Hi Bryan,
This is true in many cases with marginal students that are ready to drop out. With some support and encouragement and someone that cares about their success behind them they can catch fire and be successful. We need to be on are guard for such students so we can provide such support.
Gary
I beleive that students need to learn something about the instructor as well. Obviously the instructor wants to know who the students are and also their expectations but I always ask "what makes them unique?" Everyone has something to offer and there are some students that just need some support and confidence to be successful students.
Hi Leah,
The use of groups is a great way to speed the introduction process along. This is what I do as well with my bigger classes. What I have found, as I am sure you have is that from then on there is an identity with their first day of class group. I find them chatting with each other before class and breaks because they know this group better than anyone else. Gradually they spread their contacts out to include the rest of the class members.
Gary
Hi Gregory,
You made a key point in relation to establishing a connection between you and your students. By finding something of personal interest that you can talk with them about you are making a connection that will lead to rapport between you and them. Rapport with students is critical for maintaining a relationship that encourages them to grow and develop in the field.
Gary
I like to introduce myself to the class so that my students get to know a little bit about my professional background and qualifications of teaching this course. When the students introduce themselves we learn a little bit about them. It is helpful to me to know what their area of study is so that I can tailor my current event topics to their professional trade.
Hi Laura,
You are right about how important introductions are in getting a new class off to a good start. The methods you use all contribute to establishing a level of comfort for your students plus instill confidence that they have an instructor that is experienced and prepared to teach them. As you say this is what a learning community is all about.
Gary
I really like the idea of breaking the students into groups of items of common like the birth month. Often times my students do not like doing the class self introduction and I find it difficult to keep the class engaged long enough to listen to the story of 30 classmates. I will try breaking them up in small groups instead to help keep their interest.
Ice breakers are great. My students generally come from all over the world; so it is also an exercise in diversity and multiculturalism.
I am also a sports fan, so I can, on a regional basis, focus in on the home sports teams nearby to a student and engage them; whether or not they like sports or not, they feel that I am closer to them because I am knowledgeable about something about which they are familiar.
I believe that by introducing myself, I am establishing leadership in the classroom. At the same time, it provides me with the opportunity to allow my students to know that I have the sufficient knowledge and experience to teach the course efficiently. When the students introduce themselves, the ice is broken and they are allowed to make connections with each other and with me. It helps create a learning community.
I am learning a little bit from each student, getting a small look into their lives and getting an understanding of why they are taking the course I am instructing.
Set a positive tone ofr the course and haver students relax and gain their attention
In our very mobile society, I find that it helps to quell a natural curiosity to give details about where I'm from, where I've been, and how I came to be in this job. Basic info such as married or not, kids or not, etc. can be helpful if the instructor is comfortable sharing them. Some may not be. Likewise, students could share first names, but should not be obligated to reveal more than that.
Hi Courtney,
Good points about the value of introductions. By having your students text you, you are also giving them another method of support. They know you are there for them when needed.
Gary
During introductions, I feel like I learn more about how each student thinks of themselves and how well I think they may be willing to help their classmates. The qualities of confidence and leadership can usually be seen in how they present themselves. I can also sense who I may be able to call upon to help keep order in class and also who may become the detractors to watch for.
Long prior to this course, I have found that introductions break down a huge barrier between the students and me as an instructor, as well as their peers. It also provides me with my own assessment of students' backgrounds not to mention "how busy" their lives are so I know to help motivate and be even more available upon their request. That may sound "subjective" but typically it is the busy working parents that are working at school late most of the time. I encourage them to text message me so they don't sit and spin their wheels. I allow myself to be more available but not an enabler. I rambled....but these introductions are crucial for me to understand "who" and "what" my students are about moving forward.
I introduce myself and give a short overview of my professional expereince, a bit of personal background, and my reason for teaching. It allows some to identify with me either personally or professionally and it allows others to gain some insight into I am.
Students' introductions give information to myself along with thier colleagues. These introductions can show which students are shy, which may become the leaders in the class and allows for students to connect with others that are in their same discipline.
Hi Amy,
Thanks for sharing these great ideas with us. They are going to be very helpful in the planning of future class openings and introductions.
Gary
Hi Barbara,
This is why it is so important to "read" the dynamics of each class. Some find the social interaction a good way to get the class started and others want to jump right into the content. This is a challenge we instructors face each time we step into a classroom or lab.
Gary
Gary,
The "icebreakers" I have used in the past include a scavenger hunt to find certain items on a list by interacting with classmates. The list will include things like: finding someone who has been to Mardi Gras, visited Alaska, etc. Students seem to really like this one(of course this is face to face). Online, I typically post a discussion board for Introductions or depending on the course, posting a question related to thoughts and opinions about certain issues.
For everyday lessons I start lessons with some amazing fact or interesting video clip about the subject at hand. This really gets the students attention thereby increasing their interaction during the lesson.
Amy
This is very interesting. I find that many students just want to get to the information that is being presented rather than chatting about introductions or social issues. It seems to be both generational and the hectic schedules that we keep.
