student from beingin class, completing an assignmenton time, or doing what some otherpolicy or procedure may stipulate.Not having the wisdom of Solomon,most faculty struggle to fairly adjudi-cate between the real and unrealreasons offered for noncompliance.Professor Daniela A. Feenstra, who

teaches a variety of business classesat Central Pennsylvania College, hasdeveloped an interesting way throughthis dilemma. On the first day of classshe gives each student a “StuffHappens” card. It’s about the size ofa business card and also includes thesemester date and a place for the

student’s name. In the syllabus (andin class) she explains that this is astudent’s “one time only” forgivenesscard. If a student is late for class ormight need a one-day extension on apaper, the student may trade the“Stuff Happens” card for thisexception. Students don’t have to gether approval or permission to use thecard. Use of it is entirely at their dis-cretion. However, each student getsonly one card, which is not transfer-able and won’t be replaced if lost.If no “stuff happens” during a

given a semester and a studentfollows all classroom policies andprocedures, the “Stuff Happens” cardmay be traded in the last week ofclass for 20 bonus points.Sometimes more than one “stuff

happens” event may occur during the

semester. When it does and thestudent presents the excuse orexcuses, the teacher once again facesthe problems described at thebeginning of the article. However,Professor Feenstra notes that the“Stuff Happens” card takes care ofmost emergency situations. It coversthe conscientious student who mayoccasionally have a problem. Otherstudents are probably going to needmore instructor feedback anyway.

FROM PAGE 9

Use ‘Stuff Happens’ Cards to HandleStudent Excuses

By Maryellen Weimer

11

The contribution that humormakes to learning is well estab-lished in research. It is not that

humor causes learning; rather, it helpsto create conditions conducive tolearning. It helps learners relax, allevi-ates stress, and often makes it easierfor students and teachers to connectpersonally. The presence of humor ina classroom can be very beneficial.But there are a couple of problems.

First, faculty often don’t think ofthemselves as funny—some are, butmost academics would not make aliving as stand-up comedians. In fact,any number of faculty cannot success-fully tell a joke, even after carefullyrehearsing the lines and easing theirtension with liquid libations. So, howmight a serious academic find his orher way to humor that works in theclassroom?And then there’s the problem of

propriety. Not all humor is appropri-ate, especially given the commitmentof higher education to culturalrespect, diversity, and equality. If youcan’t make jokes about ethnicity,politics, religion, or sex, is thereanything left for one-liners?Fortunately some recent research

offers help on both fronts. For facultywho don’t think they can be funny inthe classroom, there is a wide rangeof different kinds of humor. Optionsabound. Early research (referencedbelow) identified seven different kindsof humor: funny stories, funnycomments, jokes, professional humor,puns, cartoons, and riddles. And eachof these kinds of humor can beemployed with great creativity, such

as using weird names in math wordproblems; referring to aspects ofcontent with humorous names, suchas calling bacteria “baby beasties”;using different voices; wearing funnyclothing; or telling stories aboutfamily or college days. The best newsis that all of these kinds of humorhave the same positive impact onlearning environments.The purpose of the study referenced

below was to identify what studentsconsider appropriate and inappropri-ate humor. Researchers did that byasking 284 undergraduates to listseveral examples of “appropriate andsuitable” humor and then askingthem to do the same for humor thatwas “offensive and/or not fitting forthe class.” The students had notrouble identifying examples in bothcategories.This student sample generated 712

examples of appropriate teacherhumor, which researchers placed infour different categories. The first,which contained almost half the listedexamples, researchers called “relatedhumor.” This humor linked withcourse materials; examples included aphysics instructor who regularlyplayed with a Slinky to demonstratecertain physics principles or anotherwho used course material in jokes:“What do you call someone who likesto go out a lot?” Answer: “Fungi.”The second category was unrelated

humor. These first two categoriescontained more than 90 percent of theexamples students provided, althoughresearchers note that there wasoverlap between the two categories.

