Welcome:  Discussions about 'incivility' are needed. Not only do we need to recognize it as a problem, but also need to find ways to address it. The Welcome page introduces you to our weekend seminar presenter and to the topic of incivility. 

Points to Ponder:  What do you consider as examples of incivility in a classroom?  Cell phones ringing? Students talking on their cell phones? Checking email on a computer during class? Coming late to class? Packing up backpacks with 10 minutes left before class ends? Arriving late/leaving early from class.  Carrying on side conversations, reading the newspaper, doing other coursework, sleeping? Speaking rudely or forcefully to other students or the instructor? Arguing or dominating the class discussion?

What about professors who do not use active listening when a students poses a question or 'braves' a response?  Does a faculty member's syllabus include information about what classroom behaviors aren't tolerated? Does the syllabus include what is expected from students?

Readings: Here you have resources to explore!  There are books and articles about incivility, and the video from the weekend seminar at your fingertips!

Activity: What do you think constitutes 'incivility'?  How can you implement ways to assure that you can obtain civility in your classroom?  What do your colleagues think about incivility? Would a 'brown bag' discussion be of value to you and your colleagues?  Some tools and suggestions can be accessed on this page. 

Quiz: There are ten true/false questions that you can either answer yourself or use in faculty discussions.  They also lend themselves as pre-post questions during a brown bag discussion.

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