Ten Things to Make the First Day (and the Rest) of the

Semester Successful
I like to arrive in the classroom well before the students. It gives me time to get
things organized. I create an entrance table (I use chairs or desks if there's no
table) that holds handouts for students to pick up. From day one the students learn
the routine: they arrive, pick up handouts on the entrance table, and read the
screen for instructions. They know what to do, and it saves time. Here's how I
recommend introducing the routine on day one.
1. Post your name and the name and section of the class on the screen, so that
when students walk in they know that they are in the right place.
2. Write: "welcome" on the screen and have directions that tell students what
they need to do immediately. Example: "As you enter, please tell me your
name. Then pick up a syllabus, a card, and a folder from the entrance
table. Fold the card so that it will stand on your desk, and write your first
name on it in BIG letters. Add your last name and major in smaller print.
Write your name on the tab of the folder, (last name first, then first name).
Read the syllabus until class starts." Note: By asking students to tell you
their name as they enter, you can hear how the name is pronounced, and
avoid the embarrassment of pronouncing it for the first time yourself.
3. When it's time for class to start - start class! Late arrivals can catch up by
reading the screen.
4. For classes of 25 or less, I have students do brief, 10-second introductions.
I tell them there will be a verbal quiz after all the introductions and that
they can win stars if they know who is who. (Have fun with this, but
remember that these are adults and college is not like junior high.)
5. For larger classes, I have students introduce themselves to three or four
people around them, and then we might do "stand-ups" - stand up if you
are a Spanish major, stand up if you are an education major, and so on. I
explain that students need to know each other for our small group work,
and in case they have a question.
6. I collect the file folders and put them alphabetically by student name into a
big plastic carrying case. When students need to turn in assignments, they
find the box on the entrance table and they put their papers in their
respective folders. When papers are graded, they can pull their graded tests
or assignments from their folders. The beauty of this system is that time is
never wasted by passing out papers. For small classes, I put handouts in
the folders of absent students.
7. After the introductions and the explanation of the folder and box system, I
turn to the "Today we will" list that I've written on the board, posted on a
large paper flip-chart, or projected on the screen. I like to actually write
this list on the board, so I can return to it even while projecting my notes.
A "today we will" list outlines my plan for the day. For example, for the
first day, my "today we will list" says:
○ See screen for instruction for card and folder.
○ Introductions
○ Turn in folders
○ Go over syllabus completely
○ Mini-lecture on _____________
○ Interest inventory
 ○ Do you know what to read/do before the next class?
Note: The "today we will" list lets me walk around the room, teach from
the projection system, and then look at the list for what I should do next. I
tend not to forget things if I have the list. As the semester progresses, the
"today we will" list might contain warm-up questions that then appear as
test questions. The list helps students who arrive late or leave early see
what they have missed.]
8. The mini-lesson/mini-lecture - whether it's a short overview of the first
reading assignment, some sample problems, or 10 interesting questions
students will be able to answer at the end of the course, I strongly
recommend doing some course content on the first day. For classes that
last longer than 50 minutes, I include a short student activity. I also think
it's important to begin with course material on day one so that students
begin to see who you are and how you teach. Since I teach courses in
teacher education, I often talk about my teaching career. I include a few
stories about how times have changed and about how some things in
teaching never change.
9. Interest inventories are great for the first day of class. An interest
inventory is just a short list of questions about students' backgrounds and
interests. It may assess their prior learning as well. In addition to name and
major, students can write about a hobby, interest, or goal. Do not be too
personal. You can have them answer several questions about content -
maybe solve a problem, write a short paragraph or answer specific
questions. Finally open-ended questions are useful:
○ What are your goals after graduation?
○ What has a teacher done in the past that helped you to learn
______?
○ Is there anything else that you want me to know about you and
your course of study?
You can always add one fun question:
○ If your song played when you entered the room, what would that
song be?
10. Every good class has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. I usually
teach the mini-lesson, and then save the last six to eight minutes of class
for the interest inventory and individual questions. This way, students
don't have to wait on others to finish. I instruct students to turn in their
interest inventory as they exit. As they are writing, I alphabetize their
folders and put them in the box on the table. Another good closure is to
ask if they know what to read/do before the next class, and if they know
three people to ask about the assignment if they have a question.

Use Checklissts to Ensure a Smooth Course Startup

No matter whether this is your first class or your hundredth, you will be more
successful when you ensure that you have completed a specific list of course
startup tasks. At Teaching For Success, we depend on lists and checklists to keep
us on track with our projects. The checklists that follow are only suggestions, and
you should modify them to fit your specific situation-or better yet, create your
own checklists. Here are four sample checklists designed to help you track your
progress during the first critical weeks of the term.
Syllabus
First check your syllabus, whether it has been provided to you or whether you
have developed it from years of teaching experience. Check your syllabus for the
following:
• An accurate course description, section, meeting times, and dates of
holidays and the final exam.
• Your current contact information (phone, email, fax, etc.) and office hours.
• A list of required textbook(s), lab supplies, special tools, safety supplies,
etc.
• A synopsis of major learning goals in terms of knowledge and skills
students will gain.
• A class meeting and activity calendar showing the projected dates for
assignments, quizzes, exams, portfolios, surveys, lab projects, etc.
• A statement of your right to change the course schedule and learning
activities as needed.
• A description of student behaviors that are considered inappropriate at
your institution, or referral to the institutional document covering student
behaviors and processes for dealing with infractions.
• A detailed list of your expected and prohibited classroom behaviors.
(Make particularly explicit details regarding attendance issues.)
• A course grading system description, along with your personal,
institutional, or departmental polices for making up exams, in-class work,
or late assignments. (This is a very, very important part of any syllabus.)
• A section contrasting acceptable with unacceptable academic behaviors
regarding homework, term papers, lab reports, small group participation,
team tests, etc.
First Class Meeting Preparation Steps
To reduce the chances of something going wrong during the first class, meeting
check off these items:
• My syllabus has been carefully checked for accuracy and completeness.
• I have printed 10 to 15 percent more copies than initial registration
information shows.
• I have a student syllabus-acceptance form that students will sign and date
upon receipt of a syllabus.
• I have checked the classroom and labs for seating arrangement,
equipment, and negative environmental situations such as noise, poor
lighting, inadequate ventilation, etc.
• I have obtained samples of required supplies, tools, and safety equipment,
as well as copies of textbooks, lab manuals, handouts, etc.
• I have created a class calendar or timeline and denoted all learning
activities, exams, .etc.
• I have read my institution's catalog sections on required student behaviors
and grading system options and deadlines.
 First-Day Tasks
The first class meeting is extremely important for retaining students and making
sure they understand exactly what the course will be like in terms of prerequisite
knowledge and skills, content to be learned, and anticipated speed and depth of
learning. They must understand your grading system and what the term projects
will be, and, finally, how you plan to teach. For example, do you lecture, promote
group learning, demand class participation, etc? Make sure you:
• Come early to class and welcome students.
• Introduce yourself; start to learn names.
• Use an icebreaker introduction to acquaint learners with each other.
• Distribute your course syllabus.
• Explain contents of each syllabus section as needed.
• Survey students for more information on their course subject knowledge
and experience levels.
Two-to-Three Week Benchmark Tasks
At the two-to-three week mark in your course, make sure you :
• Have learned students' names and completed at least one measurement of
learning, such as a quiz, case study, assignment review, group problem
report, etc.
• Asked for written feedback on your teaching style and techniques.
• Encouraged and given learning quality feedback to your students.

