What to Do on the First Day of Class
by Jen Gregory, Director of Instructional Design
Do you remember attending the first day of a college class? After receiving the syllabus and listening to a quick monologue from your instructor, you were probably excused for the rest of the hour? Although you were undoubtedly thrilled, what a waste of precious class time!
Here are some ideas to help prevent wasting that time now that you’re the instructor!
Introduce Yourself
Some of your students have angst about you. If you’re new to campus you are an unknown commodity. If you’ve been around a while the students might think they already know you. Either way, it is important to be personable and authentic. You are the professor of the course but you are also a person. They know you’re in charge. You don’t have to remind them by coming off too authoritatively. If you want them to feel comfortable to talk in your classroom, model that behavior by being authentic with them. They’ll feel safer to be vulnerable in your classroom if they feel that you are a real person, too.
Allow the Students to Introduce Themselves
Before you go through and ask all the typical questions of your students, ask yourself if the questions you ask of them are really relevant or just the typical questions. I ask my students to tell me something interesting about themselves but then I record that information and refer to it during the semester when it applies. In addition to educating yourself about your students, you should allow them to learn about one another. A fun (and active) way to do this is to get everyone on their feet. Ask an either / or question and ask the students to pick one side of the room to designate their answer (for example: Do you prefer rootbeer or Mountain Dew? Rootbeers on one side of the room and Mountain Dews on the other.) This gives the students a visual of which classmates share their opinions and will help form bonds.
Showcase the course content
While you’re doing all of those introductions, why not introduce the course content as well? Getting to know one another, course policies and routines are all important but get your students familiar with the subject matter of the course right off the bat. Help whet their appetite for what will come in the following weeks. Perhaps there will be a way incorporate your content in an ice-breaker activity or as part of the introductions.
Do an ice-breaker activity
A quick internet search of ice-breakers will produce the top 40 lists of activities. Find one that feels comfortable to you and give it a try. My favorite is one that I borrowed from a colleague. I bring in 10-15 random, everyday objects. I place them on a table in the middle of the room. Each student is asked to select an item and then explain why they chose it. When they are done, they place the item back on the table so someone else may use it. For example, in one of my classes I had a small green calculator. Three students chose it for the following reasons: “I like math.”; “I don’t like math so I need a calculator to help me.”; and lastly, “It is green. Green is my favorite color.” I especially like this exercise for Core because it models for students that we all see things from different perspectives, but none of them were “wrong.”
Discuss Logistics
Last but not least, talk about the logistics of your class and your room. Is the room setup okay for your class or will you ask students to move chairs around for discussion? Are you in a room that is consistently warm or chilly? If so, mention it to the students so they can be prepared. Will you allow food and drink in your class? Does anyone have allergies to tree nuts or other common snacks? What is your cell phone policy, attendance policy and tardy policy?
It has been said ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression’ so put a little thought and effort into your first day and help set the tone for the semester!
For more help with this and other instructional design issues, contact me at Jen.Gregory@valpo.edu