The first few days in the classroom always seem to drag on. That’s because you may be going through the syllabus or procedures of the classroom, and it is usually just you telling students what is to be expected from your classroom, but… what if you let them find out for themselves?
It may not seem possible, but you can make the information within the syllabus and procedures more interactive instead of passive.
4 Ways to Make Your Syllabus More Interactive
While the syllabus is usually just a compilation of information that the students may never read, you need to give students a reason to read it. It should just be enough for you to ask them to read it, but we all know that is not how it works.
Below you will find 4 different approaches to making the syllabus more interactive for your students. The approach next to the red is the least interactive, and the approach next to the green is the most interactive. You choose what may be best for you and your students!
- Digital Syllabus
- Creating a digital syllabus could be seen from a variety of perspectives. Obviously, it is digital, but it depends what kind of digital approach you take. Possible ways:
- You can find a way to integrate it into your school’s Learning Management System (LMS) where students can interact with it.
- You can use a presentation with a variety of pictures and media to engage students a little more than a piece of paper would.
- You can create a digital, interactive document that enables students to click on aspects of the syllabus, and it could open up to videos, pictures, or other forms of media that represent the information in that particular section.
- Creating a digital syllabus could be seen from a variety of perspectives. Obviously, it is digital, but it depends what kind of digital approach you take. Possible ways:
- FAQ Style Syllabus
- Creating your syllabus in the style of an FAQ may be the easiest way to navigate the syllabus for students in an interactive way. As they go through your class, they are going to run into some questions. Such as, “How are things graded in this class?” or “Is there a late policy?” In which case, students can consult that FAQ to find the answer.
- There are a couple ways that will make accessing FAQs easy.
- First and best option would be integrating it into your LMS somehow. Students have or will be learning how to use this system, so using the LMS would be easiest for them.
- Second best option would be to create a Google Site. This is free to do (although, keep in mind that students may or may not have access to Google Site based on your school’s website restrictions). You can create different interactive pages where students can learn about your, your classroom, your curriculum, AND your syllabus with drop-down FAQs.
- Syllabus Scavenger Hunt
- In this approach, you are getting students up and moving, and you are getting them acquainted with the classroom environment.
- Step One: Determine everything you need in your syllabus (e.g., grading policy, curriculum overview, your contact information, etc.).
- Step Two: Create a worksheet of some sort for students to fill out with the answers to the above criteria (i.e., what students would find in the syllabus). This could be a classic worksheet or it could be a Google Form Quiz. Sign up for the email list below to get a FREE syllabus scavenger hunt worksheet! (You’ll find below.)
- Step Three: Put posters, wall anchors, and clues around your room that will give students those answers.
- Optional Step Four: Add a little incentive. If you want to make it interesting, tell students that if they are the first to get all answers right, then they win a prize (e.g., extra credit, candy, etc.).
- In this approach, you are getting students up and moving, and you are getting them acquainted with the classroom environment.
- Collaborative Syllabus Creation
- This approach is for the teacher who wants their students to feel like they have a voice in the classroom, and who is okay with putting extra work in (possibly outside of class).
- In this approach, you are allowing students to help you build the syllabus. You can determine to what degree you want them to help you form the syllabus. For example, your hands may be tied when it comes to the grading scale, but they could potentially help you define the cell phone policy or curriculum.
- In this approach, you are giving students a prompt, and then you are taking the answers to that prompt and collectively coming to a conclusion on it.
- Digital Approach: Create these prompts in a discussion post through your LMS.
- Physical Approach: Set up posters around your room with the prompts at the top. Give students a marker, and they will answer that prompt (e.g., gallery walk/station approach).
- Once everyone has had a chance to answer, you can consolidate the answers and create a syllabus based on those answers.
- This approach may seem risky, but I have had my students surprise me.
- BONUS: You could even format this as a type of contract that students sign to ensure accountability.
- In this approach, you are giving students a prompt, and then you are taking the answers to that prompt and collectively coming to a conclusion on it.
