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MarchApril2015

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56 BizEd MARCH | APRIL 2015 your turn ILLUSTRATION BY JUSTINE BECKETT A Classroom Covenant MAKING AND KEEPING PROMISES BY MARK E. HASKINS WHEN TWO PEOPLE MARRY, they speak their vows aloud, prom- ising to cherish each other in sickness and in health. When a manufacturer sells a lawn mower, it makes an implicit and sometimes explicit promise to consumers about what the product will do (i.e., cut grass) and how it will do it (i.e., evenly and without spewing oil). Often, no such public covenants exist between faculty and students regarding how we will interact and what we expect from each other. I have come to believe that it is important for faculty to craft and communicate a covenant they will abide by—giving voice to mutually beneficial expectations. To this end, I have devel- oped a list of 15 promises I am willing to make to my students and a corresponding set of promises I want them to make to me in return. In the covenant presented here, I use language that is compact and core to the mission at hand, making my message "sticky," to borrow a concept presented by Dan and Chip Heath in their 2007 book Made to Stick. I believe that, if we all abide by our promised behavior, we can create a classroom where enjoyable and effective learning regularly occurs. FIFTEEN COMMITMENTS In my classroom, I promise to: 1. BE THOROUGHLY PREPARED AND ON TASK. I will not "wing it" or engage in self-serving stories or irrelevant mus- ings. If I do not know the answer to a question, I will say so and suggest how we might find it. 2. BE INCLUSIVE. I will not show favor- itism when I grade or when I offer my time, assistance, and counsel. 3. BE FAIR IN WHAT I ASK STUDENTS TO DO. I will not burden students with assignments that add minimal value or carry unreasonable standards. 4. BE UP-TO-DATE IN MY FIELD. I will not present outdated principles, practices, or examples. 5. BE ENTHUSIASTIC. I will not—by word, action, or body language—suggest I am inconvenienced or bored by the teaching task at hand or by the students enrolled in my class. 6. SPEAK WELL OF COLLEAGUES. I will not criticize my colleagues' capabili- ties or belittle the importance of their courses. 7. LISTEN ATTENTIVELY AND POSITIVELY TO STUDENTS. I will avoid anticipating what students will say when I call on them in class, and I won't simply look for the errors in their logic, analysis, conclu- sions, or explanations. 8. CONNECT MY SUBJECT MATTER TO OTHER COURSES AND REAL-WORLD BUSI- NESS. I will avoid giving the impression that my course is the most important one students will take, and I will relate it, in practical ways, to other disciplines, current events, and leadership issues. 9. BE OPEN-MINDED. I will avoid con- veying an attitude of "I know best." I will assume there is merit in other ways to see an issue. 10. PROVIDE USEFUL AND TIMELY FEED- BACK. On graded assignments, I will avoid feedback that is late, terse, and only evaluative. Instead, I will seek every opportunity to provide developmental feedback. 11. ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO SHARE THEIR QUESTIONS AND INSIGHTS IN CLASS.

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