IU Teaching Handbook: Section 3 — Creating a Positive Environment

This third and last section of the IU Teaching Handbook tells how to create a positive environment in the classroom, ensuring diversity, civility, and ethical behavior.

Contents

Diversity

Civility

Ethics

Diversity

Teaching with Student Diversity in Mind

Adapted by permission from Perry and Birdine, 1996

The changing profile of the college student brings people with different aptitudes and experiences into the classroom. The dimensions of student diversity include age, learning style, skill level, cultural background, physical ability, gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Not all of these dimensions are of equal importance in a given teaching and learning situation, but we should be aware of ways in which acknowledging student diversity (or failing to) affects our students’ experiences.

Teaching for diversity means providing a variety of learning activities so that students with different learning styles have a chance to succeed. And it means managing our courses and classrooms so that all students feel welcomed and supported in their efforts to learn. Teaching for diversity does not mean lowering standards or expectations for student performance, but it does mean that some students may need different, or additional, kinds of support to meet high expectations.

Giving All Students a Chance to Succeed

The culture of the college classroom traditionally has favored individual achievement, expository lectures, and learning by listening and reading. Students whose experiences predispose them to nonverbal or visual forms of communication and cooperative, rather than competitive, problem–solving may feel at odds with this culture. To succeed in such a classroom, these students need to master not only the explicit content of the course, but also the implicit, “hidden” curriculum. Also, the realization is growing that the traditional college culture has not served even traditional students all that well. The recent emphasis on active learning rests in part on the finding that much of what is learned in school settings—at all levels—is forgotten within a few months of the last exam. While some faculty are concerned that using active learning techniques will mean less time to cover content, others have concluded that they want students to master the most important principles, even if it means reducing the number of topics.

The following are techniques that many faculty have found useful in encouraging achievement among students with a wide range of backgrounds and abilities. Not all are appropriate for every discipline or teacher, but you may find several ideas to try in your next course. These ideas can potentially enhance your communication with students, which is the most effective strategy for addressing issues of diversity in teaching and learning.

Facilitating Discussion of Sensitive Issues

In many disciplines, the discussion of race, culture, gender, and/or sexual orientation in relation to social issues is an appropriate part of the curriculum. However, faculty and students are often uncomfortable addressing such issues, fearing embarrassment or conflict. Techniques that may help overcome these barriers include:

Creating a Welcoming Classroom Climate

Students whose backgrounds differ from the majority may feel excluded from the teaching–learning discourse. Here are some ways that faculty can help all students feel welcomed in their classrooms:

Links

The following links will take you to additional readings & resources associated with this general section.

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Accommodating Religious Holidays

Indiana University students follow many different religious practices; some of them will need to miss classes for holidays on which the university remains open. In response to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Indiana University observes the following practices regarding student absences due to religious beliefs:

Any student who is unable to attend classes or participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day because of his or her religious beliefs is excused from any such activity. The student will be given the opportunity to make up the work that was missed, provided that the makeup work does not create an unreasonable burden upon Indiana University

The university will not levy fees or charges of any kind when allowing the student to make up missed work. In addition, no adverse or prejudicial effect will result to students because they have made use of these provisions (statement supplied by University Affirmative Action Office).

The Office of Academic Affairs distributes an academic year calendar that lists many of the holidays you can expect some students to observe. Try not to schedule important exams or deadlines to conflict with such days if at all possible. You should also, early in the semester, tell students that they should inform you in advance about such absences so that you can accommodate them.

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Cultural Differences for International Instructors

Adapted with permission from Unruh, 1986

Teachers are respected as authority figures in most countries, but the way an authority figure actually behaves differs from country to country. American university teachers may have different expectations of how students should do their work than do university teachers from many other cultures. There is often a difference in emphasis on how much teachers tell their students and how much they encourage students to learn on their own. This affects the kind of homework, the type and extent of classroom discussion, and the style of papers and examinations that teachers and students expect. Reconciling these expectations with experiences at home is an example of the additional challenge faced by international instructors.

In Sarkisian’s Teaching American Students (1990), several international teachers offer the following insights to beginning teachers:

Sarkisian’s Teaching American Students: A Guide for International Faculty and Teaching Fellows and another good source of information on dealing with these challenges, Section IV of Nyquist’s Preparing the Professorate of Tomorrow to Teach, are both available for your use at the Teaching Resources Center, Ballantine Hall 132.

