Teaching How-to: Chapter 2.3: The First Day

Introductions

You to Your Students

Consider starting with a brief personal introduction. Sharing a bit about yourself, maybe with slides featuring pictures of you in and out of the classroom, can help create momentum for a student introduction activity. You can draw on your teaching philosophy or positionality statement and, if applicable, share responses to questions asked in a pre-class survey. For inspiration, refer back to Ch. 2.1, “Getting Ready to Teach”. 

Your Students to One Another

Since students will be working together throughout the semester, it’s important to help them learn each other’s names and pronouns early on. When selecting icebreakers or discussion prompts, keep in mind that students come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences; some may be hesitant to share personal details, especially on the first day. Low-stakes icebreaker questions allow students to decide how much they share while fostering intentional and mindful community-building.

Here are some sample icebreakers you might use on that first day:

• What drew you to this class?
• What’s your favorite place on campus?
• What’s something you’re enjoying listening to right now; an audiobook, a song, a podcast?
• “Which one are you today?”: Show a slide with an array of pictures—they can be silly (e.g., cat memes) or course-related (e.g., photos of the planets in the solar system). Ask students to pick the one that best represents their current mood. 

For larger classes (20+ students), consider breaking them into smaller groups of 4-5 people for introductions and icebreakers. Keep track of the groupings and mix them up next time—this helps students meet more classmates, and helps you to start learning names. 

Learning Names

Learning student names can be challenging, especially in larger classes. Here are a few strategies to get you started:

• Draw up a seating chart and fill it in as students introduce themselves. Even if your students don’t sit in the same spot next time, it’s a useful starting point for creating a mental map of faces and names.
• Ask for students’ names when they speak and repeat their names when you respond.
• Look at the photo roster on the course Learning Management System (LMS) to start memorizing names and faces. 
• Refer to the photo roster frequently when reading pre-class surveys, assigning groups before class, responding to emails, or recording grades. 

Setting Group Norms

Establishing group norms is essential in any setting where students interact, such as discussion sections, labs, office hours, and review sessions. Ideally, these norms should be drawn up before students participate in group activities so that everyone is mindful of how they engage and what they choose to share with one another. 

To encourage student responsibility for these norms, consider incorporating their input through a pre-class survey. This not only provides a starting point for discussion, it also shows students that you value their perspectives and empower them to take ownership of their learning environment.

Setting group norms is also an opportunity to make aspects of the hidden curriculum more explicit. For example, you might clarify the purpose and expectations for participating in discussions or explain what terms like “active listening” and “respectful dialogue” look like in practice. See Ch. 2.1, “Getting Ready to Teach,” for more on the hidden curriculum.

Here are some examples of group norms:

Items can be added to the list throughout the semester as needed. When making updates, be sure to inform students, email them the revised list, and remind them at the start of the next class session. Regularly soliciting feedback on group norms is a good practice to have throughout the semester because it reinforces student engagement and ensures your classroom practice remains attentive to students needs. 

Reviewing the Syllabus and Policy Sheet

Take time to walk students through the syllabus and policy sheet pausing to check for understanding and encourage questions. If you assigned these materials as pre-class reading, think about ways to make this portion of the class more interactive; see Ch. 4, “Engaging Students in Active Learning,” for some ideas. 

This is your chance to set clear expectations for both yourself and your students. You can always revisit the syllabus and policy sheet if necessary, but addressing key points now helps avoid unnecessary disruptions to learning time later on in the semester. 

Introducing Course Material

Give space for students to engage with and get excited about the course material. Use this opportunity to introduce the course’s big-picture goals and explore the relevance of the course content to their daily lives. These initial conversations can serve as references throughout the semester to reinforce specific topics or skills in a given class session. 

When introducing course material, applying backward design can help frame new topics and ideas. Start with the end goals: what do you want students to know and be able to do by the end of the semester? How are you going to help them get there? Asking yourself these questions can help you frame the material in a way that aligns with the course’s intended objectives. For more on backward design and how it can guide your approach to introducing and structuring course content, see Ch. 3.1, “Preparing for Class: Principles and Frameworks”.

Building in discussion about course goals is one way to design multiple means of engagement for your students, as outlined in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines. By emphasizing motivation and real-world connections, you create various pathways for engagement, making the content more meaningful and accessible while also motivating students to commit to the work they’ll have to do throughout the semester. The first day is an opportunity to spark excitement and curiosity by showing students why the course content matters. Incorporating discussions, real-world examples, or reflective activities, you can make the content feel more accessible and relevant to all types of learners.

This also is a good time to situate the role of your lab, discussion section, review session, or other class meetings within the broader course structure. Here are some questions to help frame this role for your students: 

• How will this help students with their papers or exams?
• What new skills or knowledge will they gain from participating?
• How will your sessions complement lecture material?
• How will this course support students in achieving both short- and long-term goals?

Wrap-Up

Every session should have a wrap-up that connects the day’s activities to the broader course objectives and mentally primes students for the next session. As you work through this wrap-up, consider answering: 

• What’s coming up in the next session? 
• What assignments, readings, or preparation are due? 
• When and where will you be hosting office hours, and what topics might students bring? 

If you can, hang around for a few minutes after class in case students have questions or just want to chat. This small gesture can go a long way in developing a friendly working relationship. 

Summary 

The first day of class sets the tone for the rest of the semester. By planning ahead and approaching the session with intention, you can foster an inclusive and engaging environment from the start. Your choices on the first day can shape students’ perceptions of the class and their role within it. A strong first day invites students into a learning community and lays the groundwork for productive, collaborative, and goal-oriented learning.

Works Cited

MIT Teaching + Learning Lab. (n.d.). Discussion guidelines. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from 

https://tll.mit.edu/teaching-resources/inclusive-classroom/discussion-guidelines/