Making your syllabus more interactive will ensure students know what is expected from your classroom. This will help them be more prepared for the experience to come.
4 Proactive Approaches to Your Classroom Procedures
When you are trying to teach students the procedures of your classroom, it may seem boring to them because they may already know it. Or they remember it for a day, but it goes away after that. In either case, giving students an active approach to learning the procedures may provide the most successful implementation of your classroom procedures.
Below you will find 4 different approaches to making the procedures more interactive for your students. The approach next to the red is the least interactive, and the approach next to the green is the most interactive. You choose what may be best for you and your students!
- FAQ Style Procedures
- Creating your procedures in the style of an FAQ may be the simplest way for students to understand the classroom procedures, and it is helpful for those who were absent for the first day of class (or have a short memory). As they go through your class, they are going to run into some questions. Such as, “Where do I submit my assignments?” or “What do I do if I was absent?” In which case, students can consult that FAQ to find the answer.
- There are a couple ways that will make accessing FAQs easy.
- First and best option would be integrating it into your LMS somehow. Students have or will be learning how to use this system, so using the LMS would be easiest for them.
- Second best option would be to create a Google Site. This is free to do (although, keep in mind that students may or may not have access to Google Site based on your school’s website restrictions). You can create different interactive pages where students can learn about your, your classroom, your curriculum, AND your procedures with drop-down FAQs.
- Visual Aids/Wall Anchors (Student Creations)
- In this approach, you are getting two birds with one stone–so to speak. You break down all of your procedures into quick descriptions that you will give students. Then, students will create a visual aid/wall anchor for that specific procedure. Additionally, you will have students present their creations to the class. This way all students learn the procedure and you get a cool decoration for it!
- There are a variety of ways you can have students complete this. You can go old school and have them create a poster with paper and markers. Or you can go digital and have them use a website like Canva to create a visual aid (this may be faster because Canva does have templates to give students a starting point).
- In this approach, you are getting two birds with one stone–so to speak. You break down all of your procedures into quick descriptions that you will give students. Then, students will create a visual aid/wall anchor for that specific procedure. Additionally, you will have students present their creations to the class. This way all students learn the procedure and you get a cool decoration for it!
- Classroom Duties
- Giving students more responsibility in your classroom gives them more accountability.
- In this approach, you are teaching all students the classroom duties/procedures that they will perform. To make the accountability even, you would have these duties be rotating. To help remind students, you may have the title of the role they are completing (for the week) with a short description. You can have a round of practicing, then students will eventually be peer coaches when the next student receives that duty.
- This approach provides accountability, growth, and collaboration to complete.
- Collaborative Procedure Creation
- This approach is for the teacher who wants their students to feel like they have a voice in the classroom, and who is okay with putting extra work in (possibly outside of class).
- In this approach, you are allowing students to help you build the procedures. You can determine to what degree you want them to help you form the procedures. For example, there may only be one way to submit an assignment, but students can help you determine the procedure for student-teacher communication.
- In this approach, you are giving students a prompt, and then you are taking the answers to that prompt and collectively coming to a conclusion on it.
- Digital Approach: Create these prompts in a discussion post through your LMS.
- Physical Approach: Set up posters around your room with the prompts at the top. Give students a marker, and they will answer that prompt (e.g., gallery walk/station approach).
- Once everyone has had a chance to answer, you can consolidate the answers and create a procedure description/list based on those answers.
- BONUS: You could even format this as a type of contract that students sign to ensure accountability.
- In this approach, you are giving students a prompt, and then you are taking the answers to that prompt and collectively coming to a conclusion on it.
Procedures are meant to be interactive, but sometimes we forget that on the first day–we just have so much information to share with them right off the bat that we forget about the interaction part.
Conclusion
Remember, the first days of school are setting the tone for your classroom. It just depends on what kind of tone you want to set for your students. Do you want them to think it will be a passive classroom or an interactive one? The choice is yours.
