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Show page 26 lessons, fail 2001 behavior; and second, what would be the likely sanctions? After the fact, she indicated two things happened. Students engaged in an open discussion of appropriate behavior and the inappropriate behaviors stopped. The teacher does have an obligation to intervene in classroom incivility, or better still, be proactive in preventing it. A statement by the teacher at the beginning of the semester regarding "these are the behaviors you have a right to expect from me and these are the behaviors I have a right to expect from you1 can be very beneficial in creating and promotin a positive large classroom milieu. In the past, I have used i the strategy of asking students to write down three expectations of me as the teacher in the classroom and I indicate I will write three things I expect of students. Then I randomly ask students to tell the class the top thing on their list. It doesn't take too many responses 1 detect themes that deal with interesting and relevant content, respect i the student as a learner enthusiasm for teaching. My primary expectations deal with preparation and respect for all in the classroom. Early in my teaching career I learned that I can be heard as well from the middle or back of the classroom as I can from the front. Unless classroom acoustics and/or physical arrangement of furniture are very poor, even in a large classroom, the teacher can be heard without amplification. This means that the teacher can move about the classroom as the class proceeds. It also sends the message that every seat in the classroom is a "valued" seat, and that there is no location in the classroom that is a "safe haven" for students who choose not to attend to the class. The last issue I would like to address is how to move the student from a passive to active participant in a large classroom setting. Because of sheer numbers of students, the lecture seems to be the most efficient strategy for conducting class and in many cases is. The disadvantage of the lecture is that it does promote passive behavior on the student's part. In the large classroom setting the goal of the teacher is to capture and hold the attention of the students by varying pace and activity. I find several strategies to be effective in promoting active (and focused) participation in the large classroom. Pose a question that requires some thought and synthesis of information presented previously. For example, "If you were the Commissioner of the FDA today and aspirin was brought to you as a new drug for over-the-counter use, would you approve it? Why?" This requires students to think differently about a known topic and generates lively class *. discussion. The teacher's role is to facilitate the discussion and promote involvement from students who prefer to sit back and simply listen. Affirmation of responses from students who rarely speak is critical in this format. Case studies or scenarios are other methods of presenting content to large classes. Important in these strategies, however, is an understanding of the core knowledge and skills needed in order to make appropriate responses. Students can be assigned to respond individually or in small groups. Again, the teacher's role is expert learner and the facilitation of discussion on the questions osed in the case study. Research in teaching/learning es consistently demonstrates he teacher to be effective, regardless of class size, the pace and nature of the classroom activity must be varied to maintain student interest and promote learning. The teacher who tries something different, off-the-wall, or totally out of character is frequently rewarded with increased attention, participation and positive feedback. Teaching in a large classroom setting can be at the same time challenging and rewarding, and the greatest joy of all is that it is unpredictable. HELEN ZSOHAR, Associate Professor (Clinical) at the College of Nursing, has won several teaching awards at both the college and university levels. She is dedicated to teaching undergraduates and is sought out by her peers for her teaching wisdom and expertise. |