Meeting and Greeting
On day one I always arrive earlier than normal, about a half hour to forty-five minutes. This additional time allows me to get myself situated since I am returning from vacation. This occurrence happens every three months.
I then take the time to study and try to remember the new students names so that when they come into the class I will at least know the name and then I can attach a face to the name.
For the students with unusual names I will ask how to pronounce it so I get it correctly. I employ an old memory trick which is to repeat it to myself three times. Generally this commits it to my memory.
Many years ago I attended a Dale Carnegie course on human relations and public speaking. The instructor said something which has stuck with me ever since. He said "your name is the sweetest sound you will ever hear". Keeping that in mind I want to get the pronunciation right which I believe demonstrates that I care about them as an individual and not just another warm body to fill the chair.
At the appointed time I stand in the doorway and greet the returning students and newbies. I keep it rather informal but do introduce myself as Mister. I feel this is important because I am not their peer and I am attempting to earn their respect right out of the gate.
Next the newbies are separated from the continuing students so we can conduct our department orientation. They get a general orientation approximately one week before entry and this provides them specifics about what we do, how we do it and why. During this time I will also inject light humor. I read one time that this is an absolute no no but I find that it lightens the tension and relaxes them.
I'd be interested in seeing how others conduct their first day of class as a comparison.
Robert,
I agree with you about the value of the time that is spent with introductions and ice breakers. They are well worth the time due to the return that is gotten in terms of the students settling into the course and getting to know their classmates.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I not only start new classes with ice breakers, i do them in all my classes. I find it very beneficial to allow students to greet each other an briefly chat about how they're day went before we get into lecture. It seems to have a calming effect and settles them down before we dive into our lesson. I thinking dedicating that 5 minutes or so each class period really pays off and also fosters a sense of camaraderie.
Lisa,
I think the introductions should be two way just as you are doing. This way everyone in the room learns about the others so there can be the start of some common ground as the course moves forward.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
On my first day of class I like to not only introduce myself, but I also like them to introduce themselves. It is important early lesson for a student to get used to hearing their voice in a room.
It helps break the ice enabling future class participation and communication.
Jonathan,
I use ice breakers to start off new courses because the yield some great results, some of which are comfort for the students as they get settled in, sharing of their life experiences to find out what they have in common or not with others, and that this is going to be a rewarding course that will yield good results for them if they are willing to put forth the needed effort.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I try to start my class with ice breakers but find that they can be a bit awkward. I started using an ice-breaker with a recommendation from a colleague where the students introduce each other to the class. I give them 5 minutes to tell their "partner " about themselves and what their favorite movie is or favorite record producer or something in that vein. Then I go around the classroom and let them introduce their partner. It's time consuming, but very rewarding and fun! This helps students realize that they have more in common with each other than they think and it helps students feel more comfortable with contributing to class discussion.
Beverly,
Good point. A shared laugh and humor goes a long way in keeping students engaged in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
If you cant laugh while doing your job then I think it shows you don't have fun at what you do and the students need to see that we care.
Terry
We seem to employ some of the same practices. I spend time learning the names of all my students sometimes even before day one, because you are right nothing shows we care more than knowing their names right out of the gate. On day one I make it a point to address my new students by name on at least two or three occasions. This is my memory trick that helps me put the name to a face.
I like your spotting sports team logos and I'm going to steal it! :)
I too have the students introduce themselves and I have them provide a little background about themselves and why they are here. I use the reason for being here to remind some later on when they are struggling about their goal and why they came here in the first place.
Further I give them a brief history about myself not to boast but to exemplify the various opportunities I had over the course of my career due to hard work and diligence.
I as well try to find something about new students on the first day of class. Sometimes they wear a sports team logo or a company shirt. That allows me to be able to break the ice with them. My returning students I ask them what they did over the break that pertains to the course they are in.
I will tell a short funny story about my break as well. Because our new students fold in every 3 months I make everybody introduce themsevles to the new students.
I always get to class 30 to 45 minutes early. I want to be confident that all my materials are ready to present. The students are always curious about what the class experience will be. When I'm prepared, then I can relax and happily greet them. This sets the tone that my class will be an enjoyable learning experience. After I introduce myself and cover the syllabus we play the name game. I introduce myself again and tell my students that I enjoy cooking as a hobby. All the students introduce themselves and tell us something that they enjoy. This activity lets us break the ice and learn each others names. It leads to relevant discussion about how our personality led us to this profession.
It's nice to see that I'm not the only one who injects some humor into what for the new students is a very serious day. In my opinion and in practice I've found that a little levity goes a long way towards relieving some of the tension.
I started my first day with an ice breaker that centered around getting information from each student not only allowing me to get to know the student but allowed them to get to know each other.
TERRENCE,
Your first day sounds much like my first day. I like your approach and how you get your students settled into the class. As for the humor question I like you use humor as part of my instructional style. Sharing a laugh goes a long way in unifying the class and getting everyone focused on what is occurring in the class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