BREAK THE ICE

The first day of class is usually spent in part by getting acquainted and establishing
goals. Icebreakers are techniques used at the first session to reduce tension and anxiety,
and also to immediately involve the class in the course. Use an icebreaker because you
want to, not as a time filler or because teaching guides say one should be used. Listed
below are several examples of icebreakers.
• INTRODUCE MYSELF. Participants introduce themselves and tell why they
are there. Variations: Participants tell where they first heard about the class, how
they became interested in the subject, their occupations, home town, favorite
television program, or the best book they have read in the last year.
• INTRODUCE ANOTHER. Divide the class into pairs. Each person talks about
him/herself to the other, sometimes with specific instructions to share a certain
piece of information. For example, "The one thing I am particularly proud of
is..." After five minutes, the participants introduce the other person to the rest of
the class.
• CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS. Have students write down one or two
adjectives describing themselves. Put these on a stick-on badge. Have class
members find someone with similar or opposite adjectives and talk for five
minutes with the other person.
• I'VE DONE SOMETHING YOU HAVEN'T DONE. Have each person
introduce themselves and then state something they have done that they think no
one else in the class has done. If someone else has also done it, the student must
state something else until he/she finds something that no one else has done.
• FIND SOMEONE. Each person writes on a blank index card one to three
statements, such as favorite color, interest, hobby, or vacations. Pass out cards so
 everyone gets someone else's card. Have that person find the person with their
card and introduce themselves.
• FAMOUS PERSON. People write a famous name on a piece of paper and pin it
on someone else's back. Person tries to guess what name is pinned on his/her by
asking others around the room yes or no questions. Variation: Use famous place
instead of famous person.
• MY NAME. People introduce themselves and tell what they know about why
they have their name (their mother wanted to name me after her great aunt Helen
who once climbed Pike's Peak in high heels, etc.). It could be the first, middle or
nickname.
• HOW DO YOU FEEL? Ask the students to write down words or phrases that
describe their feelings on the first day of class. List the responses on the
blackboard. Then ask them to write down what they think you as the teacher are
feeling this first day of class. List them on the blackboard in a second column
and note the parallels. Briefly comment on your feelings and then discuss the
joint student/teacher responsibilities for learning in the course.
• COMMON GROUND. This works best for small groups or for each small group
sitting together as a team (4-6 learners). Give the group a specific time (perhaps
5 minutes) to write a list of everything they all have in common. Tell them to
avoid the obvious ("we're all taking this course"). When time is up, ask each
group how many items they have listed. For fun, ask them to announce some of
the most interesting items.
• ME TOO. This also works best for small groups or foe each small group sitting
together as a team (4-6 learners). Everyone in the group gest 10
pennies/toothpicks/scrap of papers, etc. The first student states something he/she
has done (e.g. water skiing). Everyone else who has done the same thing admits
it and puts one penny in the middle of the table. Then the second person states
something (e.g. I have eaten frogs' legs). Everyone who has done it puts another
penny in the center. Continue until someone has run out of pennies.

Basic Level ESL Classes

At the basic level the English students should simply go to the front of the class, say
their name, age and how they feel. These students will likely need some prompting and
it may be necessary to teach them sentences such as “My name is...”. These
introductions will usually go fairly quickly.
When dealing with a basic English class, the foreign teacher should have other ESL
activities based around introductions, such as the question “How are you?” and the
proper response. Depending on how well the ESL students handle the initial questions
before the actual ESL activity begins the English teacher can either teach introductions
before or after the ESL students introduce themselves.

Interview Icebreaker for the First Day of Class

ESL Introduction Activity for Pre-Intermediate Students
and Above With this lesson, a teacher
can develop rapport with students and guarantee laughs
on the first day of class by allowing the class to interview
him
Aside from establishing classroom expectations and rules, an ESL teacher's duty is to
develop a positive rapport with his or her students. The following activity works well in
a class where the students already know each other and would not benefit from asking
each other get-to-know-you questions. Instead, it focuses on the teacher, while the class
works together to predict and find answers about the teacher. For this lesson to work, a
minimum of two students is needed. However, it is far more interesting and diverse if
the class size is bigger.
Interview Icebreaker Lesson Procedure
1. Teacher briefly introduces him or herself by name and asks pairs of
students to brainstorm three to four questions that they'd like to ask
the teacher.
2. Teacher selects or asks for two students, preferably outgoing and
with strong English, to come to the front of the class.
3. Teacher tells the class that they are to imagine that volunteer one
and two are the teacher. The rest of the class must ask their
questions to the two volunteers, who must predict what the teacher
might say. For example: a student asks volunteer one, "Where are
you from?" The volunteer mustn't state where he or she is from, but
where he or she thinks the teacher is from: "I'm from Hollywood." This
part of the lesson usually generates the most laughter. The next
question goes to volunteer two. The two alternate fielding questions
until the activity is over.
4. Teacher must record all questions and answers, writing quickly, while
students continue interrogating the volunteers.
5. When students run out of questions, teacher asks the class if they'd
like to know the real answers to their questions. Were the volunteers
correct or not?
6. When they say yes, the teacher repeats all the questions, then states
his or her genuine answers. Students may ask follow-up questions.
It helps if the teacher has a sense of humor, but the teacher still needs to draw the line if
an inappropriate question is asked. If the class has difficulty thinking of questions or is
simply a quiet group, the teacher can divide students into teams and motivate them with
competition. Afterward, the team with the most questions answered correctly by the
volunteers wins a prize.
 NEW STUDENTS, NEW SEMESTER
HOW TO REMEMBER NAMES AND FACES
Introduction

It's the first day of a new semester. In addition to the enthusiasm and optimism
inherent in a new beginnings, we as teachers also must confront a humbling task:
how to learn the names and faces of the 20 to 40 unfamiliar students expectantly
sitting before us.
And we must learn them quickly! In teaching, as in so many other fields, first
impressions count for much. Before becoming teachers, all of us were students; we
learned, if only subconsciously, that teachers who were slow in learning the names of
their students tended to be uninspired and uninspiring. Although we certainly don't
want our students to come to that harsh prejudgment of us, we are only human.
Almost all of us find it difficult to put together names with the faces of so many new
people in short order. The only individuals who seem to succeed, apart from
professional memory trainers and sales representatives, are politicians.
Actually, there is a technique that can reliably be used to associate the names and
faces of at least 75% of a typical first day class size of 20-40 new students. Even
better, skillful use (i.e., the right amount of showmanship) of this technique can leave
the impression that you have gotten to know almost all the students' names and faces
by the start of the second class meeting.

Step 1

Before coming to class, read the class roster several times. Focus on the last names
and honorifics (Mr./Ms.). Memorize as many of them as you can.
By familiarizing ourselves with the names beforehand, we set up a kind of cognitive
dissonance: If we know there is a Jones in the class, them we can concentrate on
looking for Jones and remembering what he or she looks like. Under this procedure,
paradoxically, students with unusual names become easier to remember. At this point
there is no need to focus on the first, or given names. That just increases memory
burden without yielding initial benefits.

Step 2

Start the class by introducing yourself and describing your background and
expectations for the course. Conclude by saying that you would like to learn more
about them, but there isn't time for everyone to be as longwinded as you've been.
Hand out a "Student Expectations Survey" that asks for a name,address, and phone
number(s), and includes an open-ended essay question about backgrounds and
expectations. Allow students at least 15 minutes of writing time.
While the students are busy writing, take the opportunity to study their faces,
clothing styles, posture, haircuts - anything, in short, that you can use to personalize
the individual student. This visual information also sets up a cognitive dissonance;
you'll certainly want to learn the name of the punk rocker with the purple hair.

The writing exercise is not only a chance to study the physiognomy of your students, but is also a way
to take attendance and gauging the overall intellectual potential and interests of your new class.
 Step 3

In addition to absorbing the "tableau" of visual information presented by individual

students, set up a mnemonic position framework. For example, in a traditional
classroom layout, call the first row on your left "A", the second row, "B" and so on.
Similarly, call the first student in row"A", 1; the second, 2, etc. Modify this
positional framework to fit various possible seating arrangements.
This framework is the heart of the techniques presented. It relies on a curious fact of
student sociobiology: students almost invariably return to the same seat they
occupied during the first class, or in reasonable proximity. For example, students
who choose to sit in the back of the room on the first day will almost never
voluntarily change their seats to the front, and vise versa. Students who seem to
prefer quick access to the door will sooner die than sit over by the windows, and vice
versa.

Step 4

Collect the student papers. Then, starting with position "A1," ask the students to
introduce themselves and say a few words about themselves and their expectations
for the course.
Again, this step, like the preceding ones, is not very different from ordinary
classroom practice and sound group leadership. But it does set up the next step.

