Call for Proposals

Call for Proposals

Classroom Policies That Make a Difference: Empowering Language Learners and Instructors  

Classroom policies serve as the foundation for creating a structured, respectful, and supportive learning environment where both instructors and students feel safe and valued. These guidelines, commonly reflected in the syllabus, establish clear expectations for behavior, participation, and assessment, ensuring fairness and consistency across the course. By outlining responsibilities and standards, policies help minimize misunderstandings and foster accountability, allowing students to focus on learning rather than uncertainty. However, designing classroom policies can be challenging for instructors because they must strike a balance between maintaining structure and fairness without appearing overly strict, which makes clear and thoughtful guidelines essential for fostering a positive learning environment. Ultimately, well-defined classroom policies not only maintain order but also enhance engagement, collaboration, and academic success for everyone involved.

For this year at the IU Foreign/Second Language Share Fair, we invite five-minute presentations that showcase presentations that showcase innovative, experience-based policies that benefit students in language classrooms. 

Guiding Question 

Through policy, how can we… 

Student Engagement & Participation

• Encourage attendance 
• Foster active participation 
• Attract and sustain attention 
• Minimize distractions (phones, AI) 
• Promote risk-taking in language use 

Assessment & Feedback 

• Help students learn from mistakes 
• Implement effective homework policies 
• Use error analysis and test corrections for point recovery 
• Explore alternative grading approaches (e.g., ungrading, negotiated grading) 
• Offer meaningful extra credit 

Classroom Climate

• Create civility-positive policies 
• Strengthen instructor–student relationships 
• Ensure equal participation opportunities for all students 
• Address cultural considerations in target culture norms  
• Maintain flexibility to respect diverse backgrounds 

Health & Well-Being

• Reduce anxiety in high-risk-taking situations 
• Encourage students to prioritize well-being without fear of academic penalties 
• Provide clear information on counseling services, stress management workshops, and crisis support 

Technology & Innovation 

• Incorporate technology and AI (Artificial Intelligence) into language classrooms 
• Manage AI use policies effectively 
• Balance tech integration with attention and personalized engagement

☑ Call for Proposal Submission Guidelines: A Checklist

• Base It on Real Experience: The idea should come from your own classroom practice or anecdotes. Avoid proposals that are entirely hypothetical.   
• Keep it Practical: Focus on realistic strategies that can be applied in actual language teaching contexts, preferably ones that AIs and FLTAs are allowed to make 
• Be Mindful of Time Limit: Ensure your presentation can be delivered in 5-7 minutes.

Submit Your Proposal

The deadline to send proposals is Friday, February 9th, 2026.