February 8, 2006
Crunching the One Hour Class
For the past -- what? -- seven years or so, I've been spoiled. Virtually all my classes have been either hour-and-a-halfers (i.e., a "Tuesday/Thursday" schedule) or 3 hour night classes. But this term I've got a pair of one hour (Mon/Wed/Fri) writing classes. Make that 50 minutes each, with 10 shaved off so folks can make it across campus from one class to the next.
It's common, really. I've taught one hour courses before. But this term, I'm really feeling the difference. Part of my problem is that the classes I'm teaching were all originally designed for 1.5 hour meetings, and these are redesigned calendars covering the same amount of material. I may not have planned well for the shorter hours. But that's not entirely responsible for the difference. As a teacher used to having a good 80 minutes to work with, a period with enough elbow room to pursue student questions and comments in depth, the time now zips by in the proverbial blink of an eye.
Everything's rushed. Take roll. Get everyone on topic. Move chairs, if necessary. Stick to the plan. Begrudgingly cut people off or close a conversation to move forward -- or table a point until the next meeting (and mourn whatever I'll have to sacrifice to accommodate it). Scramble to cover things they need to know for homework. Return papers as quick as I can before the next teacher comes in the room weilding a machete.
I firmly believe it is impossible to have a satisfying class discussion in 50 mins, let alone to fit in a group assignment and/or mini-lecture. In one class -- an upper division writing workshop -- we barely have enough time to discuss the assigned reading before we start critiquing manuscripts. In another class, freshman comp, the students like to talk...a LOT...and because it's a class in critical thinking as much as writing, I encourage open dialogue. But we veer chaotically off-topic quite a bit, because of competing desires for the floor.
We're meeting course objectives, sure, but it feels like we're only touching them with the very tiny tip of our fingers before people start packing their books and moving toward the door.
I'm trying to be proactive about this. Time management needs to become a bigger concern. I'm going to start crunching the one hour class. Here's some things I'm trying or considering:
- pass around a sheet for roll, so I don't chew up time ticking off names
- alternatively use roll call taking to have every student answer a question that's on the class topic for the day
- use a student to distribute handouts while I lecture/facilitate discussion
- use group work to allow more students to discuss while taking up less time
- embrace student-centeredness even more than I already do; less me time, more them time
- starting right on the top of the hour with an exercise that quickly gets us on track, like a one paragraph writing exercise
- dedicating the last five minutes of class to having students do a writing exercise or get a head start on the assigned homework...and using that time to return papers or jot down notes on what we need to do next time while they write
- enforce hand-raising during full class, open discussions
- look forward on the calendar to see if there's anything I can move out of the classroom and into homework or to drop altogether
- spend less time giving directions by distributing printed guidelines and asking students to read them for homework (and to come to class with questions next period)
- minimize transitional time-wasters, like pushing desks into a circle. I will still have a circle, but one technique I'll try is to arrive to class early and invite students to set it up before the period actually begins.
- show up early and put directive material on the board at the beginning of the hour; make the class outline "visible" and the homework assignment unecessary to speak aloud
- try to free up a few class periods for looser discussion so we can catch our breath and do some reflecting (i.e., possibly screen a film outside of class instead of in it; possibly assign peer editing outside of class as homework)
- rethink and reprioritize the reading selections with an eye toward cutting content that can be sacrificed; emphasize depth over breadth; possibly spread one reading out over several periods to allow deep/close reading
Well, that's a scattershot list of things I'm trying to do to compress time and maximize the learning that goes on in an hour. But I know that once I get another 1.5 hour class, I'll appreciate the luxury of flexible discussion time all the more.
[Things I'm thinking about in the mean time (and I invite comments). Why do we assume that MWF meetings should mostly consist of 1 hour classes in the first place? I've read that the average attention span is 20 mins... perhaps there is merit in the phrase "less is more"? Does meeting thrice work better at reinforcing course content? How free are teachers to influence the calendar, when the students' lives are organized by so many other extra-curricular elements, from sports to jobs?]
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Comments
I never saw any machetes, Dr. A...
But seriously, when it comes to the MWF "business hour" meetings, I am more stressed about the workload. The time goes so quickly, I always have remnant questions, and the assignments seem to pile up from day to day. Sometimes compensating for all the things missed in the hour long class with more work for outside of class gives students the feel that the prof is the stereotypical "s/he thinks this class is my only class, doesn't s/he?"
