What You Should Include in a Class Syllabus

A class syllabus is a helpful and necessary tool for teachers. The class syllabus helps organize the class, provides helpful information about the class and explains the rules. A class syllabus should be organized in sections that are numbered or bulleted lists. This helps the students find the information that they need in a very short time. It should be short and too the point, but convey necessary information. Here is a list of what a class syllabus should contain.

Welcome

The welcome section of the syllabus should contain information about the class itself, i.e. the name of the class and what type of material will cover. It should also introduce you as a teacher. The class website, if one is available should be listed in this syllabus section as well as any additional resources your class will be using on a regular basis. These resources may include books in the classroom, other websites like Quia.com or the online resources your library offers.

Materials

There should be a section of the syllabus that lists the materials necessary for the class. Do you require a notebook or a three ring binder? Will they need a folder they for a portfolio? Are there art supplies that they will need for the class? Do you require a calculator?

Class rules and expectations

Keep the rules on your syllabus short, sweet and to the point. Your expectations of your students can be listed here in the syllabus as well. Consequences for breaking the rules can also be listed in this section of the syllabus. Your rules, rewards and consequences should be transparent. There should be no questions about what your students are expected to do and how they are expected to perform/act in your classroom.

What your students can expect from you

You should list in this syllabus section what you plan on offering your students as a teacher. Do you plan on having a one on one conference with your students to discuss their progress? Do you plan on holding tutoring sessions afterschool/before school? When will these sessions take place, and where?

Grading

Your grading procedure is the most important part of your syllabus and requires the most thought and explanation. Do you plan on grading them percentage based? For example, will tests be worth 30% of their grade, projects/term papers 30% of their grade, quizzes 20% of their grade, and homework/classwork 20% of their grade? What categories will you be grading them on? Will class participation be a component of the grade? If so, how do you rank class participation? Or do you simply go by a points system? An example of a points system is that a test is worth 100 points, a homework assignment worth 10 points. The grade is determined by the total number of points earned divided by the total number of points possible times 100%. Either way you lay out your grading technique, you should give them an example in the syllabus on how they can determine their own grade at any point in the semester. The syllabus should be very clear in how you calculate the grade. You may want to require your students to keep a grade record sheet.

By providing this information to your students at the beginning of the school year or semester, you eliminate problems and confusion to your expectations and grading procedures.