positive impression
to make a positive impression is very important
I agree. How you dress is very important. This is a battle with some of my instructors. They will wear "scrubs" for non-lab classes and expect the studnets to take them seriously.
Being prepared and starting on time is also critical!
Hi David,
Right you are about how you let the course flow. You have to "read" the students and then let the course progress in a way that best meets the needs of the students. This is what good teaching is all about.
Gary
While all those things are important for a first impression and I do those I have found it to be equally important to be flexable with the progress of the course. For example we split our time between class and lab, depending on the group the split could differ to meet their needs. I think that by being flexable and meeting their needs better that way it will leave a lasting impression.
Hi John,
Good comments about how to make a positive first impression. It is so much easier as you well know to start out with a positive impression rather than trying to play catch up with a negative one.
Gary
I think a positive impression includes how I dress, that I am early to class and have all of my paperwork neatly stacked and ready for handouts so I don't have to search for things, that I start exactly on time, that I have a plan outlined on the whiteboard so the students can tell that I intend to move along efficiently with the course material. To me, all of this shows respect for my students and an assurance to them that we are not going to waste time: we have a plan, we have objectives and they will receive value for the time they invest in the classroom.
