New teacher
I am starting my first class on Monday. Any good techniques to successfully captivate the students on their first day
Hi Beth,
Thanks for sharing this ice breaker. This is a new one to me and I look forward to using it next semester. I am sure many other instructors will be using it as well.
Gary
I have my graduates degree, so I have taken many classes and always feel/felt an icebreaker is essential. One that I use for teaching, is what animal most represents you and why? This is great since we are in the Veterinary field. Some good responses: Cat-I like to sleep, Labrador-I like to eat and run, Parrot-I like to talk! It breaks the ice for me the instructor and seems to make the students more comfortable.
Hope the teaching is going well. As a new instructor I have learned to display a sense of confidence and professionalism, as well a a genuine concern for the students who are looking to learn a given career. I have learned there are many things that can surprize you, so the more prepared you are for each class session the less you will be rattled if something changes.
Wish you the best
Don't overwhelm your students- give them enough to set them on the right path to do well with relevant information.
Hi Mary Ann,
Great to read your comments. I am excited about your excitement. You are going to do great job in reaching and teaching your students.
Gary
I am going to start teaching in a vocational school and this will be my first time ever. I have an 8 hour skills lab class for the first part of the term. I am wondering how my day will go by with 11 - 13 students. Reading all the responses gave me great ideas on how to spend my 8 hours. I am sure as I read more responses for new instructors I will find more ways on making my time fruitful and beneficial for my students and me as well.
Hi Sylton,
Thanks for the advice. I will be teaching my first class in about two weeks and I will need
some pointers to help me out.
Thanks again, Kevin Drye
Hi Sylton,
Thank you for sharing your experience. It is great to hear about how you able to roll with the situation, find a sense of comfort with the class and then proceed to establish rapport with the students. This is really hard to do when students are 3/4 the way through a course. I commend you for you effort and results. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Jennifer, I think that sounds like a fantastic ice breaker and I definitely will try it in the future. I only wish I would have read this prior to starting my classes this term. I think that really would have come in handy because I was probably more nervous than my students were!
Glad it worked out! I've heard of a lot of great variations, such as having each student write a T/F quiz about himself or herself and using that as an ice breaker at the beginning of the class. Some instructors will project it at the beginning of class, and while attendance is being taken, etc., the students read the quiz and then guess at the end which statements are true and which ones are false.
Had my first class today. Part of my job description is to substitute and someone was sick so I was available and it was great. I utilized some of the techniques I learned in this program and once the stage was set it went smoothly. My only challenge was setting my timing. My 2 hour lab flew by.
I was not supposed to start yet but one of my responsibilities is to sub and guess what?.....Today someone was sick so I started early. It was a great experience. I started out by having each one give their names and then asked them how things were going so far. They are 3/4 way through the program so in a short time they will be in the real world using the newly acquired skills. I used the time getting to know a little about them first to get them at ease with me. I also started out giving them a short bio about myself. At the end of the class some of the students were asking me if I would be teaching their class again. That was a good sign to me that they got something out of the class. Something I learned from going through this course material is to use your strengths and relax but set clear objectives with the students.
Hi Sylton,
You are right about both the students and yourself being nervous. The students are nervous because they want to know what you are like as a student and how they are going to fit into the course. The nervous part for you and I occurs because we are starting a new course and want to set the stage for our students so they will become engaged in the learning process.
Gary
I was trying to think of a way to get to know my students. In my field of teaching, I have over twenty years working in it, but have never taught it as a formal instructor. For some reason the most important concept to me as a new teacher is to get to know each student and reading your comment, I am assured of this. It seems this is also a great ice-breaker. Do you find that not only are you nervous but also your students are nervous as well?
Jennifer, my first day went well. Your idea regarding the true and false statement is a great one. I will surely use it at at the first occasion!
Have a wonderful day.
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for sharing this great advice for new instructors. The ice breaker strategy is a good one to get students talking and learning about each other. I know this information will be of help to those just starting their teaching careers.
Gary
I hope your first class went well! I'm a new career college teacher but have been a middle school and high school teacher for the past 5 years. I'm always nervous for the beginning of each new class, but I've found, regardless of the level, one of the most important ways to engage your students is through building community. It may not seem like a great way to spend your precious time (I only have 9 weeks to teach a 10 week course due to the Labor Day holiday), but it is completely worth it.
One way I build community on the first day is by
making introductions by playing "2 truths and a lie." Each person brainstorms 2 statements that are true and one that is false about himself or herself. Since I also use name tents, I have the students write their statements on the back of the cards. Then, we go around the room and share our 3 statements and everyone takes turns guessing which statement is false. It's a great way to learn about your students.
