Want to sound like a leader? Start by saying your name right [ TEDx : Laura Sicola ]

First Day of Class The first day of class is your opportunity to present your vision of the class to prospective students. It is helpful if you can introduce yourself as a scholar and educator and provide insight into how you will teach the class and what you will expect them to contribute to the learning process. Consider that several of your students may be “shopping” for a schedule the first week of classes. They may be looking for a class that will fill a particular time slot, include a particular learning environment (i.e. lab-based or lecture style), or a class with a certain workload to balance the demands of their other courses and extra-curricular responsibilities. Welcoming: How to Create an Inviting Classroom –From the chapter “How Do They Treat Their Students” in Ken Bain’s What the Best Colleage Teachers Do (Harvard Press, 2004), available in the CFT Library Introduce Yourself Allow the Students to Introduce Themselves Discuss and Evaluate the Room Environment Together Additional Resources:

Indiana University Teaching Handbook: Preparing to Teach: The First Day of Class Handbook Table of Contents > Preparing to Teach > The First Day of Class The First Day of Class Adapted with permission from Northeastern University, 1986 The first day of class can be an anxious experience for your students. Students enter the first day of class with at least four questions (Ericksen, 1984): Is the class going to meet my needs? To this list we should add: Will I be able to succeed? Keep in mind that the first day of class sets the tone for the whole course. Avoid bold de-motivating statements such as, “Half of you might not finish the course,” or “Only one student made an A in this course last semester.” It is essential to go over the syllabus carefully with the students. Treat the first day as a substantive meeting, not merely an administrative house keeping day. One excellent exercise on the first day is to administer a “pre-test” or “knowledge survey” on topics you will be covering during the semester.

First Day of Class (Loosely based on Lyons et al. 2003) The first day of class always creates some nervousness, even for seasoned instructors. It helps to have a mental checklist of objectives to accomplish so that you and your students come away with the impression that the course is off to a good start. The first class meeting should serve at least two basic purposes: To clarify all reasonable questions students might have relative to the course objectives, as well as your expectations for their performance in class. These two basic purposes expand into a set of eight concrete objectives: 1. First impressions can be long-lasting, and they are usually based on a thin slice of behavior. Your attire. 2. Your introduction should be succinct, but make sure to cover certain key areas. What characteristics do you want to convey about yourself? 3. This is probably the most important objective. 4. The classroom is a social environment, so it is helpful to start the social dynamics in a productive way. 5. 6. 7. 8.

The First Day of Class | Biggio Center The first day of class sets the tone for the rest of the semester. You want to convey to your students how the class will function, the ways in which you assess them, and what kind of instructor you are overall. Here are our tips: Get to know each other. It’s important that your students see you as someone other than an intimidating figure of authority. Teach your students something the first day. Set expectations early. It is important that students are clear on your expectations regarding attendance, late work, homework completion, disruptive behavior, classroom culture, discussion etiquette, and general classroom practices. Have fun! If you keep all of these tips in mind, you and your students have a better chance of being a compatible fit for one another for the remainder of the semester. Resources about the first day of class from other universities