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Campus Support on Issues of Diversity

The following offices can provide general information on student diversity:

Commission on Multicultural Understanding
705 E. 7th Street
(812) 855–4463
http://www.indiana.edu/~comu/

Office of Campus Diversity
Franklin Hall 104
(812) 855–1816
http://oit.iusb.edu/~cdiverse/

Residence Life
801 N. Jordan
(812) 855–1764
http://ocir.iupui.edu/Services/Residence/

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Other Resources on Diversity

Adams, M. (1992). Cultural inclusion in the American college classroom. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 49, 5–17. San Francisco: Jossey–Bass.

Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1991). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education: Faculty inventory. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 47, 71–85. San Francisco: Jossey–Bass.

Chism, N. (1994). Taking student diversity into account. In W. J. McKeachie (Ed.), Teaching Tips (9th ed., pp. 223–237). Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath and Company.

Davis, B. G. (1993). Responding to a diverse student body. In Tools for Teaching (pp. 29–60). San Francisco: Jossey–Bass.

Schmitz, B. (1992). Cultural pluralism and core curricula. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 52 (61–69).

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Assisting Students with Disabilities

Complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the university offers adjustments in both the physical and academic environments. Instructors are encouraged to develop awareness of any special needs their disabled students may encounter. The only evidence of a learning problem may appear in class, so any teacher suspecting a disability should refer students to the appropriate office for consultation. These referrals or any other requests for academic accommodation go to the Office of Disabled Student Services and Veterans Affairs at 855–7578. This office also offers resources for learning disabilities such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorder.

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Civility

Affective Concerns of Teaching

Students who feel comfortable in a classroom and who have some positive rapport with the teacher are likely to speed up learning processes as the semester goes on. In one Indiana University study, students reported that one important condition of their achievement in class is that they feel their instructor “cares about them.” In the long run, you will accomplish more learning by spending some time, especially in the first few classes, on creating a supportive environment.

Learn Student Names

This may seem like a simple suggestion, but it has profound results. All of us respond to being approached individually and personally, and the logical way to begin that process is calling us by our names. The immediate problem is how to learn the names of 100 or more students each semester. Campus Instructional Consulting has a list of many techniques to help you learn students’ names; copies are available in the Teaching Resources Center in Ballantine Hall 132.

You can gather biographical information on students by asking them to fill out index cards or to complete a short survey at the beginning of the semester. This information can be valuable in helping you to assess “where your students are” in terms of their academic backgrounds, and may also alert you to opportunities where course material can be made more meaningful by integrating it into students’ personal experiences. The more you know about your students, the easier it is to remember their names.

Provide Nonverbal Encouragement

Provide a secure, reassuring, positive atmosphere. Several ways of encouraging such an environment do not involve the spoken word. Maintain eye contact with students. Move around the room. Be animated and expressive in your presentation. Control nervous mannerisms. Students interpret fiddling with a tie or with a lock of hair to mean that you are not self–confident. This can be particularly unnerving to students. Students react most positively to teachers who seem to be firmly in control of the situation.

Avoid Judging Students

Without realizing it, teachers can exhibit judgmental behaviors that discourage students by making them feel even more inadequate than they already may feel. Do not judge students on the basis of appearance or dress. Do not allow yourself to be turned off by a student who is unkempt or who is wearing nontraditional clothing. You should also avoid gender stereotyping. Ask yourself if you unconsciously assume that females have a certain set of interests and males have another. Age stereotyping is another judgment trap. Do you unknowingly expect certain behaviors from people in certain age groups? For example, do you assume that older students are automatically more self–assured or serious about their work than are 18–year–olds?

Even though you may believe you are not prejudiced, racial or ethnic considerations can cause you to react subconsciously in ways that students find disturbing. Do you expect different attendance patterns from certain groups of students? Do you find yourself avoiding certain subjects in the classroom because you fear offending somebody? Do you tend to target your examples towards certain groups in your class? Do you assume that students have certain expertise based on racial or ethnic characteristics? Becoming aware of this type of judgmental behavior can help you avoid it.

