Classroom Expectations

Vision Statement

You are to be commended for your choice to become a teacher. Nowhere else will you have the opportunities to touch and influence the lives of children and adolescents. The mission of the teacher preparation program and faculty is to foster the knowledge, skills, and dispositions you will need to be a successful educator. Please know that the faculty is united in support for you and your journey toward becoming a teacher. Everything you do in your teacher preparation coursework is designed purposefully - ALL directed toward YOUR future success. At this point in your education, behavior expectations have changed. To help clarify our expectations for you, we have listed both positive and negative examples below. If you have questions about appropriate behavior, course assignments, or expectations, please speak to your professor. The best policy is to communicate openly with course faculty about assignments and expectations.

 

In Class Behavior

You have chosen to enter the teaching profession, a career built around the format of classrooms, physical settings, education experiences, and interactions between teachers and students. Thus, your behavior in university classroom settings should be representative to the kinds of behaviors and participation which you will expect from your own students. The behaviors shown below as negative examples detract from the learning atmosphere in the university classroom and affect the total learning community. (See also SHSU Academics Policy Manual, Academic Policy Statement 800401:1.01-1.05 regarding Class Attendance.)

Positive Examples	Negative Examples
Punctuality	Frequently late to class
Participation in class	Just sitting there
Concentrating on topics under study	Doing work for other classes
Taking notes, asking relevant questions	Reading newspapers, socializing, cell phone ringing, text messaging, etc.
Active listening	Sleeping, Off-task
Bringing textbook to class, Reading the textbook	Being unprepared for daily class lessons, topics, simulations, etc.

Assuming Personal Responsibility

Schools expect student achievement. Seek to portray in your university course work the same standards of responsibility that are manifest in the world of schools.

Positive Examples	Negative Examples
Being straightforward about personal performance on exams, class tasks, and assignments.	Trying to reduce personal failure to be prepared or complete assignments to personality conflicts with the instructor.
Showing time management, setting priorities, assuming responsibility for doing a good job.	Blaming/Excuses related to: faculty, job, dog, computer, natural disasters, vehicles, family, friends, etc.

Small Group Work

When engaged with other class members, the research on effective cooperative learning in schools should guide your interactions in small group work. As a teacher, you will be called upon to work collaboratively in school-based committees, grade level teams, etc.

Positive Examples	Negative Examples
Individual accountability	Letting others be accountable
Active, accountable participation by all group members	Waiting for others to do the work
Receiving the grade you earned	Receiving a grade that others earned
Making time in your schedule to meet with group members to prepare and rehearse	Being unavailable or assuming that you are too busy while assuming that others must have lots of time

Cheating

The idea that anyone contemplating a career in teaching would engage in such behavior is unacceptable. Cheating on exams or assignments makes a clear statement that learning exercises in teacher preparation hold little meaning for you as a candidate for a certification in teaching. This is an inappropriate disposition. (See also SHSU. Academic Policy Manual, Academic Policy Statement 810213 regarding Academic Honesty (5.3). 5.311-5.314 address forms of "cheating" including copying others' work, "collusion," etc.)

Positive Examples	Negative Examples
Studying	Copying others' work

Research for Papers and Projects

Papers and assigned projects are one way faculty have to judge whether or not you are successfully learning the skills and knowledge needed for your profession. This knowledge is gained through the process of researching, compiling information, and writing. Plagiarism (copying another's work and presenting it as your own) conveys a disposition that the learning process is unimportant to the candidate. A disposition that values honesty in research and learning is critical for a beginning teacher. (See also SHSU Academic Policy Manual, Academic Policy Statement 810213 regarding Academic Honesty (5.3). 5.311-5.314 address forms of "cheating" including "plagiarism," "collusion," etc.)

Positive Examples	Negative Examples
Citing original journal sources	Just Internet sources from Google searches
Doing research directly related to the project, paper, or assignment - aware of grading criteria	Rehashing and double-dipping papers and projects in different classes
Writing, researching on your own	Using term/research paper writing services
Writing, researching on your own	Plagiarism: Lifting information from other sources, Using large blocks of authored work to fill pages

Field Experience

Direct experience in classrooms is a crucial piece in your preparation. The importance of these experiences has been endorsed by all professional groups and organizations. The behavior and professional demeanor of candidates reflects on both the candidate and the educational institution. The schools for which you are being prepared have faculty codes that correspond to our expectations. (See also "Standards of Professional Conduct for Students in Field Experiences and Student Teaching," Sam Houston Center for Professional Development and Educational Partnerships. Standards cover the areas of: I. Attendance and Punctuality; II. Professional Attitude; III. Professional Communication Skills; IV. Honesty and Ethical Behavior Reflecting Good Character.)