First day intros
Since I teach a CJ program, I have the students "interview" each other and present the basic information to the class. This gives them a chance to meet everyone, and is a great ice breaker.
Anita ,
Once the interviews are concluded, do you ask that the students present their interviews to the entire group?
Tremayne Simpson
I get the students to do a little interview process that is called "Get to Know" with 4 different students. This gets the students to know each other a bit more.
I often ask students to tell me what they expect from the course and why they think they are taking this particular course at this time. It gets them interested in the course and also gives me an idea of their motivation and where they are in a given program. It has also given me some new ideas to add to future lessons, since sometimes students see things from a wholly different perspective than I do!
KathyS
Darrell,
This is an excellent method for gaining credibility with your students. Students tend to have a stronger connection with the instructor, once they realize that they are "human" and have experienced similar obstacles in their education.
Tremayne Simpson
I also give a brief history of myself, so my students know my background and can be comfortable around me and that I possess the knowledge to instruct them.
The biggest thing I put out there is, is that I am also a former student who has walked the walk and talked the talk just the same as what they are doing right now. I have performed the same projects, taken the same quizs and tests.
I believe that by my students knowing that I have walked the walk and have been where they are helps them in gaining confidence in feeling that if he can do it then I can too.
Introductions are important and help students feel more comfortable in class. We have an orientation exercise where new students share why they are pursuing further education and any challenges they see coming up. Students are glad to hear other students are experiencing the same issues.
When doing my first day introductions, I like to first introduce myself and give my background to them. I graduated from the same school that I teach at, so I have found that this gives an instant connection between the students and myself. Once I have told my "story" we move around the room for introduction on an individual basis. Our class sizes are typical small, so there is plenty of time for this. At the end of our first week of class, I ask them to write a short paper describing who they are, why they chose to come to school in the welding field, their first impression of the school, and what their expectations/goals are upon graduation.
I also give a brief history of myself and then ask the students to introduce themselves to the class. I think that this is important especially when we receive new students every six weeks. When stepping into any new environment, it can be very uncomfortable and that takes time to adjust to.
Mr. Thurber--I like your interview technique but I give the students a guide and questionnaire. Since I teach a speech class I have the speaker and the student s/he is introducing stand in front of the class together. They draw names so that they cannot just introduce a best friend. Also they are not introduced by the same person as they introduce. By the end of the night, everyone is more relaxed including the teacher!
I will give students a brief history of myself and work related experiences. I will have each student to tell me something about them and ask their expectation of the course and in which way they will use the subject matter.
I give a brief history of myself and then ask each student a little bit the about the intrests they have and what they hope to achieve from the class.
I agree- first day introductions are a must. They set the tone for a friendly, open environment. I usually do something "fun". With my larger groups, I simply ask them to give their name and one interesting (maybe surprising) detail about themselves. I usually have plenty that say "theres' nothing interesting about me", but the class will usually chime in with questions to find a detail or two.
This is an excellent suggestion. For example, we do an orientation at my college for all new students. As an icebreaker, we have every student present their neighbor to the audience. This allows everyone to get to know one another, and helps to create friendships in the programs.
Hi Lawrence. I concur. I feel it is essential to establishing a connection at the beginning of a new course. My introducing yourself it opens the beginning of the relationship that you want to build between yourself and your students. In return student introductions relaxes you and other students by information sharing forum. This info can be used later by the teacher to understand the interests of the student and what life experiences they have encountered along the way.
I teach Math in a culinary environment. All of the students are in the same class/cohort/group and have been taking classes together since they started. I introduce myself, talk about expectations for the class and have them take a modified final exam from a previous session. My goals are:
1. To find out what they know,
2. To give them an idea of where the class is headed, and
3.Hopefully, impress on them the importance of attending class and following the material.
Math has its challenges, seemingly different, but probably like other subjects. My best understanding of how a student is doing is to have them work a problem on the board for the class. I can see where (if) it goes wrong and teach to that. When using this technique, I make sure to have several students take a turn (the first time is volunteers only). This is also a time to restate that they need to ask questions.
I find that conducting first day introductions of the students as well as myself is essential to creating a positive learning environment for the students. They lose a little bit of their nervousness, settle into the fact that they are in school and become ready to receive/learn today's lessons. The information received from this exercise allows the teacher/instructor to make this class unique because the student/teacher connection has been established from the beginning. now the teacher can incorporate this information into their lesson plan by honing in on the interests of the students or making it real for them to understand.
Ebony,
I agree with this method. It is important for students to see that their instructor is interested in knowing about them. I provide an opening day activity that gives them the opportunity to introduce themselves and to learn more about their classmates. I do not provide an introduction of myself until later, in the class session.
Tremayne Simpson
laura,
This sounds like an excellent method for getting to know your students. Since it is before the term begins, do you tend to have a good student turnout for the event?
Tremayne Simpson
I let the students introduce themselves, mainly to me, I breifly introduce myself and ask if they want to know anything in particular about me. In the past, I have instructors to give a two page biography and talked more about themselves and did not really focus on getting to know the students!
