No "first day" on the merry-go-round
I’m on a 12 week cycle in which students come on board at any time (class) in the cycle. Therefore I have a first day with a student, or students, but usually not a first day with an entire class. How cal I accomplish tasks that a first day requires when on the first day of any class I have new students, continuing students, and students ready to graduate? Help.
Terry
Hi Gary,
You make a great point through your example of why every instructor and college needs to put the student first.
Gary
Hi, Dr. Meers,
This really does present a challenge. It's not the case where I teach now, but many years ago I taught in a school where, on my first day, there were three students on THEIR first day. It was day 22 of the block which included "Mystery Basket," a test of meat cookery skills gained in the first five weeks of a class. Needless to say, the three students were lost. Teachers must first, I think, do the best they can for a student in this position then, soon as possible, lobby hard against such a practice. All instructors at that campus knew that it was done this way due to pressure to enroll stuidents and that the students' experience had been downgraded through this practice. --Gary O. Ackerman
Hi Terry,
With classes like this you need to have either or both a printed and visual introduction to the course you can share with the new students. This is why a syllabus is so important. The students can review the syllabus and go through the PowerPoint or CD of the course introduction while the other students are working on their projects, etc. Then you can check individually to see if there is clear understanding of the course requirements and expectations. Also, you might pair the new student up with a about to graduate student for a brief introduction of how the veteran student sees the course going and what the success points are.
Gary