Step 5
While listening as carefully as possible to what student "A1" is saying, find the name
on the class roster and code "A1" next to it. (Obviously, if the student is not on the
roster, write in the name and the code.) If you have memorized or nearly memorized
the set of names, and have carefully studied the faces and appearances of your
students, then the positional code will serve as the link or index between names and
faces!
At first glance, Step 5 appears to be the result of cross-pollinating cognitive
psychology with an electronic spreadsheet, like LOTUS 1-2-3. Despite the
resemblance, it isn't. You might be surprised to learn that the technique described
above is virtually identical to the method used by ancient orators like Cicero to
deliver complex orations without reading them to their audiences. (For more
information on the techniques, consult any scholarly work on ancient oratory,
particularly Frances Yates.)

Step 6
As soon as you can after class, read the "Student Expectations Surveys," covering up
the names of the student. Attempt to remember the name, based on your recollections
of what students said in class about themselves. Refer to your class roster and
position-code the "Student Expectations Survey" so that you can "triangulate" if
necessary.
This step provides additional reinforcement of the links between names, faces and
places.

Step 7
Before the second class meeting, review the surnames and honorifics of the students
on the class roster. Reread the "Survey" and attempt to recollect names, faces and
places.
 By this point, the majority of the names, faces and places should be almost
committed to memory, and if during the second class you don't mind using the roster
with positional codes as a kind of crib sheet -- well, you can make it seem as thought
you know more names and faces that you really do. In fact, with the right amount of
showmanship, you can appear to be a close relative of the "Amazing Kreskin."

CONCLUSIONS
Make no mistake: this technique does require a certain amount of work. Like
anything else, practice makes it easier and easier to apply. Bit is it worth the effort?
There is no doubt, in my mind at least, that "the pain is worth the gain." In my own
career as a student, I remember that my best teachers always seemed to take some
extra effort to learn (and use) students' names as quickly as possible. The worst (i.e.,
graduate assistants in large undergraduate lecture courses) never bothered. Teachers
cannot claim to be concerned about how well their students learn, if they themselves
do not try as hard as they can to show they care about one of the most important
possessions anyone can have in a mass civilization: a face and a name.

WHAT INFLUENCES STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARD A

COURSE?
The first and most obvious answer is the instructor. Much previous research establishes
the powerful ways instructors influence how students respond to and in a course. But
two researchers wondered if the instructor was the only factor influencing student
attitudes. Drawing from work in their discipline, services marketing and management,
they extrapolated seven factors that might be significant determinants of student
attitudes. Using a complex statistical model, they tested the seven factors and found that
four of them explained 77 percent of the variations in attitude toward the course:
instructor, course topic, course execution, and the room (physical environment).
They write of these findings: "An important result is that there are significant factors, in
addition to the instructor, at work shaping a student's attitude toward a class that he or
she may take. The model shows that course topic has just as strong an influence on
attitudes as does the instructor." (p. 144) Only required courses were included in the
study. They covered topics about which students had a range of interests, from not
being interested at all to the course topic being introductory to a major. The researchers
point out that if the subject matter of a course influences how students relate to a course,
then their level of interest ought to be acknowledged as a contributing factor on course
evaluations. At this time most course evaluations focus exclusively on instructor-related
variables.
Equally interesting in this work are those other factors not found to influence student
attitudes toward courses. For example, the student him- or herself was not found to
significantly contribute toward attitude about the course. The researchers explain why
they were surprised by this finding. "Given the emphasis some educators place on
encouraging students to take ownership of their education, it was surprising to find that,
overall, this group of students did not see themselves as being instrumental in shaping
their own education experience." (p. 146) What the findings confirm is that students (at
least those in this cohort) do not understand that they are at least partially responsible
for what happens to them in courses. It seems to reconfirm the extremely passive
orientation many students take toward knowledge acquisition.
Also surprising was that fact that other students were not seen as a factor influencing
student attitudes. This means that "educators cannot assume that students will
automatically appreciate the value of the diverse student population that takes a given
college course together." Finally, in a follow-up analysis that explored some of the
factors related to course execution (which these researchers defined as overall design
and conduct of the course), there was confirmation for some facts about participation
many of us have observed in our individual classrooms. "Students in classes where
participation was expected and graded were significantly more likely to prepare for
class, attend class, and commit to excellence. Students in those classes where
participation was emphasized were also significantly more likely to value the
contributions that other students make to their learning experiences."
TOM'S ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL TIPS
Fellow Colleagues: I am a member of the college's ad-hoc Student/Faculty
Advising/Retention committee. Over the past year, we discussed many aspects of
the retention issue, and it is my belief that we can best serve (and hopefully retain)
our students by getting them to realize why they are here, what college is about, and
what it takes to succeed in college. While some of you may be going over some of
the things I will be covering, I find that many students have really not given much
thought to or have not been exposed to the "whys" and "whats" and "hows" of
college life.
Instead of requiring all new students to attend an orientation session to expose them
to the "answers" to such questions, the committee has decided to first get faculty
involved in the process by suggesting that you try discussing the following on the
first day of classes or sometime during the first 2 weeks of classes.
Through the years, I take students through a "reality check" so they know what to
expect of me and the college experience. Although many of you are doing some of
the following, the committee believes that if we all establish some basics related to
our own classes, students will perhaps "get the message", take their college learning
more seriously, get better grades, and be more prepared to face the future.
Hopefully, this will translate in a "reality check" which will increase our retention
rates. So, here is a list of things I do in the first few days of the semester.
The first thing I do is to tell my students a true story. I tell them that my wife (a
college graduate) is at the mid management level at one of Hawaii's largest banks.
She tells me all the time that she hires (and then sometimes eventually has to fire)
college graduates who can't think or don't have a clue as to how to begin to solve a
problem in her area of banking. They are unable to offer alternative solutions to
problems and also cannot write or cohesively present a logical explanation or
argument of their work. Some the people she hires even have master's degrees in
business administration!
After I relate this story to my students, I then ask and discuss with them, checklist of
questions. I call them:
Tom's Essential Survival Tips for students on the first day...the first "reality
check"
Q: Why are you coming to college?
[Call on students to get some of their answers]
Q: Why do employers hire college graduates and pay them more?
[Solicit student responses]
My A: Employers pay college graduates (more money) to use their brain. Using
your brain means that you will be paid more to be able to think and solve problems.
In addition to learning the content (information) in the variety of courses you will
take, keep in mind that the main purpose of attending college is to learn to think and
solve problems, in many different ways. Each course you take teaches you to think
(analyze the world around you) in different ways. Some of these ways are:
• Quantitatively through the study of math and science
 • Qualitatively by studying humanities and social sciences, art, music
• Ethically through philosophy, religion
• Logically in all disciplines
• Temporally (analysis through time) as in history
• Spatially (analysis of Earth) through geography
• Socially
[Add your own for the discipline you teach]
In order to learn to think, solve problems and truly train your mind, you will need to
put in some study time --- much more study time that went into passing your high
school classes! Getting "good grades" is more a matter of how much "sweat" you
put into a course rather than "how smart you are".
Q: How many of you got "A"s and "B"s in high school?
[Show of hands]
Q: How many of you who got "A"s and "B"s had to really study hard to get those
grades?
[Show of hands]
Q: How many of you expect to get "A"s and "B"s at HCC?
[Show of hands]
Q: How many of you expect to get "D"s and "F"s?
[Show of hands]

