Classroom Rules free essay sample

Be Friendly, Positive and Self- Reflective: When people cannot see you, and also do not know you, feelings can be hurt if you are not careful in how you express yourself. The old saying, think before you speak is important here. Think before you write. One word of advice is, do not respond when you feel angry. Wait. Write it down somewhere and come back to it. When you do, you may find that you no longer feel the same way as you did when you wrote it, because you have had time to reflect about the situation. Last, if you still feel the need to be heard, then edit before you post, and write it in terms that are easily embraced. This is also true when you feel a critique is necessary; say it in a positive tone. Reread what you have written to be sure it is positive. 4. Use Proper Language and Titles: Do not use slang or profane words in an education environment, even if they are words you consider, not so bad, as they will sound offensive to the reader. Do not refer to your professor as Doc or by his or her first name, unless it is acceptable with him or her to do so. Also, do not use caps lock when typing. It insinuates YELLING. That would hurt someones feelings and possibly give him (or her) the wrong impression of you. 5. Use Effective Communication: Say what you mean to say. This takes practice and thoughtful writing. Try to speak and write clearly at all times. Again, reread before you respond. Define and restate your words when necessary. Correct a misunderstanding right away. Chances are, if one person felt a certain way about what you said, another may have as well. Likewise, be mindful of chosen words and joking. Lets say for example, I write, Get out! This slang term can be interpreted in several ways, either positively or negatively. 6. Professionalism: Leave the characters like smiley faces, and instant message abbreviations out. Your friends may like it, but chances are your professor will not. Save it for personal conversations or definitely ask for permission before using them. They may be interpreted as childish or too casual for the online education environment. Lastly, always say please and thank you. 😉 7. Ask for Clarification: If you are unsure of what was said, or the instructors directive, or are trying to interpret a persons expressions, then ask again. Do not sit in silence either misunderstanding or feeling offended. Do not interrupt though; wait until there is a break in the conversation, or until the open interaction occurs. Your instructor will appreciate your responsiveness and maturity. A simple way to do this is to say (or write), I did not understand , which will always keep the onus for the misunderstanding on yourself. 8. The Golden Rule of Netiquette: The golden rule of netiquette in an online class or environment is, do not do or say online what you would not do or say offline. 9. I do not drop grades (I do not drop your good grades so why should I drop your bad grades? ). 10. There is no extra credit (since you did not do it the first time, I am not giving you a chance to not do it again). 11. Make a friend in the class to call for back-up notes or assignments or for peer editing and clarification. A solid connection with other students is instrumental in being successful in college. Create study groups (I learned this late in my schooling, but it is a great idea). 12. Do not complain about the grade that a teacher gave you. Students are no longer given grades; they earn them (a slight change from kindergarten that a few students struggle with). I grade according to the syllabus and how effectively students meet the assignment objectives. 13. I do not care what grade you need to make. I do care that you improve as a student (earning a certain grade is your concern while your being an educated student is mine). 14. If you cheat, you will earn a â€Å"0† and not be given a second chance on the assignment (if you are cheating, I do not want you in a medical, legal, military or any other important career. P. S. there is such a thing as a permanent record). 15. Only write about what you are passionate (if you do not care about the subject, I can guarantee you that I will not be). The only caveat to this is being sure that you can objectively distance yourself from emotional topics to see the flaws in your logic. 6. Communicate with me (I skipped the day where they taught mind reading in school and have regretted it ever since). 17. Learn to skip excuses and take responsibility for all that occurs (being late for class or missing assignments consistently means that it is your fault not someone or something else). 18. Get involved and stay involved (if you are not participating, you are just visiting). 