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Part 1
Course Management
FORMULATING A TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
One of the most important aspects of teaching is being able to formulate your own teaching
philosophy, which allows you to articulate your general and specific approaches toward
instruction. A teaching philosophy is beneficial because it allows you to assess your strengths and
limitations as an instructor. It also helps you realize your short-term and long-term pedagogical
goals. After formulating a teaching philosophy, every lecture, activity, and group discussion your
class engages in should reflect it in some way.
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SETTING AND ACHIEVING STUDENT LEARNING GOALS
Students need to know why they are taking a course in public speaking. Providing them with a
rationale for the course may help them see how public speaking relates to their chosen field of
study, as well as to their greater civic, social, and political interests. Public speaking is both a vital
life skill and a weapon in career development. Most students have either a major or minor area of
study that requires public speaking; therefore, you can take the opportunity at the beginning of the
course to help students relate public speaking to their chosen or anticipated careers, and to engage
Just as you formulate objectives for yourself as the instructor, you should identify concrete
student learning outcomes in the course syllabus that you give to students. The purpose here is to
specify for students what you expect them to learn. Students should be aware of outcomes
specified for the overall course as well as for each unit or chapter. Examples of student learning
outcomes as stated on syllabi include “Students will command an audience’s attention” and
“Students will present themselves as competent and credible speakers.”
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absences, use of technology in the classroom, required textbooks and other materials, number and
format of exams, number and nature of speeches and written assignments, and penalties for missed
assignments. Also include point values for each exam, speech, and assignment so that students can
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS FOR RUNNING THE CLASSROOM
There are three categories of information that an instructor should acquire to run a classroom
effectively and appropriately. First, whether you are given a standardized syllabus or are required
to develop your own, you should be knowledgeable about the topics the course will cover. You
should also have a sense of how these topics relate to other courses in your area or department and
Second, develop an understanding of the course rules. In other words, be aware of how the
course should be conducted, the appropriate workload, how many of each type of assignment (e.g.,
exams, speeches) are required, and so on. Also, decide on appropriate policies regarding
attendance, late work, and participation. If the course is a large, standardized one, these may
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The topics that follow provide detailed suggestions about test administration, assignments,
facilitating discussion, and so on; we also have some general suggestions for running the
classroom. Try to balance lecturing time and classroom discussions. Remember that it is important
There are some basic heuristic techniques you can use to motivate your students and get them
interested in the material. Try varying the media that you use to present information. Also, don’t be
afraid to use humor, but be sure to use the kind of humor that suits you and makes you feel
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DEALING WITH STUDENT INCIVILITY
By Wendy Bjorklund, PhD, St. Cloud State University
Much has been written about the general decline of civility in U.S. society during the past several
decades. In higher education, uncivil behavior can interfere with classroom learning, harm the
learning environment, and weaken students’ respect for and attachment to their institutions
(Feldman, 2001; Hirschy & Braxton, 2004). In addition, faculty members report that dealing with
student incivility is disheartening and anxiety-producing, can impact their relationships with
In one study (Rehling & Bjorklund, 2010), 3,616 university students and 153 faculty were
surveyed to determine the perceived degree of incivility and the frequency of twenty-three
in-classroom student behaviors. The findings of this study suggest that there is general agreement
about which classroom behaviors are the most uncivil: continuing to talk after being asked to stop;
coming to class under the influence of alcohol and drugs; nonverbally showing disrespect for
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phone to ring as more uncivil than did faculty. When we combine the results on rating the incivility
of the behaviors along with the reports on the frequency of the same behaviors, we find that while
faculty rate most of the behaviors as significantly more uncivil than do students, the students
generally perceive the behaviors as happening significantly more frequently than do faculty.
The agreement on which behaviors were ranked as most and least uncivil can provide a
common ground for faculty and students and help guide the construction of class policies
published in syllabi. Students are likely unaware of how their behavior affects their classmates and
In a second study (Bjorklund & Rehling, 2011), faculty members were asked to evaluate the
degree of incivility and the frequency of fourteen out-of-classroom student behaviors. Seven of the
behaviors were perceived by faculty as being moderately to very inappropriate, with six of these
perceived as occurring regularly. These behaviors included missing a scheduled appointment;
turning in a paper late and asking not to be penalized; wearing revealing clothing; asking if they
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important for faculty to clarify expectations for appropriate student behavior in both arenas. What
constitutes civil behavior is based on individual perception, so discussing with students guidelines
for appropriate behaviors may yield the most positive results. Through conversation, students and
REFERENCES
Appleby, D. C. (1990). Family and student perceptions of irritating behavior in the college
classroom. Journal of Staff, Program and Organizational Development, 8, 41–46.