Comment: Of course, none of you raised your hands and most of you think of
earning "A"s and "B"s because all of you have very high expectations at the
beginning of the semester. Yet, sadly, many of you will be "D"s and "F"s; and, of the
two other students sitting around you, one and perhaps even two of you won't be
here at the end of the first semester! [HCC has over 60% attrition!]
Q: WHY? My A: Because many of you will treat your experience here as an
extension of the high school experience.
Q: Can you get the same "A"s and "B"s IN COLLEGE by devoting the same
amount of study time that you did in high school?
My A: I think most of you intuitively know you need to devote more time to
studying, but most of you will fall into the same habits you formed in high school:
get by with the minimum effort. The reality is that you MUST spend more time
studying for college courses than you did in high school.
Here are the "realities" of college vs. high school which require more studying, and
getting right down to business "from the get go":
Meeting days: HCC: A 16 week semester course which meets twice a week, will
meet for a total of only 30 days! If classes were held daily, the semester would only
be 6 weeks long.
High school: Courses are held daily over 10 month period. There are 182 class days
in the high school academic year - 6 times the number of days of the HCC semester!
Conclusion: The end of the semester is deceptively distant, but very close! You need
to get into it as soon as possible.
Study time: HCC: With "time compression" (from the previous discussion of
meeting days), you must study daily. Two to three hours for each hour of class time
 is a good "rule of thumb". No class time is available for "review" before exams.
High school: Learning occurs over such a long period of time (and so slowly) that
students devote little or no time to studying. In addition, teachers often have time to
review material before a test.
Homework and assigned reading: HCC: While some courses assign daily
"homework", most courses do not assign homework, so there is a perception that
there is a lot of time to read and study the information. There are also no "reading
assignments" per se during the semester, so reading is often left to the "last minute"
and texts often go unread.
High school: Homework or reading assignments are constant reminders for students
during the school year.
Result: High school: "A"s and "B"s without studying
HCC: "D"s and "F"s without studying
Q: What do we mean by studying?
A:[You may have your own definition and tips, but here are some I discuss with
students.]
Studying is understanding the material. Understanding the information and
concepts means that you can apply the information in the solution of problems. The
more you don't understand the terms, concepts, or problems, the more, not less, you
will need to study. If you don't understand your notes or the text, see your professor.
Simply reading all of your notes and the text is not studying. You must understand
what you read. Again, if you don't understand the material, you can't really say
you've studied the material.
Studying for an exam is not simply reading or "going over" your notes the night
before an exam. Studying for understanding required of exams requires studying
and continual review of the material throughout the semester; not on the night
before the exam.
As I end my session with them, I ask them the following to consider about their
experience and preparation for the future:
"How many of you would feel comfortable going to a professional (mechanic,
doctor, hair stylist, teacher, financial advisor, or whatever) if you knew that they got
mostly "C"s and "D"s in college? Would you place your trust or money in them?"
As I retire, I will be relying on what you learned, on your skills, and on your
qualifications and expertise as I pay for the services you will be provide me.

The First Day of Class

What to do and not do – Before, during and after
All parties – students and teacher included – are just a little nervous on the
first day of a new class: the students because they don't know what to expect
and are afraid of being unable to perform, and the teacher because he or she
doesn't know what kind of collective attitude the students may possess towards
learning, and how much of themselves they will be willing to invest in
improving themselves.

The teacher should, of course (in one sense), know better than to feel anxious,
because he or she has probably "been there and done that" numerous times in
the past. In another sense, however, the teacher, like an actor performing
before a new audience, really cannot know in advance how receptive the
students will actually be, at least of their own accord. There are ways, though,
to virtually ensure a successful class from the very first day, and that is what
we will be discussing here.

First things first. A successful first class begins before it ever meets; i.e., a
placement exam has been given to the students to group them in a class of a
similar knowledge and ability level; a textbook and other study materials have
been chosen; and a teacher has been selected for the class who is experienced
and successful with the given level of students, or at least has been trained to
know how to teach them well, even without prior experience. If any of these
elements is lacking, the teaching is not likely to be very successful, and the
students may not be happy no matter how well the teacher may teach.

Given that the above conditions have been met, a conscientious teacher is
likely to arrive with plans for teaching the first two or three lessons, probably
along with some supplementary material (and realia to bring conversational
situations to life), which of course is exactly the correct procedure.

Now, however, is the time for caution! Read and heed the following
instructions about what not to do on the first day of class:

DO NOT: Start right in teaching. You and the class need to get acquainted
and bond with one another first.
 Begin speaking in your students' language, if it can be avoided (in other
words, if they are above beginning level).
 Correct any conversational errors at this point.
 Give more attention to the brighter or more outgoing students than to
the others.
 Spend too much time talking about yourself, especially your personal
life.
 Criticize the book that has been selected by your school for the class! If
this is not your favorite textbook, or even if you hate it, you must not at
any time allow your personal attitude to be known!
DO:
 Introduce yourself briefly. Smile and be modest, while at the same time
assuring the students of your qualifications for, and interest in, helping
them. Answer with a smile any questions relating to your marital status,
whether you like Thai food and Thai people (if you are in Thailand!), etc.
 Clean up your native accent to make your speech as understandable as
possible. Do not speak too fast, but also do not speak unnaturally slow.
Never speak "pigeon English" in order to the understood. And never stop
joining sounds in a natural way between your words and syllables, as
otherwise your students may understand only you, amongst all the other
English native speakers they will meet!
 Take your time and get thoroughly acquainted with each member of your
class. Find out brief personal (but not too personal!) information about
each student. Learn the students' names and how to pronounce them
and take brief (and non-distracting) notes about the conversational
strengths and weaknesses of each one, while also finding out and noting
down what English problems each student feels he or she has.
 Find out the various study objectives the different students may have,
and show very briefly how these can be met during the course.
  After getting acquainted with each student, promise them exactly what
they will achieve in their course, if they apply themselves and do the
homework you assign.
 Introduce and describe in a very favorable way the course book(s) they
have been given (despite any feelings or reservations you might actually
have to the contrary, as mentioned above). Show how, with your help,
their materials give them all the information and tools they will need in
order to be successful in improving their English and achieving their
objectives.
 LAY DOWN YOUR STUDY RULES NOW! You will need to establish a
set of rules that your class needs to follow, and you must do this now!
We might compare this procedure to that of interviewing someone to
work for you. In doing that, you describe the duties the person would
have in doing his or her job, and these duties would, no doubt, be found
acceptable by the job applicant. However, if you hire the person, and
later ask him or her to accomplish certain duties not described at the job
interview, you may receive a small amount of cooperation at first, but
will eventually be told in no uncertain terms that such work is not part of
their duties (in other words, they will feel they are being imposed on)!
The following are some of the rules you may wish to lay down to your
class:
1. Speak only in English, unless it's absolutely necessary to speak in
your own language to find something out.
2. Answer teacher questions directly, instead of conferring with your
colleagues first, and be assured that you will have ample chance
to do work in pairs and small groups during which you can do a
minimum amount of conferring, if necessary.
3. Do the homework assigned, and turn it in on time.
4. Don't be afraid that an answer might be wrong. No one will laugh
if it is, and the teacher will not be unhappy. In fact, making
mistakes is often how we learn best! (Then you, the teacher, stick
to your word, and make sure you always react as predicted.)
5. Ask questions if something is not understood. The fact is that if a
given person has a question (whether he or she asks it or not),
the chances are other students will have the same question, and
would also like to know the answer. Thus, the person daring to
ask it will not lose face.
6. Try to avoid telling the teacher that you understand something,
just because you are afraid of admitting you don't. (This actually
should not happen, however, as you the teacher will know to elicit
the given conversational skill – showing whether it has been
understood or not – rather than depend on asking students if they
understand. Certainly, more often than not they will assure that
you they do understand, even though you have trained them not
to, and when they don't understand at all.)
Finally, If you have a bit of time left over, introduce a small part of their first
lesson, explaining exactly the purpose of it, do a few communciations
incorporating the skills demonstrated, and give them a very short homework
assignment.

Be upbeat and positive! At the end of the class, try to build some excitement
for future classes. All of the above are reasonably good rules, and are intended
mainly as guidelines for you to establish your own. If you follow them well, you
will have bonded with your students on the first day of class – which is actually
what that first day is intended to accomplish!
What to do for a Teacher's First Day in Class
A teacher's first day in class is often a stressful and busy time. At the beginning of the year,
teachers are often faced with a plethora of things that they must get done before the first
school bell rings. This can be particularly challenging for first-year teachers, who do not yet
have a feel for what is and is not requisite. Balancing your time and accomplishing the most
important preparation tasks is much easier if you prioritize and determine what things you
absolutely need for the first day of school, and what things can wait for later.

Grade Book
1. Your grade book is as important as your right arm. This useful recording device
contains class rosters, student grades and attendance. Your grade book should be
your No. 1 priority when preparing for the first day of school. Having this data
storage tool handy on the first day of school will make your start easier.