Personalize Relationships

For some students, this is unnecessary, but other students find an “unapproachable” instructor difficult to learn from and intimidating. This strategy requires some effort and energy on the part of the teacher. Learning how many children a student has, what his or her personal interests and hobbies are, or what kinds of books he or she likes to read can help you establish fairly quickly a warm relationship with that student. Whatever your discipline, you should try to find ways to bring out students’ personal interests.

If you expect students to share with you, it is important for you to be willing to share parts of yourself and of your personal life with your students. You can accomplish this in easy ways. In classroom presentation, you can speak occasionally from personal experience. This will encourage students to respond to you not only as an authority figure, but as a person. However, use discretion with this technique; no one wants to spend a semester listening to an instructor telling his or her life story.

Respect Students as Adults

Sometimes teachers unwittingly put down their students by treating them as children, by overlooking them, or by exhibiting impersonal kinds of behavior. We often hear instructors refer to their students as “my kids.” This is especially upsetting to younger students who are just establishing themselves as adults. Another way of showing your students that you think they are important is spending time with them informally. This could be in the cafeteria or in your office. Before and after class you can chat informally with groups. When you meet a student in the hall or on the campus, smiling and giving a personal greeting is very effective. Call the student by name; it makes a great deal of difference. This again shows students that you care.

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Keeping Students Engaged

Provide Specific Positive Reinforcement

Taking the time to compliment a student on something specific that he or she has done well can have tremendous payoffs for a teacher. The key here is specificity. Students will sense a lack of genuineness if you compliment profusely and generally, but if you can pick out one particular element of their work or one particular aspect of their attitude that you like, your comment will have much more meaning. A student who has written a paper that is not particularly effective but who has used a striking metaphor, for example, can be complimented on that use. (See “Rewarding Student Participation and Providing Feedback” for more on this topic.)

Make Yourself Available

Any teacher who is responsible for teaching several sections of English composition or for teaching three lab courses will recognize that being available is often difficult. However, it is essential, particularly with students who may be having difficulty.

You are serving as a role model to these students, and keeping reliable office hours gives them a sense of your commitment. If you set office hours, be sure to keep them. Be on time. Spend as much time in the office as you have promised; if for any reason you won’t be able to be in your office on a given day, give your students advance notice. You have, in essence, made a contract with them and you should keep it.

The easiest way to be available to your students is to get to class early and stay late. Electronic mail is also a way to increase your contact with students without investing huge amounts of your time.

Make Your Class Safe for Your Students

Although you do not intend to humiliate students, you may inadvertently interact with them in ways that are embarrassing or that make them uncomfortable. Even if such embarrassment is subtle, it can discourage a student and make it difficult for him or her to come back to your class. Avoid sarcasm with students, as well as teasing that is destructive in nature.

Be as Positive as Possible

Being positive is not easy when you are having a hard day, but some techniques can make you and your students feel positive. Voice quality, for instance, is extremely important. Be energetic and bright in your inflection. A monotone or a deep, tired voice will give away your lack of interest. Be willing to laugh in class, and use humor in your teaching. Chatting with students will sometimes be therapeutic for you; if your energy level is running low, a few exchanges with students can energize you.

Read Inattentive Behaviors

We all have observed inattentive behavior in teaching situations. Some behaviors to look for are shuffling or shifting in chairs, persistent coughing by one or more students, glances at other students or watches, and stacking books when there are five minutes left in the class period. These behaviors indicate that you have lost student attention. Also notice posture, attitude, and lack of eye contact. The research on adult attention span tells us that attending to a single type of activity for more than 20 minutes is quite difficult.

When you notice that your students are drifting away, your response should be immediate and decisive. Changing the pace of the class can be most effective. We call this the “change–up.” For example, switching from lecture to small–group activity can wake up the class. Breaking the rhythm of your usual behavior can break the monotony.

We recommend planning your classes in 15– to 20–minute sections with a change of mode between each section. This will allow you to have the students’ fresh attention several times in each class, rather than just at the beginning. Changing activities can make a big difference in your students’ success. Campus Instructional Consulting has published an article on this topic, offering many suggestions of “change–up” activities.

Commit Yourself to an Individual Conference with Each Student

These conferences need not be long when the students do not have significant problems. They may simply be friendly, personal conversations. Yet this kind of conference shows the student that you care. For students with significant problems, however, the conference is crucial. Often a conference is the only means of convincing them of your interest. Sometimes you yourself can solve some of the student’s problems, or you can guide the student to someone who can help him or her. Surprisingly, many students are not familiar with the counseling services available at the university.

A word of caution is in order here. Discuss the problem only with the student, or for AIs, if you feel it is necessary, with the instructor in charge of the class. Otherwise respect the student as an adult and keep information concerning his or her performance confidential.

Telephone Students When High–Risk Patterns Develop

Examples of high–risk patterns are several missed assignments, chronic absences, and perpetual tardiness. Telephoning students can be an effective way of reaching them; students are often impressed that an instructor would take the time to call them.

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Communication Checklist

Adapted with permission from Jenkins, Gappa & Pierce, 1983

Instructors may find it difficult to be aware of all the dynamics in the classroom while simultaneously transmitting lecture content or guiding a discussion. Have a friend or colleague observe some specific behaviors of your own or your students’ that you want carefully observed. This informal observation may give a perspective on that behavior about which you were not aware. You can ask a student to audio– or videotape some of your classes. Media Production (855–1983) will also videotape class meetings; they require at least one–week advance notice, but the only cost to you is the videotape. Self–analysis of tapes can answer many of your questions.

Texts, Lectures, and Course Content

Whenever possible:

Handling Problems in the Classroom

Adapted with permission from Unruh, 1986

In most cases you eventually will face students who present various kinds of management problems. A common example is the student who wants to talk too much, frequently on irrelevant material. You can treat these students with respect, but make it known that they are overpowering the discussion; by systematically calling on many members of the class, you can often get a very active class. The students seldom want one person to dominate any more than you do.

Frequently, it is useful to talk to the offender outside of the class. Students usually respond to your request for less or different participation on their part. Sometimes they lapse back into the old pattern. It is a natural pattern for this kind of student. Remember that these students are seldom deliberately destroying the class; they think they are adding to the class with their participation. Don’t hesitate to remind them politely if they forget their talk with you.

One technique that is often effective with wisecracks and insults is to treat them as straightforward, non–evaluative statements. Treat sarcastic remarks as if they were not sarcastic. Some such remarks should, of course, just be ignored. Either treatment takes the sting out of the comment because you are not responding the way the wisecracker wants you to. Just refuse to play the game. You will be doing the rest of the class—and yourself—a favor.

Resolving Disagreement

Adapted with permission from University of Tennessee, 1986

In dealing with disagreement, confrontation, and inappropriate behavior, a new instructor should probably seek the advice or guidance of a more experienced person. Department heads and coordinators for associate instructors have dealt with similar problems and can advise you on appropriate steps. New instructors are often afraid to share problems because they feel that these problems are their own fault or constitute a poor reflection on their teaching abilities. Similar problems arise continually, however, with new or experienced faculty, young or old, outstanding or less capable. In fact, students sometimes sense an inexperienced instructor and believe they can “get away with” more because of the instructor’s lack of experience. For these reasons, and for the reassurance it gives, it is usually best to discuss your interpersonal problems with someone who can help you.

The best way to deal with conflict is proactively. Set the ground rules for discussion and disagreement at the beginning of the semester. If you are teaching a course in which you expect to raise controversy, explain to students the kinds of evidence and arguments that are acceptable in the class and those which are used by scholars in your field.

Dealing with a student who disagrees politely, calmly, rationally is a pleasure. If you state your position openly, calmly, and rationally, the two of you are almost certain to reach a reasonable solution. The most problems occur with open hostility or conflict. Here are some suggestions for dealing with confrontation:

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Assisting Emotionally Troubled Students

Should a student come to you with serious emotional problems, or if you become concerned about a student’s emotional health because of comments made in classes or in writing, you may want to refer the student to Counseling and Psychological Services at 855–5711. AIs: Consult with your supervising professor first.

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Ethics

Numerous aspects of teaching potentially involve ethical dilemmas of one sort or another. Your roles as advisor, evaluator, administrator of exams, authority, and sometimes even peer have the potential to become problematic at times, often because they present conflicting demands. In this section we would like to broach some of these subjects and provide suggestions and resources for dealing with them. Indiana University has adopted a Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, which presents the official definitions and policies on most of these issues.