Bjorklund, W. L., & Rehling, D. L. (2011). Incivility beyond the classroom walls. Insight: A
Journal Scholarly Teaching, 6, 28–35.
Boice, B. (1996). Classroom incivilities. Research in Higher Education, 37(4), 453–485.
Clark, C. M., & Springer, P. J. (2007). Thoughts on incivility: Student and faculty perceptions
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HANDLING GRADE COMPLAINTS AND DEALING WITH CONFRONTATIONS
Never allow a dissatisfied student to intimidate you or cause you to question your competence or
credibility. Most students who have a complaint do not intend to undermine your expertise;
usually, they just want to clear up a misunderstanding or ask for clarification. There are others who
Unfortunately, there are always a few students who feel the need to be confrontational, to
question your credibility, or simply to be aggressive. The most you can do in these rare cases is to
remain calm and remember that no student has the right to challenge your authority. You have
every right to be teaching the course, no matter what a student says. Also, you have the right to
When students become aggressive or seem dissatisfied with your decision, remember the chain
of command that exists in your department or school. In many cases, a course director, who reports
to a department head or other administrative official, oversees instructors. If you feel
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GRADE COMPLAINTS
• Include a mandatory twenty-four-hour waiting period between returning graded
assignments and discussing grade complaints.
DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS
• Refrain from trying to humiliate or embarrass the student.
• Ask the student a question about the lecture or move toward the student while lecturing.
• For more serious discipline problems, ask the student to stay after class or to attend office
hours.
• Avoid “blaming” the student for poor behavior. Instead, tell the student you are concerned
about the inappropriate behavior and ask if there is something that can be done to correct
the situation.
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particularly belligerent, you may want to begin keeping a record of incidents and
conversations even if you are not reporting the behavior to your supervisor at that time.
LECTURING AND FACILITATING GROUP DISCUSSION
As suggested previously, you may want to alternate lectures with discussions. This not only
maintains students’ attention and interest but also helps students participate in the learning process
and integrate the material in order to learn and understand it. Eight to ten minutes of lecture,
followed by ten to fifteen minutes of discussion, followed by more lecture and discussion, may be
a good format for you to try.
Having a few basic guidelines for discussion will help you get students to talk. First, come to
class with a list of prepared questions that cover a range of topics from basic public speaking
concepts to more rhetorical questions concerning careers, current events, or local issues that are
affecting students’ daily lives. This may relieve you of the pressure of having to come up with
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Another pedagogical strategy is to engage students in peer instruction, which involves students
teaching other students in order to facilitate learning. Arranging students in pairs and having them
tutor each other, assigning each student to “teach” all or part of a chapter to the class (with
guidance from you), or having students work in teams to discuss the material can all be part of peer
instruction. Whatever method you choose, be sure that students know what is expected of them and
what material they should cover. If students are teaching the material to others, then all students
are responsible for what is being taught and discussed in class. This means that all students must
read and be prepared to discuss the material before coming to class.
As you determine the abilities and attitudes of your students, you may find that the speaking
aspect of peer instruction can be an advantage or a disadvantage. That is, peer instruction presents
a valuable opportunity for speech practice, but the speaking demands of peer instruction can also
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TEACHING ONLINE
Teaching public speaking in an online format is becoming more popular, despite the lack of
face-to-face communication. With computer-mediated communication replicating face-to-face
interactions through increasingly sophisticated audiovisual technology, teaching public speaking
online is in line with current communication trends.
Online classes function smoothly when the class home page is consistent and simple. To this
end, it is best not to overwhelm students by using all forms of interactive capabilities at once. Have
Students who enroll in an online public speaking class can receive the same quality of
instruction but will miss a vital component—the verbal and nonverbal communication from the
audience. To overcome this gap, instructors will need to provide abundant outlets for participation
and feedback. To make up for the lack of physical presence and available nonverbal cues that a
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speaker in the classroom is able to pick up on, instructors of online courses need to provide
plentiful and explicit feedback.
Utilizing interactive tools available in Blackboard, Moodle, or other course-management
systems allows instructors to encourage or even mandate participation. LaunchPad, Macmillan’s
course platform, also contains a multitude of tools and resources that you can use to assign and
Feedback can come in the form of a written rubric or a recorded review that can be emailed as
an audio file, or students and the instructor could set up a time to have a conference call over Skype
to review speeches. Each student should also have at least two other classmates review their
speech and offer detailed feedback. When assessing a student speech, tailor your comments to
Alternately, student speeches can be uploaded to LaunchPad for A Pocket Guide to Public
Speaking or to the home page on your class’s course platform. LaunchPad includes a video
assessment program that allows instructors and other students to leave comments at particular
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ENCOURAGING AND USING COMMUNICATION OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Communication between instructors and students that occurs outside the realm of classroom
instruction can be a useful tool for instruction. Communication can take place at many times, such
as during office hours, which can provide you an excellent opportunity to interact with your
students outside the classroom in a somewhat more informal manner. Students may feel more
comfortable asking you questions or requesting help in this context rather than in the classroom.
