Guidelines for Developing Course Syllabi
and Assignment Sheets
for US and MS Teachers
A course syllabus ...
- conveys clear and high expectations for all students in your class.
- charts a trajectory so that students know where they are heading and what's important.
- gives students a sense of how their work will be evaluated.
- removes the crippling element of surprise from major assignments and deadlines.
- increases the likelihood that all students can be successful (particularly when augmented further towards this end by weekly assignment sheets).
A course syllabus contains ...
- clear and compelling instructional goals for the course. (These may be written as overarching understandings and essential questions.)
- an outline of the major units of study.
- an accounting of the type, timing, frequency and number of assessments.
- grading standards, scales and policies.
- educational and behavioral expectations of the teacher for the students.
- a list of materials to be used, indicating which are to be distributed and what is to be purchased.
- avenues and resources for student self-motivated exploration or enrichment.
- policies regarding late work, revisions, absences, tardies, extra credit, make-ups, etc.
- contact information (e.g. email, phone, web page, etc.) for students who need to reach the teacher.
Weekly Assignment Sheet
Weekly assignment sheets can take many forms, but they are designed to give students as much information as possible regarding upcoming work both in and out of class. When students are regularly updated as to work expectations and timing, they can self regulate their work more effectively.Weekly assignment sheets...
- set clear expectations for work outside class (and preferably in-class as well).
- break down large assignments into manageable chunks with an appropriate timeline.