By Jane Harvey
Why the first day class of a course is so important
As with many other life experiences, first-day-class impressions are important as they set the tone for the rest of the semester. Students’ first impressions of the course, the instructor, the atmosphere and community will affect the effort they put into the course as well as their relationships with the instructor and their peers. What the first day includes can help build the kind of collaborative community everyone wants, enhance students’ engagement and motivation, and show the students that you care about them and are a empathetic and effective instructor.
Getting to know each other
Why is it important that...
you get to know students? Learning students’ names can be challenging, especially in large classes. It is worthwhile to try because of the community that comes from getting to know your students. Showing students that you are trying to learn their preferred name and its pronunciation and using their names as often as you can shows them that you are focused on them as individuals. Even if you may not remember and occasionally mispronounce students’ names, there is value in trying. Also, you might learn about them as individuals by asking them to fill out a questionnaire about themselves can help you perhaps personalize and vary your examples etc. to be based on students’ backgrounds, hobbies, interests, etc. This pdf has a questionnaire that you can use or adapt and also other suggestions for the following ideas.
students get to know each other? Students getting to know each other and learn and use each other’s names on the first day is crucial to the creation of an engaging classroom community. Also, fostering collaboration among students, for example by setting up groups and having them complete a task similar to what they will do during the course, can help reduce the stress students tend to feel on the first day of class as well as create foundations for a collaborative and cooperative classroom community.
students get to know you? Humanize yourself on day one by, for example, sharing information about yourself and what you expect from your students. This effort can set up a positive relationship which can help both you and the students during the semester. Depending on your class structure, you might share how you plan to be flexible with students. This flexibility could look like allowing students to submit one assignment late without a penalty or allowing students to miss a class or two without questioning. Also, you might show empathy to students' challenges by communicating how the course is designed to support them, and what resources USF has for student support.
Create curiosity and motivation about the content and goals of the course
The first day is the best time to spark students’ curiosity and motivation for the rest of the course. Setting a task which requires knowledge and skills that students could only have by the end of the semester will allow students to draw on their existing knowledge and create fertile grounds for new knowledge and skill acquisition.
Then you can outline how the course content, activities, and assignments will allow students to acquire this knowledge and develop the skills they will need. These connections can be made by reviewing the assignments and showing how each assignment meets a Student Learning Outcome. Providing this context can help students engage with the course and also decrease their stress.
Also, you might ask students to think about what learning strategies they will need to complete the course successfully, and what they would need from you and from each other to make those strategies successful. Attending office hours or creating study groups could be suggested strategies.
Having students take two minutes at the end of the class to write their (anonymous) reactions to their first day can build a climate where they are responsible for thinking about their learning. It will also give you feedback and can positively influence your teaching and relationships with the students.
More ideas and strategies for a successful first day of class can be found in these resources:
de Luse, S. (2018). First impressions: Using a flexible first day activity to enhance student learning and classroom management. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 30(2), 308-321.
Hermann, A. D., & Foster, D. A. (2008). Fostering approachability and classroom participation during the first day of class: Evidence for a reciprocal interview activity. Active Learning in Higher Education, 9(2), 139-151.
King, T. (Host). (2023, July 12). The first day of class: Fostering a zest for learning with a sense of empathy [Audio podcast episode]. In Faculty Focus. Buzzsprout Audio.
Lang, J. M. (2018, August 21). How to teach a good first day of class. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Rudenga, K. (2024, August 5). 6 ideas to perk up your first day of class. The Chronicle of Higher Education.