Another way to facilitate communication outside the classroom is to be available before or
after class to talk with students. Arriving in your classroom before class starts or staying around for
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STUDENT ASSESSMENT
Assessing student learning outcomes is becoming an important and necessary responsibility in
many academic departments. Before you begin teaching your class, ask your supervisor what role
TEST GIVING, EVALUATIONS, AND GRADING SPEECHES AND ASSIGNMENTS
Writing good tests is an important skill for instructors to develop, but it is not an easy skill to
acquire. A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking, Sixth Edition, is accompanied by a test bank of
questions for your use. However, if you decide to write your own tests, the following guidelines
can be of help.
• Test construction should take into account the desired student learning outcomes: Are
students expected to analyze something or simply to recall it?
• The test items should be representative of the course content, whether this material is
covered in class or in the assigned reading.
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If you use multiple-choice questions, there are a variety of questions to incorporate. A question
may ask:
• What a term means
• Whether something was or is true in general
• Whether something was or is true in a specific instance
• Whether two things are similar or dissimilar
Avoid writing multiple-choice questions that contain the word not, as in “Which of the
following is not true?” or that ask students to identify a false statement. Such questions can
confuse students, possibly causing them to choose an incorrect answer. Also, in writing questions,
avoid listing fewer than four or more than five choices.
An important issue in testing is security, or the curbing of cheating. Students cheat for many
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clear and rigid policy on cheating in your syllabus: what it constitutes, the school’s policy
regarding cheating, and the consequences of getting caught. Unfortunately, this may fail to deter
some students, so you may need to take a few more steps. On test day, make sure students have
plenty of room so they are not too close to each other, and that their belongings are stowed under
Remember, some students feel very apprehensive about taking tests, and their apprehension
may hinder their performance. If you have students who suffer from severe test anxiety, you can
refer them to the office on campus that deals with these anxieties (e.g., a center for learning
disabilities), if your school has such a department. Otherwise, there are things you can do to
alleviate mild cases of test anxiety. First, you can foster an atmosphere that encourages students to
ask questions about any material, offer extra help in the form of extra course credit, encourage
Evaluation is a fact of life in every course. Tests and other methods of evaluation help you
assess your students’ comprehension, recall, and even appreciation for the course and its content.
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TEACHING STRATEGIES
ROLE PLAYING AND GAMES
Role playing and games allow you, the instructor, to vary the format in which you present material,
and provide you with a chance to incorporate creativity and fun into your schedule. When
considering using a particular game or activity, be sure you know its purpose, and be prepared to
inform your students of its importance and relevance to the material. Also, consider the time it will
take to engage the class in the activity. Choose an activity that will not take too long so that you
FIELD TRIPS AND CLASSROOM GUESTS
Field trips and guest speaker presentations are beneficial to a course because they add
supplemental information that students may find useful; they also add variety to the schedule. As
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with activities and games, students should know how the field trip or the guest speaker relates to
core concepts; otherwise, the activity may appear superfluous.
Field trips require much foresight and planning. You should check with your school or
department about policies regarding them. Your best option may be to limit your trips to other
locations on campus, such as the library (to acquaint students with resources for speechwriting) or
another department or office. However, field trips to other locations may prove useful, depending
Inviting guest speakers who have credibility and expertise in their field is another important
activity to consider. Although using guest speakers requires long-term planning, it may be well
worth the effort. Guest speakers add life to the topic you are covering, and they provide an
additional perspective to supplement your primary material. Guest speakers also expose students
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Try to incorporate some computer media into your lectures. Many programs are available that you
can use to enhance your presentation of course material. One popular program is PowerPoint by
Microsoft, which provides templates with which to construct slides and handouts. Apple Keynote
BRAINSTORMING
Brainstorming works very well as a tool to help students generate ideas for speech topics. A
brainstorming exercise involving free association is particularly helpful. No matter what the
purpose, the key idea behind brainstorming is quantity, not quality. Many students initially think
they have nothing interesting to talk about, but if they have an encouraging and nonthreatening
atmosphere in which to brainstorm, they will find it easy to come up with ideas.
The same freedom inherent in brainstorming can be applied to encourage students to get
COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION