Those of you who make a syllabus

[birchbark]

Can you tell me about it? Why do you use one? What do you put in it? How do you make it?

 

And if any of you decided against making/using one, I'd be interested in hearing about that too.

 

:lurk5:

 

[regentrude]

I make a syllabus for the courses I teach in my job as an instructor where it is essential that I follow a strict schedule and announce all assignments in advance.

My syllabus consists of two components: a document explaining learning objectives, course rules, types of assignments, points for each assignment, grading criteria, and the scale on which the final grade is determined (plus some extra information required by my school), and a schedule of assignments that details for each class period which reading had to be completed before, what homework is due, and lists the dates of all exams for the semester.

 

In my homeschool, I do not create syllabi for courses taught at home. I do not find it necessary to lay out everything in advance, because I like to have the flexibility homeschooling allows me to have my kids work at their own pace and use additional/different resources if they so desire.

The one time I had used a syllabus that I had adapted from an outside source, we ended up off schedule by the beginning of the second week because my DD worked much faster than anticipated and wanted to continue; I revised the syllabus twice that semester, and then I gave up because I realized the futility of harnessing individual students with a strict schedule. 

In other subjects I found it impossible to anticipate time spent; we are using AoPS for math which is very difficult to schedule, since a single problem may end up taking 2 hours, but without working it with the student, you can't know in advance.

 

Instead I write detailed course descriptions after the fact that contain the same information, minus the detailed schedule.

Edited June 29, 2016 by regentrude

[MerryAtHope]

Can you tell me about it? Why do you use one? What do you put in it? How do you make it?

 

And if any of you decided against making/using one, I'd be interested in hearing about that too.

 

:lurk5:

 

Most of the time, no, I don't make a syllabus. However, I do for at least one high school class before my kids graduate. I want them to know what one is and how to handle things like:

 

test dates that can't be moved

paper deadlines that can't be moved (without a drop in grade)

deciding on their own how much to study per day and per week (versus me dividing out the work or giving them "goals" to aim for)

the consequences of procrastination (and how to avoid them)

understanding the grading criteria 

 

and so on. Basically a "prep" for real-world college classes but with really low stakes.

 

I do create class plans--lists of main resources and optional resources, goals for getting through the material and so on, and I do an oral overview with my kids of my expectations for each class. But most of my homeschool classes don't have test dates or paper due dates--we just "do what's next," or "negotiate" when they should turn things in. I want them to know--it's not this way in college (negotiation CAN happen for significant illness, family deaths etc..., but not like it does in a homeschool where I'm willing to move something for lesser reasons.)

[Mike in SA]

We create both syllabi and detailed plans. The syllabi describe expected outcomes, content, and grading procedures. That will include primary references such as central textbooks or required readings. We also correlate with TEKS for easy certification in our state (this has proved useful).

 

The detailed plan describes lesson plans and sequence of delivery, but not rigid time lines. Week to week, we review progress and adjust. Finally, we record the adjusted lesson plan for the coming week into a lesson planner, which also houses grades.

 

Together they form solid documentation which public schools have not been able to dispute.

[foxbridgeacademy]

I am this year because I do better with a set schedule and I have two H.S. students doing the same courses.  Plus I really like to plan things out.... it's becoming a problem in of itself, but that's another thread entirely.  I include a front page with what my expectations are for the "class", grading scale and what each assignment is worth (so weekly written assignments are worth X pts., paper is worth X pts., test is worth X pts., for a total XX pts.) then I have the entire semester or even year's daily schedule.  I would prefer to do just a weekly schedule but DS really likes to have it all planned out for him so that he doesn't procrastinate as much.

[LisaKinVA]

I suppose my syllabus is mostly a more detailed course description -- it includes everything Regentrude's does, but without the weekly lessons.  I have one master -- which includes *all* potential resources, and then I customize that at the end of the course for each child, leaving only what they actually did (For example, in say Algebra 1, I have the following courses:  Foerster's, Larson w/ Chalk Dust DVDs, Life of Fred, AoPS, and Jacob's, at one time, I also had Teaching Textbooks) My Master Syllabus has all of the information listed for each of these texts(title, author, publication information), additional resources which may be used (Alcumus, Alex, Khan Academy, lecture series, lab kit), and assigned novels/books/journal articles (in the case of history, literature, science, philosophy, etc.).  This way, I don't forget books I have heard about, and am interested in using, and I can refer back to one main document when changing out a course to tailor it from one child to the next (DS, for example, used Teaching Textbooks and Foerster's for Algebra 1, while DD used Foerster's, AoPS, and Life of Fred...not because she really needed the extra practice, I just didn't have anything ready for her to do next).

 

I have a separate Course Plan I make in Excel, which breaks a subject down into "bite size chunks" - but these aren't assigned a due date per-say.  I do this, because it helps prevent me from over-assigning subject material.  The Course plan is based upon the final list of resources, but only provides "Goal Dates" (Assuming, there's a required AP or SAT2 that follows, I will plug that date in at the end, and then work backwards, plugging in a date when course material should be completed in order to have ample time for review, the "mid-point" date.  But, nothing is planned in a fixed manner.  This also has a space for recording daily/quiz/test/paper grades, so I can award a grade (if need be) at the end of the year.  Actual weekly, monthly or up to 9-week schedules can be generated from this.  

 

These different steps help me be organized and also flexible.  If DS/DD starts reading a book they selected and they hate it, we can easily go back to my Master Syllabus and switch it out with something different, but is still in the time period, or type of literature, etc. they are supposed to be reading.  Because we do have fixed dates we have to work toward, an overall plan helps us stay on track, gives me a measuring stick -- so if a child goes well over and above, I can reflect that in credits received, but there is also a benchmark for "getting it done."  Example:  DD is an avid reader, while DS is not.  If I give DD a list of 16 books to select four, she could very well read all 16, plus a few extra -- in addition to her main Lit text and composition work.  She could easily have an English course that really is worthy of 2 credits, rather than one (at which point, I would break out the main English credit and add a separate Lit credit for all of the extra work). OR, say in History, she actually completes both halves of the Spielvogel Western Civ text, 96 1-hr lectures, Study Guides, 1 paper a week, plus ancillary books - that's really a 2 credit course vs. a 1 credit course.  I don't require that much work -- but it's there if she'd like to do it.  DS wouldn't do it, even if it were there -- so I need to have a benchmark.  FTR, the examples of the 2 credit courses hasn't happened in my family ;)

 

I don't do well looking back and then creating the course descriptions/syllabus/wrapping up what we did. I find it stressful to go back and recreate the year (especially with 5 kids under foot, swimming obligations/travel, scouts, etc.)  

 

After years of trial and error, investments in various computer programs, spending a small fortune in liquid paper -- this is what has worked best for us.  It's not as fancy, it's actually cheap and quick.  

[Pegasus]

By the time my DDs reached high school, I do create a syllabus for each course. It includes all the reading/assignments needed to be completed to earn credit for the course and a recommended schedule/pace to complete it in a semester or year, whichever is appropriate.  I no longer work daily with them; it's on them to execute the course plan. Only exception is math for which daily work is checked.

 

So, for folks who don't use a syllabus, are you still working day-to-day with your students for every subject?

[regentrude]

So, for folks who don't use a syllabus, are you still working day-to-day with your students for every subject?

 

No, I don't and never have worked with my kids every day on every subject.

My kids always had a set amount of time they had to spend on school work. They could use any of the materials I had selected and work on any subject they wanted for how long they wanted; I kept an eye on overall balance and reminded of, and eventually insisted on, neglected subjects. They always preferred to work in binges; DD would work 2-3 hours on math one day and none the next; DS likes to focus on one project at a time. Exception is math for DD which I require daily because his math attention span does not allow much more than an hour.

In high school, they did many things independently; they mainly needed me for math, science homework, and for editing/revising writing assignments. Once they start dual enrollment classes at the university, I was not permitted to have any involvement in those at all. Both insisted on handling everything completely by themselves.

 

Edited July 1, 2016 by regentrude