Setting Expectations: Six Benefits of Inviting College Students to Co-design the Class Environment
September 7, 2022 | Caitlin O’R. B. Carter, Ph.D. (she/her/hers), Co-founder and Chief Academic Officer
Staring out into stunned silence I give my students a beat to process the question they’ve been asked. I know many of them have never been asked what they expect of their educator.
“Um, review packets?”
“Sure. Absolutely there will be review packets,” I say. “That’s my job, though. What do you expect from me as the human being tasked with guiding you in your success in learning for the next few months?”
Eventually ideas start filling the air and I compile a list on the board. Respect. Compassion. Flexibility. Understanding that students are more than just students.
I do this on day one, with every class, each term. It is a powerful tool in creating community in the classroom from the onset, which can be especially helpful for those who meet less frequently or for as little as three weeks (think Summer term).
These are the top six outcomes of asking students what they expect of you as an educator, and of their peers.
1. Community
You create a sense of community before any of you have had a chance to get to know each other well. They’ll come in for the next class knowing what to expect of the classroom environment, and open to the experience they will have. This sets the tone for the term.
2. Minimize Anxiety about the Power Dynamic
You change the severity of the power dynamic in the classroom. Your students may be anxious about what the power dynamic implies for them. You may feel your own anxieties about whether you can step into your power if your administration has undermined your authority in the past or takes a “the paying student is always right” approach. By allowing students to ask for things from you, you strip the colonial, privileged notion that they should respect what you unilaterally put forth. Rather, you will have fostered a discussion about how you all will come together as members of the university community to work toward their success.
3. Expectation of Reliability and Accountability (from you!)
You set the expectation students can rely on you as an educator invested in their education. You haven’t just said it, but you’ve been accountable to it by structuring a class activity and discussion around it. You strengthen that accountability by posting it on the course page, implying to your students you intend to uphold your end.
4. You Learn Your Group
You learn what kind of class you have. Most classes emphasize the need for compassion/humanity. Some reflect the mental health impact of university life, the pandemic, or other on-going situations. Others reveal they may just be trying to survive your Gen-Ed credit hours. The expectations they have of you provide information that allows you to further tailor the course to their needs.
5. Increase Participation
In addition to asking students to state their expectation of me, I ask them what they’d like from each other. Very often students state that they expect participation and engagement from their peers. As strong as an educator as you may be, this request coming from their peers carries more weight.
6. Productive Course Evaluations
Before course evaluations are open, remind students of what you all asked of each other at the beginning of the term and ask if they feel they got the experience they hoped for. Evaluations will often specifically mention what stood out to them from the list created — e.g. respect, flexibility, availability, etc.
Remember, we don’t teach for ourselves. We teach for the students. We aren’t here to provide them with unfettered access to our pontifications or create unilateral expectations. We are here to guide them as they need us. We are an access point for an education they will design. It’s okay to ask them what they need. In fact, I encourage it.
For my seven steps on how to transition to and hold this conversation, click HERE!