Lesson Plan Book

2. To keep yourself organized, you need to record all of your lesson plans in one,
centralized location. Use a lesson plan book, and draft out your intended lessons
for the first week of school. Keep this book in a convenient location, so that you can
grab it and use it as a reference if you need to refresh your memory.

Syllabus
3. Create a syllabus including your basic plan for the year. This should be given out to
students on the first day, so that they can share the information with their parents.
The creation of a syllabus is a daunting task for many new teachers. Remember,
this just needs to be a rough outline, not a day by day list of activities. Also, it is fine
to deviate from the syllabus during the course of the year. Don't stress over the
creation of this document, simply list your intended plans.

Rules and Procedures

4. Establish your rules and procedures on the first day of school. Your students will be
more likely to follow the prescribed rules if they are enforced consistently from the
beginning of the year. Having an established set of procedures will help your
students understand what they need to do in class each day. Have rules and
procedures ready for the first day of school, post them in the room and provide
students with a copy to take home.

Seat Assignments
5. Don't allow chaos to prevail. Make seating arrangements before your first day of
school. While you may ultimately decide to allow your students some choice in
selecting their seat, you should assign seats for the first day of school. Students
are likely as nervous as you are about the start of the new school year. Don't add to
their stress by forcing them to enter a classroom and decide for themselves where
they want to sit. Label desks with student names, so that they can tell immediately
where they should sit. Also, create a seating chart for your use. This chart will help
you learn student names more efficiently.
AUG

Nine questions I ask my students on the first day

of school
Filed Under "At-risk" students, Behaviour Management
You’ve probably heard that expression that goes something like “you only get one chance to make
a good first impression”. The first impression, that’s what concerns me about the first day of
school. I want, no make that I need my students’ first impression of me and my classroom to be a
positive one because I know that if for some reason things don’t get off to a good start it’s going
to be an uphill battle for a long time.
As a Special Education teacher, I teach students who need extra support in some way or another
to help them be as successful as they can be. Some of my students are so disconnected from
teachers and school that they are at-risk of failing classes and even dropping out all together. I
certainly don’t want that to happen ,so I need to engage these kids right from the first bell.
What do I do to try to make a good impression on the first day? You know part of me thinks it’s
amazing that I’m even talking about the teacher making a good first impression. That part of me
is thinking isn’t making a good impression something the student needs to be concerned with? The
other part of me realizes that of course times have changed since the days back when, and I know
from experience that it is important to set the right tone on the first day. I’ve had kids come and
tell me they hate their teachers after just one class. There’s that first impression. We all do it. We
make our first impression within seconds of meeting someone. Well maybe it’s longer than a few
seconds. Don’t quote me on that one. I do remember reading some statistic about the length of
time it takes us to make a first impression , but I’ve forgotten exactly how long that was but was
an astonishing short amount of time. Maybe someone can remind me.
Now my challenge is that the students who come to my math class on the first day are specifically
placed in my class because they haven’t enjoyed very much success in math thus far. Most of
them come hating math and hating my class because , as so many of them keep telling me , it’s a
class for losers. So you can appreciate why I’m a bit concerned about making a positive
impression on the first day. If they already hate math, and if if they already hate the idea of
coming to my class because they perceive it as a class for losers , if they decide to hate me too
how much am I going to be able to teach them? How much are they going to be able to learn?
So, what do I do the first day of class. Well, for one thing I want them to leave that first class
respecting me. How do I do that? Demonstrating competence never hurts. So I’ll start by be
organized. Me, being organized is so crucial on the first day because the first day of school is so
confusing for my students, especially the grade nines who are new to the school. Oh sure, they
have been to orientation activities but still their heads will be spinning. Since they probably won’t
be organized, I’ll have to be organized for them. I’ll have extra supplies for them to use. I’ll have
an outline on the board of what we are going to be doing for that class, and I’ll greet them at the
door and welcome them and introduce myself. That sets the stage.
One of things I ‘ll do that first class is get to know my students better by having them answer nine
questions about themselves. I tell them that I would really appreciate it if they could answer some
questions about themselves because their answers will help me plan the lessons and the activities
we’ll do in class. I really do use their answers. The questions are
1. When have you felt particularly successful in school?

2. When have you been the most proud of learning something?

3. What is the easiest part of school?

I ask these questions first because I want the first thing they write for me to be about something
positive. I want them to remember that they have been successful at something in the past
because I want them to be open to being successful in the future in my class. Remember these
kids think of themselves as “losers’. I want them to remember they have been winners.
Then I go on to ask about challenges they have at school because the sooner I know about the
challenges, the sooner I can teach kids strategies and give them support so that they can help
themselves cope with whatever. So I ask
4. What is the hardest part of school?

Next, I get subject specific. When I teach a math class, I ask about math. When I teach a literacy
class, I ask about reading and writing. so because I’m teaching math the questions are
5. What do you like about math?

6. When is math easy or fun for you?

7. When is math difficult for you?

Believe me, the kids like having the opportunity to tell me what they like and don’t like about the
subject.
Then, I go on to ask the following questions. I want my students to realize that we are a team. We
each have our part to do in the learning that goes on in class. I need to know what I can do to
help my students be more successful, and my students need to know what they can do to help
themselves be more successful. These questions focus on the team aspect of the student/teacher
relationship , and I discuss this with them.
8. What three things can I as the teacher do to help you become more successful as a student in
this class?
9. What three things can you do as a student to help yourself be more successful this year?

Usually I get good cooperation. Sometimes, not often, a student will answer all questions in a
negative way. That, in itself speaks volumes about that kid, and I respect his answers, and I don’t
ask him to change them to positive ones. At the end of the semester, I’lll have the kids answer
these questions again, and we’ll discuss the second set of answers vis-a-vis the first set of
answers.
After completing this activity, I’ll tell my students that since they are in grade nine, by now, they
are experts at knowing what makes a classroom work so that it is respectful and learning can go
on. Given this, I want us to come up with some rules for the classroom that are stated in a
positive way. For example, “come to class on time” and not “don’t be late for class”. Once we have
decided on the rules for the classroom , we’ll create posters and post them around the room to
remind us of what we need to do. The posters in the classroom are like the signs along the
highway. They tell us what the appropriate thing to do is. In my last post , I talked about my
theory about rules for the classroom. I don’t want to repeat myself here.
I just want to say in closing that I hope by the end of the first class the students realize the
following:
1. The students and I are a team
2. They have their job to do
3. I have my job to do
4. Certain behaviours are conducive to learning and these are to be encouraged
5. Certain behavior in the classroom are not conducive to learning and these are to be discouraged
6. Their input is valued
At least the way I see it.
At this point I’d like to thank Mathew, Sarah, Tracy, Emily, Peggy, and Ron for their insightful
comments about my last post Nine things my students taught me about classroom management
and teaching. Please keep those comments coming. It’s important to hear other points of view on
a topic, not just mine. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I’m not always right. I’m open to
other points of view. So please, don’t hesitate to make a comment. Discussion is healthy. I’d also
like to thank three feet up and the podsafe music network for my theme music.

What's the Truth?

Most teachers know the difficulty of an opening lecture, introducing students to
the goals and expectations of the course, and, hoping beyond hope sometimes,
that the students might respond at some point during that first session. I have
found a fun and inventive way to make my students feel relaxed with me and to
begin to feel relaxed and comfortable with one another in a question / answer,
pair share activity. I've found this specific warm-up game workable and useful at
a variety of English proficiency levels. For lower level classes, simply make the
statements more direct and use appropriate vocabulary. For more advanced,
you can expand your "true or false" questions based on students' capabilities.
The main objective is for the students to feel comfortable and to meet at least
one person in the class and to begin building rapport while practicing writing,
listening and speaking.

Step 1
The instructor introduces herself to the class and makes a few casual remarks to get
the students acquainted with his/her voice and intonation. Next, the instructor tells the
class that they are going to play a game called "What's the Truth?" On the board the
teacher lists five sentences about herself (again, these can be very basic or more
complex depending on the level), two that are false, three that are true. For example:
1. I love to cook and eat Indian food.
2. I speak three languages: Spanish, English and Russian.
3. I am married and have two children.
4. I love to write short stories and poetry.
5. I lived and worked in Japan for two years.

