Teaching Strategies: First Day(s) of Class
The first days of class are important in setting the tone for what is to come, and it is crucial to think carefully about how you present yourself and how you get the course established. The links in this section provide information and suggestions for getting started effectively on the first day of class.
Learning
Students' Names (University of Nebraska)
http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/current/dev/teachingtools/names.shtml
List of 23 techniques for learning students’ names in both small and large class settings.
The Most Important Day: Starting Well (Wright, 1999)
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/dayone.htm
Ideas for faculty members on how to start a course well.
101
Things for the First 3 Weeks (University of Hawaii)
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/101thing.htm
One-hundred and one ideas for generating interest in course material, building community in the classroom, helping students transition into the course, and encouraging active learning.
The First Class Meeting (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/current/dev/gta_handbook/preparing/firstday.shtml
Seven tips for handling your first meeting with students, and the answers to seven common concerns of beginning teachers.
Building Rapport (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/current/dev/gta_handbook/preparing/rapport.shtml
This site offers three ideas you can begin the rapport-building process between instructor(s) and students on the first day of class.
CRLT Occasional Paper #9: A Key to
Involving First Year Students (Fenty, 1997)
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no9.pdf
First-year students are, in many ways, the most vulnerable group in any academic community. This paper focuses on first-year students and what faculty can do to increase the likelihood that they will persist beyond the first year and attain their educational and personal goals.
IDEA
Paper #39: Establishing Rapport: Personal Interaction and Learning (IDEA
Center, Fleming, 2003).
http://www.theideacenter.org/sites/default/files/IDEA_Paper_39.pdf
Describes the importance of building rapport with students. Lists four factors that help an instructor develop rapport with students, as well as strategies for improving teacher performance in these areas.