First Week of Class

Develop a plan for engaging your students in learning, starting on the first day of class. Taking the time to design a clear plan for the first day will help you calm your nerves and will give students a clear impression of the course content and objectives, what they can expect to do in the course, and why it will be interesting and challenging.  (Washington Univ. at St. Louis)

Tips from Highline faculty

During Opening Week 2016, the arts and humanities division faculty met and gave some of their tips and favorite activities for the first week of classes. Here is a full list of their activities; several are presented below.

• Wendy Swyt, English – Has students complete a Jamboard slide with images of what brings them joy, happiness, excitement, peace.  For this, people find the slide with their name and upload pictures that show what brings them joy – hobbies, passions, likes, things that keep them sane during these times.
• Monica Lemoine, English – Divide students into groups and have them do information scavenger hunt (Get to Know Your College) about key resources on campus – see Monica for details, instruction examples.
• Kim Trinh, English – Requires all students to visit her during office hours in the first week.
• Ben Thomas, Music – Has them watch short videos by Steven Chew on student success and student misunderstanding about learning – they write 5 short papers on the videos and discuss in class – see Stephen Chew Assignment.
• Glen Avantaggio, Philosophy – Has students take an end of week “readiness” quiz/checklist –FirstWeekChecklist.
• Laura Soracco, English – Divide the board into four sections and has students discuss and post notes on characteristics/example of 1) best teachers 2) worst teachers 3) best students 4) worst students. She uses this to discuss the expectations that they have made explicit as a group.
• Susan Rich, English / Film – Starts off activity by modeling three things about herself and invites connection to one of her three things – each student shares – by end of class students have built similarities.
• Liz Word, Communications – Has them fill out notecards with name and pronunciation. Also on card, they answer three questions: Why are you taking this class? What is your biggest fear about this class? What do you want your instructor to know about you? They share with a neighbor in the class – Liz collects these cards and uses them through random pulls to ask questions in class.
• Laura Manning, Communications – Focuses on pronouncing names correctly – has students read article (link) by Jennifer Gonzalez about importance of names by Jennifer Gonzalez. Gets students to practice saying each other’s names. Has students take turns taking roll throughout the quarter. Every day has one student kick of class by sharing a short music video and talking about why it is important to them.
• Shon Meckfessel, English – Students list three interesting things about themselves – they listen and later have to find something in common with others.
• Gayatri Sirohi, English – Has students write down five good student habits they think are good success markers – then get in larger group and if ½ of the group doesn’t do that habit, they need to cross it out. Makes them think about realistic strategies for success.
• Laurel Lunden (Highline faculty – Healthcare Professions) – I told the students this was their classroom and asked them come up with a theme for the class. What they chose represented what they expected and wanted to feel during class. They wrote the following on a board(really paper) that will remain at the front of the class throughout the quarter (welcoming, positive energy, trust, understanding, care confidentiality and respect). One of the students wrote her comments in English and Arabic. We discussed that if they feel any of these are lacking in our classroom during the quarter they can go to the board and point this out to the class and we will discuss this together. They were excited about doing this and so far this has made a positive impact on the students and classroom atmosphere

Professional development opportunities

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Related books in LTC collection

• Nilson, Linda Burzotta. Teaching at Its Best : A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors. Fourth edition., Jossey-Bass, 2016. (see Ch. 4)

Additional resources and scholarship

• Classroom seating arrangements, advantages and disadvantages (Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning)
• First Day of Class (Ctr. for Teaching, Vanderbilt Univ.)
• Make the Most of the First Day of Class (Carnegie Mellon Univ.)
• 10 Ideas for a Great First Day of Class (Iowa State Univ.)