Step 2
The teacher tells the students that some of these statements are true while others are
false. She reads the sentences aloud to the class and it, collectively, votes on which
are true and which are false. The teacher counts the votes and writes the numbers next
to the statements. All of this creates quite a lot of giggles and guesses as to which
sentences are true. I believe it helps to get the students thinking about the instructor as
a "real" person, just like them.

Step 3
Next the instructor reveals the three statements that are true and asks the class which
one they would like to know more about. Everyone votes and the teacher then spends
a few minutes talking about herself: her love for ethnic cooking, her life in Japan, the
book of poems she just wrote, etc. The "opening up" of the teacher in front of her
students helps to lighten the atmosphere and begins to set the tone for the semester's
learning experience.

Step 4
Now it is the students' turn to play the game. On a sheet of paper they must write two
false statements and three true ones about themselves. These sentences can be very
simple or more complex, but I usually stress that students try to be as creative and free
as possible. Allow about 5-7 minutes for the writing process. After completion, break
the students into appropriate pairs (perhaps selecting them by gender, native
language, race, age, etc. to form diverse groups) and have them begin to play "What's
the Truth?" This instantly gives them something to focus upon and talk about as they
try to guess the truth about their partner. After the true sentences have been revealed,
the students, too, must choose one sentence or topic statement to discuss further.
Depending on how talkative and lively the class is in response to this game, the
instructor should allow about twenty minutes (10 minutes per person) for the
elaboration of the true statement.

Step 5
The final phase of this game is for the pair teams to stand up and introduce each other,
by name, to the rest of the class and tell one "true" interesting fact about one another.
By warming up with the pair share activity and by introducing and talking about
someone else, the performance pressure is lessened for the speaker and the rest of
the class begins to become familiar with other students.
Caveats
If time allows and the instructor is stressing listening and memory skills, she could also
"test" the class on each other's names, or what information they have learned about
each other. For example, the instructor could say, "Keiko, what do you remember
about Hsui-Jen?" or "Who can tell me first the name of the student who studied in
Russia?"

I have found this introductory activity, which takes virtually no preparation time,
to produce lively, fun and often-times surprising results. I had a student reveal
that he was a doctor in his native country, a woman who adores Elvis Presley
songs, and one young girl confessed that she once gave $50.00 to a street
beggar because she had no change! Most of the students really begin to speak
and laugh with one another as they read their "lies" and tried to decipher the
truth. At best, each student has become better acquainted with another student
and all have become better acquainted with the instructor as a person, very
similar to them, who has likes, dislikes and has possibly experienced a few
adventures!

My Classmates
How well do you know really know your classmates? Find someone who fits
each sentence and let that person sign his or her name in the space. Ask
questions in English.
1. ___________________________ has a telephone number that ends with 5.
2. ___________________________ lives more than two hours from school.
3. ___________________________ plans to go to New York this summer.
4. ___________________________ went skiing during winter vacation.
5. ___________________________ rides a motorcycle to school.
6. ___________________________ will go to a movie on Saturday.
7. ___________________________ has two younger brothers.
8. ___________________________ rides a bicycle to school.
9. ___________________________ `s favorite color is blue.
10. __________________________ likes to play volleyball.
11. __________________________ has a birthday in June.
12. __________________________ eats bread every day.
13. __________________________ has a dog for a pet.
14. __________________________ likes to read books.
15. __________________________ can play the guitar.
16. __________________________ does not like cake.
17. __________________________ plays baseball.
18. __________________________ enjoys swimming.

This checklist doesn't cover everything, but it's a good place to start.
1. Is your room ready?
You should have up a few things on bulletin boards, but save lots of space for
student work to be added the first day or two, to personalize the room.
2. Do you have nametags for the students and for their desks?
Be sure to have extras, because some kids on your list probably won't show up,
and you'll get new students enrolling for the first week or two.
3. Do you have soft music to play in the background?
4. Do you have a sign-in sheet for the parents who come with their
children the first day, where they can leave you personal notes if they
don't have time to talk?
5. Do you have a paper for parents to indicate how their child gets home
from school?
This is *very* important, because the first week is very hectic and you have to
be sure kids go where they're supposed to go. Few things in life are as scary
as "losing" someone's child, especially before you've even matched faces to all
the names.
6. Do you have some games, puzzles, books and magazines, math
manipulatives, etc., out and ready for the students to use as they arrive in
class?
You'll need these ready so that you're free to talk with parents and handle
paperwork.
7. Do you have a Beary Good Work folder made up for each child?
This folder will have coloring pages, games, mazes, blank writing paper, and
other fun learning activities to use during quiet times the first week or two of
school. Mine is about 20 pages long, run on the ditto machine to save my
copies for later in the year. Make 5 extra folders, and don't put names on any of
them until a child begins using them.
8. Do you have stickers, Skittles or M&M's, or some other form of reward
to give out several times each day for the first week or two?
Reinforcing good behavior is extremely important. Decide what your reward
system will be and be generous with it while getting classroom routines
established.
9. Do you have a project or two for your students to complete and take
home the first day?
10. Have you selected what stories and poems you will read? Do you
have follow up activities ready to go?
11. Do you have a packet of materials to send home about yourself, your
rules and expectations, and your classroom routine and schedule? I'll be
adding my first day packet to the website sometime soon.
12. Do you have the following items tucked in a drawer or cabinet?
* aspirin
* deoderant, toothbrush and paste, cologne, hand lotion, cosmetics, etc.
* anti-bacterial soap for washing your own hands
* baby wipes for washing little hands (I don't let kids use my sink)
* room freshener spray
* a good supply of bottled water ... it's important to keep your throat from
drying
out from all the talking you do, which can cause laryngitis
13. Do you have the following items on your desk?
* a picture of your family or pets
* a daily inspiritional calendar of some sort
* notepaper, pens, and pencils
 * hall passes, if your school uses them
* referral forms, if your school uses them
* a jar of colored markers
* your reward/candy/sticker jar
14. Are the following items on student desks/tables?
* Beary Good Work folder
* Nametags
* pencils, crayons, eraser, etc. -- I usually buy a pencil box or basket to
hold
these items so they stay together. Empty videotape boxes work well,
too.
15. Are your desk, work tables, and counters straightened up and
presentable?
This is the hardest part of teaching for me. I keep two large photocopy paper
boxes under my desk (I never have time to sit there anyhow), and I use them to
stash things out of sight when we're expecting important guests or a substitute.
16. Do you have at least THREE copies of your class list? Keep one on a
clipboard near the door, to take outside during Fire Drills, unless your
school has a different procedure.
17. Have you organized a warm and welcoming library area/reading
corner?
18. Do you have a paper where parents can sign up to help in the room or
by doing work for you at home (stapling and collating papers, etc.)?
OK, that's quite a bit already :o) Here are a few more things to think about
before the first day of school.
1. How and where do your students spend their time before school? If
they come directly to the classroom, what activities/procedures will you
use until the bell rings and it's time for class to begin?
2. What will you use as your signal to get the children's attention?
Flashing the lights, ringing a bell, singing a song, raising your hand and
expecting them to do the same, etc.?
3. How will you choose a student helper the first day of school, to do
things like lead the flag salute, take the attendance and lunch count
folders to the office, help pass out papers, etc.?
4. Where will your students line up after recess and lunch? Will you
have one line or two? Alphabetical order or whoever gets there first?
(ABC order really cuts down on pushing in line).
5. What is your policy about excusing children to go to the restroom
during instructional time? (5 and 6 year olds *all* need to go to the
bathroom as soon as you let the first child leave, so be sure you've
decided how to handle this :)
6. How often will you send homework and when will it be due? What is
your procedure going to be for collecting and recording homework?
7. What activities have you chosen for the first week of school, when
teachers are often busy with tons of paperwork and are frequently
interrupted by the arrival of new students, parents, and notes/phone calls
from the office?
8. What type of behavior reinforcement/positive discipline plan are you
going to use? You will probably need a pocket chart to keep track of
color changes if you are going to use that type of system (I use a calendar
pocket chart with 4 colors of apples).
9. What other class rules and procedures are you going to have? Be
sure to have them in writing before the first day of school, and spend time
the first day explaining them to your students. Realistically, you'll have to
go over class rules and procedures every day for at least a week, to help
your students learn your expectations.
10. What type of letter will you send home with students the first day of
school? Your letter should introduce you, tell them a bit about you and
your goals for the year, and explain your rules, procedures, and behavior
management plan.
11. What will you do about students who consistently don't complete
their work?
12. What are your policies for allowing children out of their seat during
worktime? Will most of your work be assigned seatwork, or will your
students spend most of their time out of their seats, doing individual and
group learning activities?
13. What is your plan for making sure that students who are absent are
able to catch up their work? (I have the person next to them get a yellow
"We Missed You" folder and put on the absent child's desk at the
beginning of the day, so that any and all work papers can be put in the
folder until the child returns to school).
14. Do you have cubbies or mailboxes for your students?
15. Where do you want your students to keep their jackets, backpacks,
and lunchboxes? (In my room, jackets and backpacks are kept on their
chairs, which greatly reduces the spread of lice. I use the area beneath
the coat hooks as a work area for centers and independent work).
16. What will your rule be about interrupting you when you are working
with a student or a group? (In my room, students may only interrupt me
for B Emergencies ... blood, bathroom, and barf :)
17. If a parent shows up unexpectedly and wants to conference with you
during classtime, what will you do? (I usually ask them to have a seat and
let them know when I will be able to talk to them. I also ask them if they'd
like a job to do while they wait, and give them a tub of papers to collate
and staple, or something similiar. I *always* have work ready for helpers
to do).
18. What are your procedures for fire drills, etc.? Be sure to go over
these the first morning, and take your students on a walking tour of the
campus, showing them where they meet and line up during a fire drill, if
they aren't with you when the bell goes off.

