Flexibility

I have been lucky and so far have not had to deal with any major issues in my classes.  Still, Showalter points out the most important lesson for dealing with any situation is flexibility.  There is never one answer that will work for us in every situation.  Each situation depends on the students, the class, the university and our own emotional state.  Staying rigid and sticking to the syllabus would only cause more harm than good during a time of crisis.  The students would be too focused on what was happening outside of the classroom, and they would not be able gain anything from the lecture.  The students would benefit more from a pause in the course to address the crisis, even if it means taking something out of the syllabus.  By giving the students time to process the event, they would be able to focus better on the rest of the material. 

I have had some experience with individual students coming to me with personal problems.  In these cases, flexibility has also been my greatest ally.  One of my stronger students had to miss several classes due to a family emergency.  I was able to excuse the absences and modify the work she needed to turn in so that her grade would not suffer.  This way her grade reflected her actual mastery of the material.  Being rigid and sticking to the syllabus could have cause more trauma to the student who was already having a difficult time, and the grade would not have reflected her actual mastery of the material.  In this way, being flexible helps those students who need it most. 

I feel that we must be flexible and show a connection to the outside world not just in times of crisis.  I think it is important to be flexible with the syllabus and with class time by bringing in elements from the outside world.  We have read many articles talking about how students tend to only focus on the first part of the lecture and that we should differentiate the way we present information.  If the students are unable to process everything I say to them on the topic, then I feel that it is not so important to spend every single minute of class focused on the topic.  Taking five minutes to discuss something interesting in the outside world that maybe does or does not relate to the topic can be a good way to build a more open atmosphere in the classroom, which could help in class discussions.  It can be tricky to regulate this, but often times a student will have a thought that somewhat relates to the discussion and we may spend a minute or two on that student’s idea.  I might also give a story from my life that fits with the topic.  I think this brings a more collaborative nature to the classroom, and it promotes better classroom relationships