19. This is a composition course and you need to follow the suggestions that I give you to be a successful writer. a. Avoid using â€Å"you† while writing, unless it is a process essay. I have violated this several times in this writing but there are a few exceptions to this advice. Choose to take the advice and overlook my use. Stick to third-person plural unless you are relating a first-person anecdote: avoid using â€Å"I† unless you are relating an anecdote. b. Avoid â€Å"thing† since there are many better and more specific words. c. Read the MLA format instructions in A Writer’s Reference to ensure you format your essays properly. d. Use specific details to support your points: The more specific the details, the stronger the essay. Classroom Rules free essay sample Be Friendly, Positive and Self- Reflective: When people cannot see you, and also do not know you, feelings can be hurt if you are not careful in how you express yourself. The old saying, think before you speak is important here. Think before you write. One word of advice is, do not respond when you feel angry. Wait. Write it down somewhere and come back to it. When you do, you may find that you no longer feel the same way as you did when you wrote it, because you have had time to reflect about the situation. Last, if you still feel the need to be heard, then edit before you post, and write it in terms that are easily embraced. This is also true when you feel a critique is necessary; say it in a positive tone. Reread what you have written to be sure it is positive. 4. Use Proper Language and Titles: Do not use slang or profane words in an education environment, even if they are words you consider, not so bad, as they will sound offensive to the reader. Do not refer to your professor as Doc or by his or her first name, unless it is acceptable with him or her to do so. Also, do not use caps lock when typing. It insinuates YELLING. That would hurt someones feelings and possibly give him (or her) the wrong impression of you. 5. Use Effective Communication: Say what you mean to say. This takes practice and thoughtful writing. Try to speak and write clearly at all times. Again, reread before you respond. Define and restate your words when necessary. Correct a misunderstanding right away. Chances are, if one person felt a certain way about what you said, another may have as well. Likewise, be mindful of chosen words and joking. Lets say for example, I write, Get out! This slang term can be interpreted in several ways, either positively or negatively. 6. Professionalism: Leave the characters like smiley faces, and instant message abbreviations out. Your friends may like it, but chances are your professor will not. Save it for personal conversations or definitely ask for permission before using them. They may be interpreted as childish or too casual for the online education environment. Lastly, always say please and thank you. 😉 7. Ask for Clarification: If you are unsure of what was said, or the instructors directive, or are trying to interpret a persons expressions, then ask again. Do not sit in silence either misunderstanding or feeling offended. Do not interrupt though; wait until there is a break in the conversation, or until the open interaction occurs. Your instructor will appreciate your responsiveness and maturity. A simple way to do this is to say (or write), I did not understand , which will always keep the onus for the misunderstanding on yourself. 8. The Golden Rule of Netiquette: The golden rule of netiquette in an online class or environment is, do not do or say online what you would not do or say offline. 9. I do not drop grades (I do not drop your good grades so why should I drop your bad grades? ). 10. There is no extra credit (since you did not do it the first time, I am not giving you a chance to not do it again). 11. Make a friend in the class to call for back-up notes or assignments or for peer editing and clarification. A solid connection with other students is instrumental in being successful in college. Create study groups (I learned this late in my schooling, but it is a great idea). 12. Do not complain about the grade that a teacher gave you. Students are no longer given grades; they earn them (a slight change from kindergarten that a few students struggle with). I grade according to the syllabus and how effectively students meet the assignment objectives. 13. I do not care what grade you need to make. I do care that you improve as a student (earning a certain grade is your concern while your being an educated student is mine). 14. If you cheat, you will earn a â€Å"0† and not be given a second chance on the assignment (if you are cheating, I do not want you in a medical, legal, military or any other important career. P. S. there is such a thing as a permanent record). 15. Only write about what you are passionate (if you do not care about the subject, I can guarantee you that I will not be). The only caveat to this is being sure that you can objectively distance yourself from emotional topics to see the flaws in your logic. 6. Communicate with me (I skipped the day where they taught mind reading in school and have regretted it ever since). 17. Learn to skip excuses and take responsibility for all that occurs (being late for class or missing assignments consistently means that it is your fault not someone or something else). 18. Get involved and stay involved (if you are not participating, you are just visiting). 19. This is a composition course and you need to follow the suggestions that I give you to be a successful writer. a. Avoid using â€Å"you† while writing, unless it is a process essay. I have violated this several times in this writing but there are a few exceptions to this advice. Choose to take the advice and overlook my use. Stick to third-person plural unless you are relating a first-person anecdote: avoid using â€Å"I† unless you are relating an anecdote. b. Avoid â€Å"thing† since there are many better and more specific words. c. Read the MLA format instructions in A Writer’s Reference to ensure you format your essays properly. d. Use specific details to support your points: The more specific the details, the stronger the essay.