18 Things Teachers Need to Do the First Day of Class

The first day of class is perhaps the most important time for teachers in setting the atmosphere
for the class for the rest of the term, semester, or year depending on the length of the class.
This will be a teacher's first and best opportunity to make sure student's attitudes toward you,
the course, and other students will support a constructive learning environment.

Therefore, what can you do to make the first day a positive experience for all involved. Here is a
list of ideas from a high school teacher, and these can be changed or added too depending on
your subject matter, grade level, personal style, and school.

A. Enthusiasm
You must be enthusiastic about the class if you want the students to be interested in the
material. Tell them why the subject is important to you, how it will help them in the future, or
what classes it will help them with in the future.

B. Introduction

Introduce yourself to the class, and tell them a few things about you. Who you are, where you
have been, and what you like to do is of interest to the students. If they get a feel that you are a
real person, and have things in common with them, they will be more likely to treat you with
respect and politeness. Everyone has had a favorite teacher in his or her life, and I doubt it was
the teacher who dryly read off the periodic table from memory.

C. Course Expectations

Give the class a well-designed syllabus, clarify expectations for grades, class rules, late work,
use of cell phones or iPods, everything. Tell students up front will the class be hard, what is
needed to pass and receive an "A". This is not only your time to set down the rules, but gives
you something to go back to with students or parents if problems arise later. It is much easier to
set rules, and lighten up later if the class can handle it, then try to toughen up later.

D. Textbook

Give the book out the first day. Remind student's that it is their responsibility to keep it in good
shape. Suggest or demand that students put a cover on it to protect it. Give a brief positive
overview of the book. Even if you have wanted a new one for years, do not let the students think
you hate it.

E. Questions
Provide an opportunity for students to ask questions about you, the class, the book, the
weather, or what ever. You want the students to feel comfortable asking questions so make
sure the students leave the first class knowing they can.

F. Ice-Breakers

Do some form of an icebreaker exercise. Have students introduce them selves, say their
favorite kind of pie, there are many ways. The goal is to get communication going in the class.

G. Assignment

Give out an assignment the first day. You want the students to leave knowing this is a real
class, and you expect them to work. You do need to remember that this is not their only class.
Students will have between 4 - 8 classes a day depending on the high school and its
scheduling. As teachers, we tend to think our material is the most important, and a few teachers
give more homework then everyone else, and get away with it. A 10-minute project is not a lot,
but times that by 8, and 80 minutes of work a night, especially on the first day is a lot.

First Day Check List

1. Write your name and class on the board

2. Introduce yourself and tell something about you and your family

3. Tell them about other classes you teach, and student activities you are in charge of

4. Be energized and enthusiastic

5. A hard candy or treat for students is not a bad way to end class the first day

6. Learn how to pronounce the students names correctly

7. Tell them what supplies and materials they will need

8. Hand out the textbook

9. Give out a short assignment or project

10. Write a brief overview of what you are doing today or the week on the board
11. Greet students at the door, and get their names at the start of class

12. Be on time yourself, do not run down to the office, and barely make it back

13. Have the classroom arranged properly and clean

14. Give out a clear and complete syllabus

15. Go over your class rules

16. Take attendance at beginning of class

17. Tell students how much time your class will take up of their time

18. When it is time to start class - Start class!

Title: Lesson Plan for the First Day of Class

Description of School and Students
This lesson will be taught to 10th-12th grade journalism students in an advanced
journalism class in a small, public high school in California.
Unit Objective
Students will discover the information normally given on the syllabus through
interviewing methods. Students should understand the importance of good interviewing
and note taking skills.
Activity:
• Teacher introduces him/herself and welcomes students to the class.
• Teacher explains that he/she will run the class, while the students will
run the newspaper.
• Teacher explains that the students need to know the very important
information that is usually given to them in a syllabus, but the teacher
will not be giving the students a syllabus.
• The teacher explains that interviewing skills are among the most
important in journalism; therefore, students will begin their journalism
experience by interviewing the teacher to get the information normally
given in a syllabus. Teacher recommends that students take notes.
Requirements:
• The teacher needs to have a clear idea of everything the students need to know.
• If possible, it would be helpful to start questioning with students who have been
in the class previously. (Even if this is the first time for the assignment, those
students might feel more comfortable asking questions and will be more familiar
with procedures from previous years.)
Potential Problems and Solutions:
• The students miss important questions and, therefore, information.
○ Solution: The teacher can give hints to draw students to those questions.
• The students will not ask any questions.
○ Solution: The teacher can write random, but important topics on the
board (i.e. grades, assignments, positions, etc.) to encourage students to
ask questions along those lines.
 • The class runs out of time before getting all the necessary information.
○ Solution: The teacher should have a written syllabus prepared to give
students the next day.
Assessment
• The following day, the teacher hands out the written syllabus.
• Students compare the written syllabus to the information they gathered in their
notes the day before.
• The teacher can lead a discussion on what information the students missed, how
they missed that information and why they missed that information.
• That discussion can lead into a discussion or lecture on the importance of
journalism fundamentals.

Planning for the First Day of Class

Preparing for The First Class Meeting
On the first day of class, your students' concerns are, "What is this course all about and
what kind of person is the teacher?" For you as the instructor, the first day of class is
your opportunity to answer those questions and to establish a tone for the entire term.
Under ideal circumstances, you will have had at least a month prior to the first class
meeting to plan the syllabus, calendar, course sequence and lessons. As the first day of
class approaches, your attention will turn to the logistics that will make your class run
smoothly throughout the semester or term.
• At Least One Week Before the First Day of Class (or as soon as possible)
○ Find the building and visit the classroom.
○ Find the restrooms.
○ Obtain a key to the classroom and any computer/audiovisual cabinets.
○ Check textbook orders in bookstore.
 Prepare printed materials that students will purchase.
 Plan for any special supplies needed for class.
○ Make sure web-sites used to support your class are still active.
 Ask department members to recommend sites they find helpful.
○ Make arrangements for classroom audiovisual equipment.
○ Check the operation of overhead projector, computer or VCR (recheck right
before class).
○ Learn about the college library reserve system and place books on reserve in
the library as needed.
○ Find out your department's enrollment management policies and forms, (e.g. if
the class does/does not fill, add/drop, wait-listing students).
○ Check the sound and carry of your voice in the classroom.
○ Make sure that your handwriting on the board is clear and readable from the
back of the room. If it is not, plan to use transparencies or PowerPoints.
○ Be prepared to deal with your specific student population. For example, if a
significant number of your students are likely to have Spanish surnames, learn
how to pronounce common names for that group correctly.

