This guideline I think is most important in creating a fair, healthy, and engaging environment in the classroom. If participating individuals do not follow this guideline, we will not gain a unified understanding of one another. Another issue is the disrespect of ignoring a person who is trying to share their experiences with you. That, I believe would create a less unified environment.

Online classes can become easily depersonalized as we view everyone through as an image on a screen rather than a 3 dimensional being. The best way to combat this is by engaging with your classmates and listening to what your instructors and peers have to say. This will be especially important in this class as we discuss social problems where opinions will vary. I am excited to learn more about how these opinions are shaped.

Coming from a person who struggles with ADHD, this is the most important guideline for me. Personally, life can be challenging and without this skill I would be adding more to my plate by falling behind. Particularly for sociology, being an active listener would expand my understanding of ideas from my peers and instructor. On the other hand, not following this guideline would limit the knowledge that one could possess.

I think that asking for clarification is something that is often not seen as too important when having a class discussion, but I believe that if one does not ask for clarification, it can lead to other problems. For example, if someone during class is talking about something that may be controversial or something I disagree with, and the connection went off and I did not hear them properly, rather than assuming that they were saying something offensive or hurtful, I would simply ask for clarification then go from there. Miscommunication is a problem that can lead to so many other problems so it is best to avoid it.

When people are interrupted, they generally do not fee respected. Relatable to the golden rule of treating other how you would want to be treated. You would not want to be interrupted so wait your turn. It facilitates better conversation and understand and less misunderstandings and built of frustration. If we were to violate this rule as a class, students would be annoyed, frustrated, have feelings of frustration and it leads us away from our goal of being an interactive classroom because eventually no one is going to talk if they feel like they are going to get interrupted.

This guideline is important because it is important to create an environment where people feel that they can share. If this is violated and someone is interrupted, it can be seen as disrespectful and can discourage someone from wanting to participate in the discussion later. This also allows for people to be able to make their entire point. If someone was to interrupt, the speaker may not be able to make their point or could have potentially answered the question. We are all here to learn and being able to have a safe environment to discuss topics is crucial to that. Also, when the instructor is interrupted, it prevents the rest of the students from being able to hear and possibly understand what the instructor is saying.

This guideline reminds me of the idea that we need to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Sociology often considers circumstances and events that shape the individual. When students share their own personal views, everyone in the conversation will be able to take something new from people who differ from them. The different sets of circumstances brought by students and the professor through discussion can cause discomfort both internally and interpersonally. If one opinion or viewpoint is constantly being shared, while those who disagree do not speak up, it will be harmful to both groups. The outspoken individuals will remain stagnant in their knowledge about a topic and not learn. Those who do not challenge despite their disagreement may harbor some feelings of judgement or criticism, rather than learning to see another person’s side. These risks are why it is important that discussions are respectful, so every person speaking and listening feels safe to share their thoughts during class.

I think that this guideline is really important because being challenged is what allows you to grow as a person. Having an open mind and being willing to have your opinion challenged and questioned allows a person to grow. I think that this links back to Sociology, because being challenged can allow your opinion to shift or change for the better. At the beginning of the first class, you mentioned we have to get used to being uncomfortable. I think this guideline relates to that because with challenge comes discomfort, but you also will learn. Even if being challenged doesn’t change your mind on the matter, at least you’ve gained more knowledge about the opposing side and hopefully can have more compassion and understanding for an opinion different than your own. I agree with what Fiona said about if only one opinion is shared, and no one wants to challenge that opinion – it will not be beneficial for either ‘group’ of opinions.

I think that the most important tenet of the classroom guidelines is challenging each other but staying respectful in how we do it. This is especially important in a class like Sociology where many conversations can turn political and other people may have differing opinions than yourself which you have to respect. This classroom has to be able to be a space where others can share their opinions and contribute to conversations without fear of being ridiculed for their beliefs. If this isn’t followed, then some students may no longer participate in class discussions and thus their voice and viewpoint will not be heard which is harmful to everyone.

In todays day and age, I feel like there is always a disagreement to be had. I personally think that disagreements are good, and they can fuel a healthy conversation where both sides can learn something, so it is important that we challenge one another, as it will help us all learn and become better students. The respect aspect is super important here (especially in a virtual setting), because I have seen far too many instances where someone may say something with no ill intent, but it can come across rude and disrespectful, as tone and intentions can sometimes get lost across the screen. Because of this, it is key that we go the extra mile to ensure that we are always maintaining a sense of respect for ourselves and each other

The ability to have a productive, fact based discussion is crucial to learning and growth of any kind. If you truly have a well thought-out opinion or belief, it will be evident from the ideas you present. Attacking people rather than ideas is an ad hominem argument, which is a logical fallacy. If we, as students or instructors, resorted to ad hominem attacks, we would be exposing our inability to prove our ideas and displaying a lack of understanding of the subject. Not are these attacks intellectually dishonest, but they also have the potential to hurt those with whom we are interacting. We should be respectful of each other in every possible way.

