You establish a common ground between you and the students. They learn as much about you as you learn about them.
Hi Toni,
I use a similar exercise and my students love it as well. Talk about being creative! We have a lot of fun plus a tremendous amount of learning occurs in the process. