Guidelines for Writing a Classroom Syllabus

Contact Information: You will obviously need to include your name (students will forget) and your location/room number because parents might need to locate you. In addition, you need to give your work number. There is no reason to give out your home or cell number since that should be private information. Also, all teachers need to list the days and times you are available outside of class time to give help or answer questions.

Course Description: This is very easy to obtain. Usually it is provided through the school or the school district. Also, include the textbook you will be using in your class. To supplement this section, you can include the main topics that will be covered throughout the year. Some teachers will even include a detailed outline with anticipated major projects and assignments.

Materials: This section will vary and should depend on your needs as a teacher. One main thing to consider would be the type of school at which you work. If the majority of the student body comes from homes where they receive government assistance or free lunches, then it might not be practical to require too many materials. Also, you must decide if you will allow students to keep their materials in class. Whatever you decide you must stay consistent. Beware; if students lose their materials that you allow them to keep in class they will blame you for the disappearance.

Grading: This is straight forward. You will decide what percentage of their grade will come from different types of assessment. For example, 45% of the grade is homework and 55% is test, etc. Also, you might have a different grading scale for a higher level class.

Attendance/Tardiness Policy: You should reinforce the school's attendance policy. However, you might want to include any penalties you might have for attendance problems. For instance, deducting points or calling a parent. You also want to include what's your idea of being late to class.