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Academic Integrity

Adapted with permission from University of Tennessee and the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct

Scholarship is at home only in an atmosphere of honest practice by both students and faculty. All members of the academic community should conduct themselves in a straightforward and honorable manner. Indiana University, like all academic institutions, exists for the advancement of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development of students, and the promotion of the general well–being of society. Free inquiry and free expression are indispensable to the attainment of these goals. Study, instruction, evaluation, and research can flourish only in such an environment.

Academic integrity is a joint endeavor. Instructors should be prepared for all student–teacher encounters, meet classes as scheduled, evaluate students’ work fairly and impartially, and be prompt for prearranged conferences and regularly scheduled office hours. Inappropriate language in the classroom, off–color remarks, or jokes in class or conferences, and frequent deviations from the course topic have no proper place in the academy. In turn, students should fulfill in a reasonable way the requirements and expectations of the course as stated by the instructor.

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Academic Misconduct

This and the following sections adapted with permission from the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct

The Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct defines academic misconduct “as any activity which tends to compromise the academic integrity of the institution and undermine the educational process. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to…cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, and violation of course rules” (III. A. 1–6).

Within this shared enterprise, instructors have another responsibility, that of making certain students can function in an atmosphere free of academic dishonesty. Students need to know that if they work honestly, they will not suffer because of those who do not. Challenging a student you think may have cheated or plagiarized is not pleasant. If you feel uncomfortable in this area of responsibility, a thoughtful discussion of the topic on pages 95–99 in McKeachie’s (1994) Teaching Tips, as well as chapter 13, “Situations,” in Eble’s (1976) The Craft of Teaching, may be helpful.

AIs: If you have ample reason to suspect a student of misconduct, share the evidence with your supervising instructor or department head or director before acting.

Be as positive as you can of guilt before questioning the student(s), since academic misconduct makes them liable for serious punishment. According to the seriousness of the offense, sanctions range from a reprimand or warning to exclusion from the university. Even the suggestion of guilt is upsetting to students, particularly if they are innocent. The specific procedures for reporting academic misconduct are found in Part IV. B. (pp. 21–29) of the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.

Preventing the possibility of misconduct is always better than coping with the consequences. Campus Instructional Consulting has a handout that contains some ideas on how to reduce cheating in your classes.

Cheating and Facilitating Academic Misconduct

According to the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, cheating is the “use [of] unauthorized assistance, materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.” (p. 17). Egregious examples of cheating include having a substitute take a test, buying a term paper, or altering one’s grade. It is also an offense to knowingly help another student to cheat. While collaborative learning is often encouraged, working with others on projects explicitly assigned as individual is a form of cheating. It is therefore important to clarify for students—in writing—how you want students to collaborate, and what the limits of collaboration are.

Fabrication

“A student must not falsify or invent any information or data in an academic exercise.” (p. 17). Cooking the data is not an acceptable practice. Neither is inventing sources for a research project. Fiction should be limited to creative writing classes.

Plagiarism

Even after several semesters at IU, many students will not fully understand what plagiarism is. To plagiarize is to present “ideas, words, or statements of another person without appropriate acknowledgment”; i.e., to steal or pass off, in whole or in part, the work of another person as one’s own (IU Code, 17). Plagiarism should be defined for the students at the beginning of each course. It is also a good idea to provide some examples of plagiarized statements, and some models for citing sources properly. The appropriate use of sources can be presented in lecture in which you give careful credit for ideas, making a point of calling their attention to what you have done. The Writing Tutorial Services (WTS) office in Ballantine Hall 206 has very helpful pamphlets that you might use and talk about in class.

Interference

Students must not only perform their own work ethically, they “must not steal, change, destroy, or impede another student’s work” (18). Through misplaced thrift or sheer laziness, students often rip pages from journals in our libraries. This defacement, though not necessarily aimed at impeding specific other students, has that result and must be strongly discouraged.

Contacting the Office of Student Ethics and Anti–Harassment Programs

Anyone who wishes clarification regarding the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct or who wishes to file a complaint against a student in regard to either personal or academic misconduct may do so by contacting the Office of Student Ethics and Anti–Harassment Programs, 705 E. Seventh Street, 855–5419.

Links

The following links will take you to small additional readings associated with this general section.

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