Making the Most of the First Day of Class (and Beyond)
Prepared for the Bruce K. Nelson Faculty Development Center’s
T2R Program
August 31, 2010
Jeffrey L. Bernstein
Department of Political Science
Eastern Michigan University
Capture Their Attention
1. Make the class about more than just handing out the syllabus and going over
exam dates and reading assignments. You have their attention on the first day –
perhaps more than you will at any other point. Use this to your advantage!
2. Share something dramatic, highly interesting, or intense related to course content,
then ask students (in pairs or in small groups) to respond to a specific question
related to what you’ve shared. Example borrowed from Nelson Maylone
(Teacher Education): In EDPS 340 (Introduction to Classroom Assessment and
Evaluation; for aspiring teachers), Nelson asks students to take a mini two-item
quiz related to space exploration. One item is open-ended (aka constructed
response), the other is the same item in multiple-choice format. The percent of
students providing the correct response is always dramatically different for the
two items. He then asks students to muse on what this could mean for students in
PK-12 classrooms, especially in an era of high-stakes testing. This helps to
convince students of the relevancy of the course.
3. Consider doing an interesting class activity at the very beginning of class. In my
American Government class, I do an activity around the issue of school prayer
right at the very beginning. I introduce myself (name only) and dive right in. The
students are expecting to get information about the class – so I know I have their
attention. I like the tone it establishes right at the beginning of class.
Build Rapport with Students and Instructor
4. Give the students a chance to talk to each other. Build in some activity that gets
students engaging with each other – perhaps even a short think-pair-share activity.
Any relationships they form on Day 1 could last through the term. For example,
in groups of three, have students share their names, where they grew up, and one
interesting fact about themselves. After five minutes, have students quickly
introduce someone else from their group to the rest of the class. It’s surprising
how many unexpected connections this can make.
5. Share something about yourself. Only you know how to draw the line – you
probably don’t want to share intimate details of your wedding night. But anything
you can tell the students that humanizes you can make you more approachable,
and give the students a greater comfort level. I tell my students a little about my
kids, about how much I suffer along with the New York Mets, and about my
juggling. It makes me more of a person, and possibly even someone they might
have something to say to in office hours.
Set Up a Pattern for What You Want Your Course to Look Like
6. Establish a pattern of students talking in the class – if they speak aloud on Day 1,
they are more likely to do so as the course continues. Build in opportunities for
students to use their voice – even something as simple as introducing themselves
can ease the taboo against speaking in class.
7. Keep the class the full time. It shows the students that you take your class time
seriously, and that you are ready to dive in. Vacation’s over – now it is time to
work!
8. Give students an assignment to do for the next class. Again, this sets the tone that
the vacation is over, and that you are ready to dive into the semester. If you start
off slowly, so will your students.
Let Students Know Their Success Is Important to You
9. Distribute and go over a “Ten Ways to Succeed in (your name)’s Class” sheet.
It’s important that the tone be more helpful than intimidating. I’ve provided an
example of this that I have used in class – it’s not brilliant, by any means, but it
might get your minds going around ideas for what yours should say. This sheet
needs to be written in your voice, not mine.
10. Emphasize to students on Day 1 all the things you plan to do to help them succeed
– even things such as holding office hours and answering student questions in
class convey this message. If you routinely do other things – such as holding
review sessions, engaging a Supplemental Instructor, or providing review sheets –
mention this as well. Students may be intimidated by your course or by college –
this applies especially to FTIACs. Easing their anxiety can go a long way toward
having a successful class experience.