On the First Day of Class

First impressions tend to be lasting impressions. Strive to convey organization, preparedness
and enthusiasm.
 • Try to arrive in the classroom before your students and organize your handouts, roll
sheet, recheck equipment functionality, and other materials.
• Put your name on the board for students to see as they come in.
• If there is additional material to be written on the board, try to do so before students
arrive, if appropriate and not distracting to student involvement in the lesson. Notes

should be written/taken in context.

• Greet students as they enter the classroom.
• Breathe. Understand and accept that being nervous is quite normal.
• Let students know when you'll handle enrollment issues such as signing add/drops.
• Show a human side.
○ Share information about yourself such as the history behind your teaching
career and other professional activities.
○ Share any activities or connections you have with the community outside of
your teaching, and any hobbies or other special interests which you enjoy.
○ Make these comments brief. (If you have students introduce themselves in
pairs, have a student introduce you.)
• Get to know your students.
○ Immediately try to associate names with faces.
○ Allow students to introduce themselves.
 Ask about career and educational goals.
 Inquire about their expectations of the class.
○ Have students write what they want to be called on a folded card and put it on
the edge of their desk.
○ If you have a digital camera ask students to hold their plaque and take their
picture. Be very sensitive to students who may not want their picture taken. You
must have their permission.
• Avoid making apologies for any lack of teaching experience. Your enthusiasm for the
subject matter and your ability to engage students is more important than experience.

• Use an icebreaker to initiate the exchange of information.

Class Structure, Tone and Expectations

Probably the most important function of the first day of class is to provide students
with the structure and expectations of the class.
• Review the syllabus completely.
○ You might have students do a paired exercise to discuss the syllabus or give an
ungraded syllabus quiz.
○ Identify and describe textbooks, lab materials or supplies.
• Make your academic and behavioral expectations very clear.
○ Describe the organization and scope of content of the class.
 If appropriate, you may have planned to let your students identify key
topics they want to discuss late in the semester. If you have done this,
you will want to discuss the intent of this plan and how students will be
engaged in the design of the course.
○ Explain attendance policies and ground rules for class interaction (see box
below).
○ Explain to students that you will frequently offer them learning strategies for
your content. And, that it will be helpful for them to pay particular attention to
learning strategies in addition to course content.
  Remember that we learn best when doing, applying or teaching
content. Get students involved in this process.
• Be honest about the skills needed to succeed in the class and identify college and
community resources available to support student success.
○ Describe any prerequisites for the course.
○ Give time estimates for study and assignments.
○ Suggest some study strategies that may help students succeed (see "Helping
Your Students" for ideas).
• Clearly explain the grading system.
• Make sure students know how to reach you.
○ Review your contact information, including office hours and location, email,

phone and fax numbers.

○ Do what you can to dispel the myth that a visit to your office, or other attempt to
contact you, will automatically signal to you that they are in trouble.
• Review safety precautions.
○ If your course requires laboratory or fieldwork, demonstrate the procedures for
using equipment and supplies safely.
 In ongoing classes, large visuals, such as posters, can be a better
learning cue than a verbal reminder.
○ Discuss emergency procedures in the event of an accident, illness or natural
disaster.
• Encourage questions and allow frequent opportunities for students to ask them.
Remember that some students need reflection opportunities before they will know what
they want to ask. Anonymous questions on 3 x 5 cards or post-its can be very helpful.

Learner-Centered Ground Rules for Conduct

by Lisa Rodriguez
A growing trend among faculty is to allow students to participate in the
decision-making process. Typically, faculty delineates a code of conduct for
their students within their syllabi, but in the learner-centered classroom,
students design the ground rules as well as the ramifications for breaking
them. This process need not exclude faculty preferences that can be inserted
at the end of the process. Here is a list of typical ground rules that students
might agree upon:
 Start and end class on time
 One speaker at a time
 Everyone participates
 Keep an open mind
 Focus on "what" and not "who"
 No "zingers" or put downs
 No one dominates discussions
 Share "air time"
 Be an active listener
 Create a safe zone
 Stay on track/topic
 Agree only if it makes sense to do so
This is not an exhaustive list but it serves as a template to show what students
often expect of themselves and of one another. For those instructors who
 might feel anxious about this process living up to the tried (but sometimes
not true) statement of conduct dictated by the instructor in the syllabus, we
suggest having all students verbally agree upon and/or sign a final list that is
duplicated and distributed for future reference. Often, faculty who use this
learner-centered approach feel that the class members have more sense of
"buy-in" or ownership of their learning environment where conduct is
concerned. As stated previously, many instructors also feel that students are
capable of deciding the consequences for breaking the code, but they find
that is sometimes necessary to lighten the decided penalty for their
classmates' unacceptable behaviors.
Also, let students know that you are ultimately responsible for maintaining a
fair learning environment. This may differ from what students feel is fair or
unfair. For a good article on what students deem to be fair in the classroom
see "That's Not Fair: Understanding Student's Ideas of Classroom Fairness,"
in The Teaching Professor, Vol. 14, Issue 4.

Final Advice
• Create an open atmosphere where dialogue between the students and you is
encouraged. Students appreciate immediate feedback.
• Take two minutes the first day to have students write reactions from the first day,
perhaps on the back of that same 3 X 5 card or anonymously if you like.
• Assess your students’ comprehension of the class material during each class session
and more formally within the first two weeks. The 3x5 card mentioned above is an easy
way to do this.
• Spend some time each class period for approximately two weeks identifying issues that
commonly stand in the way of student success and help students learn how to
overcome them. Understanding how the brain works can help your students understand
their learning processes.
• Create the atmosphere that you feel is conducive to optimum learning of your content
material. Keep in mind how people learn as you do this).
• Demonstrate that time in the class is important by engaging students in substantive
material, such as a paired discussion of the syllabus, or a reading, while completing
administrative tasks, such as taking role. Do not end the first class early in order to
send students off to purchase the textbook. If they have time constraints recommend an
online purchase or purchase prior to the start of class (there are exceptional
circumstances that you will want to attend to, but as a general rule - don't let students
out early). Those students who come prepared with textbooks the first day will have
their actions reinforced by a full menu of activities the first class meeting.
• Students will appreciate your interest in their learning and if you follow many of the
suggestions presented here, they will have begun taking an active part in that learning.

Mother tongue in the classroom?

Hello again,
Should EL teachers use the mother-tongue in the classroom? The rationale for not using the
mother tongue was a mixture of pedagogical and pragmatic. First, use only of the target
language allows learners...... maximum exposure to English. Thus learners can accustom
their ear to the new sounds, develop listening strategies and be discouraged from
translating. Teachers with multi-lingual groups could not be expected to know all the native
languages of their students, so English was the only practical medium for teaching. And even
teachers with mono-lingual groups do not always a level of proficiency in the language of the
students to be able to teach in that language.
Commercial pressures are at work too. Exam boards would have to spend a lot to translate
the exam rubrics into a lot of different languages and publishers produce only English
versions of coursebooks.
But if a class is monolingual the reasons for using the mother tongue for specific reasons are
surely convincing. First there is the time-saving benefit of issuing complex task instructions
in the mother tongue or troubleshooting when activities are not working too well. Then there
are issues of comprehension. Take false friends as an example. It is often helpful to use
mother tongue comparisons to help clarify such issues. If the learners are children then use
of mother tongue in such situations can be helpful to keep the pace of the lesson brisk so
that the children do not lose attention.
Then there is the value in making structural comparisons. Where English grammar is posing
a conceptual difficulty, an illustration of a mother tongue equivalent can be helpful. Take the
ways in which English uses the present tense, for example. Linking examples of each use of
the present tense with the mother tongue equivalent can help learners understand how
English works.
It seems to me that what is important for learners to have effective teaching and if use of
the mother tongue adds to the effectiveness then it should be used when required. It is a
good idea to agree a policy on its use with the group at the beginning of the course: when
and why will mother tongue be used and by whom.