The Guide to Teaching

First Day of Classes

Topic Statement (Joel J Schwartz):

The new topic of the Teaching Guide is: First Day of Classes.

FIRST DAY OF CLASSES CAN SET THE TONE FOR MUCH THAT FOLLOWS.
BELOW ARE LISTED SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THAT FIRST
MEETING.
_____________________________________
Do any of you Teach-Pol(ers) have any first day exercises that you use for
breaking the ice or for making it easy for students to become acquainted
with one another?

Please add to this list your own suggestions for the first day of
class.
______________________________________
Tell students not only about the class, but also about yourself. This
will help to break down the hierarchy of the classroom.

Distribute index cards. Ask for any combination of information from
the following list of questions:


Names, hometowns, why taking this class, life experiences relevant to your
class, academic majors, previous classes whose content may be related to
your course?

Who are their heroes? What are their hobbies? Career plans?

Also possible--short, ungraded essay which can reveal knowledge and
attitudes about the subject,analytical and conceptual skills and general
writing ability students bring to the course.

BE SURE you get students' email addresses. Even if you are not setting up
a listserve, have each student email you so that you can then set up your
own class list for quick communication.

Provide your students with a syllabus which anticipates and answers as
many of the questions about the course, your policies, grading procedures,
requirements, expected work load, COURSE OBJECTIVES and YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

Do you have any exercises you have successfully used the first or second
day? A topic for the future will be successful exercises (not papers) in
and out of the classroom.

Topic and all responses in a single file (for printing)

Responses by:

Parker

Tom Hennessey, George Mason U.

Kenneth Finegold, Eastern Washington U.

Jerry Goldman, Northwestern U.

Sharn Tyakoff, Douglas College

Stephen Woolpert, Saint Mary's College of California

Joe Cammarano, Providence College

Chau Phan, Rider U.

Scott R. Furlong, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Melissa Butler, Wabash College

Krisan L. Evenson, Syracuse University

Concluding Comments by Joel J Schwartz

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Copyright for the messages in this section belongs to their author.

Teaching Politics is published by William J. Ball (ball@tcnj.edu)