First day of class.
At our institution it becomes generally known that on the first day of each new rotation, the rules of our school will be reviewed. This sets up an attitude that they can miss this day and not miss any of the corriculum. This bores the heck out of the students after they have heard it several times. Now when it comes to my class it has become known that I spend minimal time on this rule procedure and launch into the subject to be learned very rapidly. Thus they do not have this time to become bored. Also on day two the ones who did not show are informed that it is thier responsibility to catch them selves up on what was missed.
Truitt--
I certainly thing reviewing the rules is important, but totally agree with your process of getting right in to the material. That makes for a much more interesting class.
Susan
I think it's very important to have students collaborate with peers to get to know them.
In the program that I teach at the first day of every three week module is the most important day. That is when we go over the rules, as well as cover the information pertaining to all the projects that they will be working on over that period of time. We are a all lab environment since all we are is a performance class. On the first day we cover the necessary information, then from there lab for the next 14 days. If a student misses that 1st day, they have now missed all theinformation regarding the success to complete the projects.
I agree with minimal discussion on the rules and procedures. If there policies in your class that are significantly different from a previous classe or of great importance then focus on higlighting that specific information and then move on.
In our case,students do not typically miss orientation, but some do miss the first day of class.This is the day we reinforce the basic guidelines and expectations of the school and the individual instructor. This does not take all the classtime of that day, but is important for students to know course schedules,lab procedures,and what equipment is required on specific days. Imagine missing the first day and going to lab on the second day unprepared. I don't think we can over emphasis the importance of the first day of class. This must be part of the orientation process.
On the first day of calss, I have the students talk about themselves. Most times, I will ask them to think and tell five positive attributes about themselves.
I have to agree. Here every three weeks we go over the rules and I feel it is important to do so and do. I however have also made this a time of importance by jumping into the course subject a soon as possible. This has gotten out that you do not want to miss Turner’s first day. This has led to great success in having very going attendance on the first day. Do the rule it is important but do not make it the only thing you do on the first day.
My class is very similar in that I briefly cover the rules day 1 and I do mean briefly. The students have been subjected to the same rules for nearly a year by the time they reach my class, but it is important to touch the basics I think just to let them know that we are all on the same page. Then we cover the objectives for the class and grading criteria then we jump right in to the course material. I think this helps to keep the student from becoming bored.