Personally, I find the 2.5 hour once-a-week classes, as well as the week between meetings, to be rewarding. I have ample time to plan reading (and re-reading, if necessary!), as well as additional assignments. The time to digest the material is long enough that I can learn it and be able to discuss it in detail--and the time alloted for the class allows this, too. There definitely appears to be a relation between the amount of time in class and the amount of time to prepare for that class.
This all comes from someone who hadn't had an hour long course since middle school, though, since my high school had block scheduling. 80 minutes seems to be the bare minimum needed to accomplish just about anything, in my opinion. For fruitful discussion, other elements of class are sacrificed, and it's sad to take down the cross and realize that good learning bled for the daily tangents.
I look forward to noting the changes in our class, Dr. A. Challenging, I'm certain, with our talkative group.
I have taught 50minute, 80minute and 110 minute classes. I by far prefer the 110 minute classes and the best part is that they meet twice a week so I can really get a lot acomplished.
I only teach one class on T/R, and that is my Creative Writing Workshop class. That class, by nature, requires at least 80-90 mins in order for students to read their manuscripts and critique.
However, I will only teach Freshman Comp on M/W/F. True, you have shorter class time, but I feel there is a greater benefit in meeting more frequently. A class that ends on a Thursday will not meet again until the following Tuesday, and I would have to perhaps spend that much more time getting everyone back on track.
I arrive about ten minutes early to every class. When possible, I have music playing. Students are encouraged to come early and read or freewrite for ten minutes. At the "official" start of each class, I ask if anyone would like to comment on what they were reading or if they would like to share what they wrote. I then "attempt" to steer their ensuing discussion towards whatever point it is I am trying to make today. I view teaching not as a science, but as an artform, and art is fluid and ever evolving. As long as I meet my course objectives, and as long as my students are producing honest and interesting writing, I am happy.
I find that the 50-minute classes are perfect for lecture courses, like my history of Art classes. However, anything that involves class discussion on top of exercises and critiques almost needs to be an hour and a half.
In our Writing of Fiction course, which is 2.5 hours, we have plenty of time for the teacher to lecture, give us writing exercises, and have some discussion time about what we've written or the assigned text.
It's hard to believe that in high school I would sit there counting down the seconds for my 40 minute class to end... now I can't even imagine taking a course that short.
When I was at GSHS, our classes were 4 classes a day for 1.42 hours (which translates out to be 5.68 hours of class time) then an additional 1.32 hours for lunch and announcments, so coming to Seton Hill wasn't that big of a deal until I had 3 hour classes. The 50 minute ones I was sitting there wondering if we could go longer--especially for those of us who have long lulls between classes.
It's a shame that professors have such a hard time deciding what to do for 50 minutes. Now I realized why I don't want to teach anymore. lol.
An idea:
Start with a writing exercise. Tick off their names as they write--or, collect the exercises at the end of class, and take attendence with completion....
I was going to make the same suggestion as Canid, but it's already here, so . . .
Still I would recommend against havbing handouts passed out as you speak--you would be virtually guaranteeing minimized processing of your speech, as students will be watching for handouts, and reading over them. Perhaps instead, have them laid out for students to pick up as they enter (and they could initial a roll sheet in doing so).
Otherwise, you have some good suggestions here that I'll likely use for my 50-minute MWF writing class.
Thanks for all your feedback, folks! I'm still incorporating these ideas into my classes and they're helping out.
I have been using online teaching tools and platforms with all of my traditional courses for a few years now, and I find it an excellent way to open up (break down) the time and space barriers of the face-to-face class, particularly the 50 minute class. I use WebCt; Blackboard is another popular online teaching platform. The Discussion board is the most helpful. For every class discussion, I have students post an initial response online a day before the class meets. In that way I can read the postings, bring them to class, and use them to begin the in-class discussion. So, in a sense, our class discussion is already underway before the class begins. (This method also helps motivate students to get the reading done before class.)
Dave
I find the 3-day-a-week classes are much better for sequenced assignments such as Monday: rough draft is due. Wednesday: peer review of rough drafts due, and in that class we review anonymized sample paragraphs I've culled from the rough drafts; Friday: paper workshop. Monday: Final Draft.
It's extremely difficult to do that sort of thing in a once-a-week class (though this term I'm experimenting with having the students submit the work electronically, so the due dates don't have to be wedded to the class meeting times).