Examples in this second categoryinclude some teasing of studentgroups or individual students, orsome stereotypical student behaviorsuch as procrastinating.The remainder of the appropriate

examples were self-disparaging humorin which the instructor made jokes ortold stories that poked fun at orbelittled him or herself. Then therewas a very small category of uninten-tional or unplanned humor whensomething funny happened sponta-neously in class.Equally valuable in this research is

the analysis of inappropriate humor,for which students offered 513examples, which researchers againplaced in four categories: disparaginghumor targeting students, disparaginghumor targeting others, offensivehumor, and self-disparaging humor.More than 40 percent of the

examples fell into the first categorywhere instructors disparaged studentsindividually or collectively. Studentswere disparaged for their lack of intel-ligence, gender, or appearance, aswell as for their opinions.When the disparaging humor

targeted others, it used stereotypesand such specific group characteristicsas gender, race/ethnicity, or universityaffiliation. Some inappropriate humorexamples were listed as offensivebecause they contained sexualmaterial or vulgar verbal or nonverbalexpressions, or they were toopersonal.In conclusion, researchers

encourage faculty to explore humorrelated to the course content. Studentsalways considered it appropriate.Moreover, many reported that ithelped them relate and recallimportant course information.

Reference: Wanzer, M. B., Frymier,A. B., Wojtaszczyk, A. M., and Smith,T. 2006. Appropriate and inappropri-ate uses of humor by teachers.Communication Education 55 (2):178–96.


Humor: Getting a Handle onWhat’s Appropriate

By Mary C. Clement

12

It seemed that almost every day wewould come back to our officesafter our speech classes with a

frown on our faces and the need to tella story about the latest shenanigansthat happened in class. A student “ac-cidentally” showed an inappropriateimage on a PowerPoint slide duringhis speech. A student walked in 20minutes late during a classmate’sspeech—with a pizza in one hand, aMountain Dew in the other, and a cellphone on one ear. A student refused togive her speech as scheduled anddared us to do something about it.Finally, one day we decided we had

had enough. We created a list of be-havioral expectations, which we askedstudents to sign, and thus was bornthe Speech Department BehaviorContract. Since then it has grown intoa well-defined instrument that has hadas much impact on student retention,success, and well-being as any otherstrategy we have added to the curricu-lum.Initially the document contained 10

items—rudimentary things likestudents taking responsibility forreading the syllabus, signing the atten-dance sheet, taking the pretests andpre-assessments, meeting deadlines,etc., and understanding the conse-quences of making excuses for missingspeeches. Even in its early format, thecontract positively impacted retentionand behavior in the classroom asobserved by us and noted by ourdean. Students told us that they appre-ciated the precise listing of their re-sponsibilities because it made therules and consequences clear.

At the end of each semester, werevise the document based on theevents of the previous semester. Forexample, we added a statement con-cerning the campus electronic policybased on a serious plagiarism casethat occurred in one of our sections.Once it became prevalent and blatant,we added a statement about textmessaging in class. Some of our othercolleagues are using contracts similarto ours, and they report the samepositive effect. We hope that bysharing our contract, you will considerhow it might help in creating an ideallearning environment in yourclassroom.

Classroom Ethics Contract1.I received, read, and understandthe department general syllabusfor this course, including the at-tendance policy.

2.I understand failure to sign an at-tendance sheet at the appropriatetime and date results in me beingmarked absent.

3.I verify that my professor hasrequested that I meet withhim/her first should I have anyconcerns about the conduct of thecourse. If that meeting does notresolve the concerns, then myprofessor will recommend I meetwith the department’s lead facultymember or department chair.

4.I understand that my professorexpects respect from everyone inthe classroom at all times. Thisincludes rules about sleeping, in-appropriate talking, rudeness,doing homework, answering cell

phones, and any disruptivebehavior as defined by eachprofessor, etc.

5.I understand it is my responsibilityto take the online content pre- andpost-test(s) by the assigneddate(s).

6.I understand it is my responsibilityto complete the written pre- andpost-assessment(s) by theassigned date (PRCA, SpeechAnxiety, Listening).

7.I understand it is my responsibilityto complete all assignments ontime and that there are penaltiesfor late assignments (if allowed) ateach professor’s discretion.

