Tweeks

This week, I learned a few new tweeks.

When I was correcting some submitted assignments, I found dates printed in some sections. When I checked, I realized that I had not checked off the 'due dates' section of the assignments. Easily fixed.

I was out in ZP and had a good discussion with my proctor. She finds it frustrating that there are so many papers to hand out, and often the students say they didn't get it, or they lost it, or they weren't here that day, or I didn't send it to the copier soon enough for her to pick up at the beginnng of the day. We came up with a couple solutions.

She will create an assignment hand-in book where the students will sign when they hand in an assignment. That way, they can't say 'I handed it in and you lost it'.

Another solution was to make file folder holders, one for each class, in which she will put all extra papers or handouts. If a student was absent, she will put the name on the paper and put it in the file folder. The folders are pinned to the bulletin board. The students now become responsible for checking the file folders upon their return, rather than the proctor making sure she gives them what they missed.

We decided that I should send out the next day's plan the day before. I always (or almost!) sent her an email in the morning telling her what we would do that day. I wasn't explicit enough, however, about which books might be needed or which handouts were necessary. By sending it out the day before, it not only makes me get more organized, but it also allows her to be more prepared for each class. We found that the minute there is a slowdown in the flow of the class, the students have an immediate tendancy to start talking and misbehaving. This way, she knows which papers need to go out, when, and the flow of the class isn't interrupted.

She requested that a seating plan be made and adhered to. We did that as well. It will work until we forget to check it....