Meeting Class for the first time
When meeting the class for the first time a brief introduce of background and past experience is important to set the tone as the educational leader. Also this is a time to get to know the students take attendance and post contact and course the class title information on the board to help student know they are in the right class.
Patrice,
Right you are about how to help the students get settled into the course. The first class meeting sets the tone for the class so it needs to be informative, supportive and comfortable for each and every student.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The first time I meet a class, I inform them of my background and experience. I try to get them to relax because some students have not been in a school enviornment for a long time. I set the ground rules and talk about the course and what is expected from them
Richard,
This is such an important first step because older students need to see how they can fit into the course and be successful. The more you can help build their confidence the better.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I do the same thing Richard because I (like many of them) returned to school after being "out" for many years and it can be intimadating!
Thanks for sharing.
Tami
When getting to know the students by letting them also introduce themselves to you and the rest of the class, that is when as a teacher you can associate a story with a name and begin to remember each students name.
Yes, this is the time to introduce yourself to establish your crediabilit, by sharing some personal information this lets the student know your are a person as well as an instructor. By the students introducing themselves it will allow you as the instructor to get to know a little about each student and their experience.
Carol,
Introductions are important ways to establish connections with students and their names. The more you know about the students the more you will be able to relate to and provide support to them throughout the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Angela,
Introductions are the time to get to know each other and to introduce the human side of yourself as the instructor. The introductions should be casual and comfortable for everyone so they will feel like sharing with the rest of the class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In addition to the traditional 1st meeting agenda items -- introductions, expectations, syllabus, etc. -- I think having a first "anti-Quiz" to learn about each students background, interest, concerns, and reason for enrollment is important and adds value for each student. (This was mentioned in the CEE presentation as a "pre-Test" concept.)
I also have an agenda item to try and put out early in the first class meeting: To "humanize" myself as their instructor. And it often seems that the best way to diffuse any anxiety on their side is to get them to laugh. Once that's done, the rest is usually a lot easier.
James,
Great way to start a new class off. You are using a mix of best practices that help the students to get settled into the course and feeling comfortable with how the course is going to operate.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree, I also like to have students do a name tent activity. They make the name tent with they're name on the outside and the 3 C's on the inside. the 3 c's are: closet dream, celebrity, and cuisine. I give them markers and colored pencils to illustrate and decorate their tent if they wish. This is helpful not only with their names, but is also a good way for classmates and I to get to know them.
Stephanie,
Great way to get students involved and having some fun the first class meeting. This activity gets them talking and interacting with each other so they will have an easier time getting settled into the course. Thanks for sharing this strategy with us.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I always tell them about myself and my experience. They do feel relieved to know you have been through the challenges of school like them and you may be able to understand what they are going through.
Saudia,
This is an important thing part of laying the foundation of the course. Many students don't realize that their instructors have gone through what they are going through to get where they are. We all have been in classes and worked out in the field to acquire our knowledge and skills. When they know this about us they can relate to what we are sharing with them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
