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Culture and Cross-Cultural Issues | Academic Culture | Second Language Anxiety | Communication Skills
Attitudes and Notions of Appropriate Behavior (Norms)
Undergraduate college classrooms in the United States can be characterized as informal, compared to those in other countries. For example, it is not uncommon to see students walking into a classroom with a soft drink in hand or to see an instructor who is wearing casual attire.The culture of the U.S. college classroom is also egalitarian and not authoritarian. An instructor's job is not to teach only the best and brightest, but instead to ensure that all students get the very best chance of doing well in the course. The challenge to any instructor is to be flexible and patient, and to vary the types of instructional strategies used in the classroom in order to meet the needs of different students with different learning styles.
Teaching styles can vary from instructor to instructor, and the types of learning activities may be influenced by an instructor's philosophy of teaching and learning or the academic discipline itself; nonetheless, class activities must be designed both to support the learning goals of the course and to elicit students' interest and participation. While most students expect their classes to be lectures, many find such classes boring and respond with passivity. Some students will complain about being required to actively engage with material, but the research shows they are more likely to learn and to be motivated to learn by such work.
There is no quick and easy way for teachers to motivate their students. Some ideas for improving classroom participation and communication, as well as making dry material more exciting, are included in Classroom Strategies, as well as in How Students Learn. You will want to review these sections with this discussion of motivation in mind. In general, it is a good idea to vary your instructional strategies to reach as many students as possible. Using that approach, you will not bore the interested and/or bright students by going extremely slowly, nor will slower students feel that the class is intended only for the academically gifted.
It is also important to assess your expectations for student performance. You may want to talk with colleagues who have taught your class in the past. They can share their experiences and help you determine whether you have realistic expectations.
To get to know your students in particular, you may consider asking them to fill out index cards on the first day of class, describing their reasons for taking the class, breadth of exposure to the field, and expectations about what you will teach them. Alternately, you may want to give them a short un-graded quiz or writing assignment to help you assess what knowledge they bring to your class. The more information you can gather, the more successful you will be.
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