I believe this guideline is most important because it can make the difference between a healthy or hostile conversation. I have noticed that this guideline is often overlooked and that students forget this when choosing their words. So many times, breaking this guideline is unintentional which makes it even more important to always keep it in mind. Students must understand that everyone thinks differently and you never know what is going on in someone else’s head. If we go against this rule, we are taking away from the conversation and causing a contributing member to possibly feel lesser or unimportant. This can also lead to students coming after one another and completely ignoring what the discussion was about. When you critique a person and not what they said, you take their opportunity to learn and understand away from them. If everyone is able to be kind to one another and only comment on people’s ideas to help benefit them, then this guideline should not be hard to follow. This is something that as humans we should keep in mind during all conversations so that we can be respectful towards one another and accurately understand people’s thoughts and opinions.

First off, I mean naïve in the least negative way possible. At this point, it is almost a facet of human nature. But most people nowadays often take things they hear at face value. “I saw it on the internet so it must be true.” No. Humans need to start taking EVERYTHING they hear with a grain of salt, even when presented proper evidence. I genuinely feel like that is the biggest shortcoming of our society right now. This is exactly why I believe this is the most important guideline. Not only does it help convince people to accept your argument as truth, but it also shows that YOU have actual reason behind the things you believe. America is extremely polarized right now (or at least it would seem that way online) and the last thing we need is people making baseless claims. Proper evidence is a necessity at this point, which is why I would put this far above any other guideline, sans active listening which just nearly goes hand in hand with this one.

When we’re in a group discussion and trying to share our opinions, we have to be able to realize we’re not trying to argue. It’s meant to be productive and either come to a consensus or learn something about other views at least. There’s no reason to attack other people or create conflict because that benefits no one involved. In terms of new rules, I think the ones listed would be sufficient.

A person can only know a certain amount of data. Developing a mutual relation between your colleagues is crucial towards the development of a healthy working relationship. I believe that giving one’s opinion on a given subject is okay, but every individual MUST provide others the opportunity to display their thoughts and emotions as well. This includes actively listening, understanding other’s opinions whether you agree or disagree with them over the topic is irrelevant, but the fact that you respect them, and their opinions are key. This leads to them being an active part of the project, conversation, problem, etc. We as individuals are in no position to dictate who deserves an opportunity or not. It is everybody’s right to have their thoughts to be heard and understood. This guideline is not only important in a classroom setting but also outside in the real world.

Overtime, I have realized that people love to talk about themselves and the majority of the time it is about their first-hand experiences of a particular event. These events, in turn, will always shape a person’s life or personality. Personally, I have travelled quite a lot and bring these perspectives into my discussions. However, if someone in the discussion has not travelled as much as I, then they will have a different outlook on a certain topic. If students and teachers do not follow this specific guideline when in discussions, then I strongly believe that the discussion will become lackluster and will have a extremely narrow viewpoint.

When talking about a new topic of discussion sometimes things can get a little fuzzy and the whole topic can be misunderstood. However, if someone has a personal experience that is tying them to the topic it can be easier for them to understand it and relate to it. When someone else speaks from experience it may trigger another persons personal experience and allow them to better relate to the topic. It also allows the class to see the different outlooks people have on topics since not everyone shares the same experience. If this guideline is not followed the discussions may not be as interesting as they possibly can be and some topics may be misunderstood throughout the whole class. Sociological questions have such potential for good discussions if people can relate and see other viewpoints.

I think it is a very effective way to combine your own personal experience into the discussion, which can save a lot of unnecessary trouble, and also make your point of view more rich and vivid. For you personally, describing your own experiences will be more convincing, and the narrator himself will become particularly confident. For the listener, listening to a real-life event is more compelling, and you can also relate to the narrator’s emotions.

I think that this guideline is most important for this class because it is a course that is based around social issues. These issues when discussed tend to become very polar and sometimes cause harm to one or all of the parties participating. However, if you don’t articulate your negative feelings towards the situation there can be no resolution to the problem. If you do not follow this guideline, those negative feelings can fester and lead to future altercations if not addressed. You can’t expect others to be able to avoid certain triggers or to resolve the issue without telling them you were hurt about what was said. For others to respect the boundaries you have, you have to communicate those boundaries in the first place.