8.I agree that if I don’t understandan assignment it is my responsibil-ity to ask for clarification.

9.I understand my professor’s policyabout being tardy and the conse-quences of not following his/herpolicy.

10. I understand the ramifications ofmissing a scheduled speaking day.

11. I understand that should I missclass it is my responsibility to getany handouts, etc.

12. I understand it is my responsibil-ity to check my e-mail daily orweekly depending on myprofessor’s guidelines.

13. I understand it is my responsibil-ity to follow directions and thatfailure to do so will result in a lossof points.

14. I understand it is my responsibil-ity to read and follow theElectronic Communications Policy.The link is available at the bottomof the UA-Fort Smith homepagehttp://www.uafortsmith.edu.

15. I understand I should not enterthe classroom during a studentspeech. I should wait to hearapplause and then enter.

16. I understand that plagiarism ofany kind will not be tolerated andmay result in receiving a zero (0)for the assignment, withdrawal


A Behavior Contract ThatMade a Difference

By Lori Norin and Tom Walton

PAGE 13�

13

from the course, or suspensionfrom the university.

17. I understand that cell phonesmust be turned off or turned tovibrate during class and thateach professor may, at his/herdiscretion, enforce a consequencefor any cell phone ringing or textmessaging during class.

18. I understand that iPods and/or

MP3 players must be turned offduring class and that eachprofessor may, at his/her discre-tion, enforce a consequence forany music being played duringclass.

19. I read, understand, and agree toabide by the student handbookguidelines for classroom ethics.

20. I understand that eachprofessor may add additionalrules in writing to this depart-

mental document.21. I understand that failure to signthis document does not excludeme from its requirements.

Student Signature:_________________________

Class Time:__________________________

“We believe that student beliefsabout their peers … caninfluence misconduct, while

faculty beliefs about student academicmisconduct can influence efforts toprevent and challenge the miscon-duct.” (p. 1059) Said another way, theresearchers (citation below) are afraidthat if students think that a lot of theirpeers are cheating, it will increase thelikelihood that they will cheat. And, iffaculty believe that lots of studentsare cheating, they will do more toprevent it. Conversely, if faculty don’tthink academic dishonesty is much ofa problem in their classes, they willdo less to prevent it and make iteasier for students to get away with it.This study did reaffirm that

cheating among students (at this insti-tution), as reported by students, iswidespread. More than 90 percent ofthe more than 400 students in thissample admitted that they hadcheated at least once. The researcherspointed out that data on cheating thatdifferentiates between if and howoften are not generally reported.

“Looking at the data this way leads toa different conclusion from examina-tion of overall misconduct rates.” (p.1078)The activity students reported doing

least often was “improperly”acquiring or distributing exams. Theactivity they reported doing mostoften involved working with anotherstudent on material that would besubmitted for grading when the in-structor had not authorized collabora-tion with others. Results herereplicated another finding docu-mented by previous research: malesreported more incidents of miscon-duct than females.These researchers found that for

every one of the 16 behaviors ofacademic dishonesty, studentsbelieved that their peers wereengaging in those behaviors moreoften than their peers reported. Theresearchers worried that these inaccu-rate beliefs empower students to cheatmore since they believe that“everyone else” is doing it.Faculty in this study “overestimated

the actual frequency of misconduct.”(p. 1076) As for the actual hypothesesabout faculty beliefs, they wereverified. “Our results showed thatfaculty members who underestimatethe frequency of misconduct veryrarely take action to challengestudents’ misconduct.” (p. 1076)Their results also verified the reverse.Faculty who overestimated the extentof cheating were more solicitous intheir efforts to prevent it.Researchers advise that both faculty

and students should be providedaccurate information as to the extentof academic misconduct occurring atan institution. Faculty “need to send[the] message to students throughprevention and detection efforts.” (p.1076)

Reference: Hard, S. F., Conway, J.M., and Moran, A C. (2006). Facultyand college student beliefs about thefrequency of student academic mis-conduct. Journal of Higher Education,77 (6), 1058-1080.


FROM PAGE 12

Preventing Cheating: Do Faculty BeliefsMake a Difference?

By Maryellen Weimer

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