Comments on: Finding Your Inner-UCC http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/08/finding_your_in.html The Law, the Universe, and Everything Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:51:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Avery Katz http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/08/finding_your_in.html/comment-page-1#comment-57237 Avery Katz Tue, 29 Aug 2006 02:36:40 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2006/08/finding-your-inner-ucc.html#comment-57237 You didn't say what you told them the first day about your expectations for class preparation, but my experience is that students who have never taken a statutory course need to be told explicitly that statutory analysis is a distinct skill, that the class will focus on it, and that they should make sure to read the statute and to read it carefully. They don't know this automatically.<p> [More generally, talking about policy and big picture the first day of class is useful, but what's most essential is establishing the ground rules for the course -- the contract between student and teacher, if you like. This is just as important in con law as in UCC.] <p> I would also add that the second day may not have gone as badly as you think --- it usually takes a couple of classes just to get students up to speed on the basics of statutory analysis before you can get to anything subtle. In fact, you probably taught them rather more in the second class than you did in the first, even if they hadn't done the reading. </p></p> You didn’t say what you told them the first day about your expectations for class preparation, but my experience is that students who have never taken a statutory course need to be told explicitly that statutory analysis is a distinct skill, that the class will focus on it, and that they should make sure to read the statute and to read it carefully. They don’t know this automatically.

[More generally, talking about policy and big picture the first day of class is useful, but what's most essential is establishing the ground rules for the course -- the contract between student and teacher, if you like. This is just as important in con law as in UCC.]

I would also add that the second day may not have gone as badly as you think — it usually takes a couple of classes just to get students up to speed on the basics of statutory analysis before you can get to anything subtle. In fact, you probably taught them rather more in the second class than you did in the first, even if they hadn’t done the reading.

]]> By: Bruce Boyden http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/08/finding_your_in.html/comment-page-1#comment-57236 Bruce Boyden Mon, 28 Aug 2006 19:58:05 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2006/08/finding-your-inner-ucc.html#comment-57236 I had that happen once in grad school. Very effective, although it was a 6-person class, and the shame might be diluted in larger sections. I had that happen once in grad school. Very effective, although it was a 6-person class, and the shame might be diluted in larger sections.

]]> By: anon http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/08/finding_your_in.html/comment-page-1#comment-57235 anon Mon, 28 Aug 2006 17:40:03 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2006/08/finding-your-inner-ucc.html#comment-57235 I find the way you went forward interesting. Is there an argument that if no one has read the code, you end the class early by saying that class time is a waste if no one has read the complex code, and that you'll try it again next time? Sounds harsh, but learning is a two way street. I find the way you went forward interesting. Is there an argument that if no one has read the code, you end the class early by saying that class time is a waste if no one has read the complex code, and that you’ll try it again next time? Sounds harsh, but learning is a two way street.

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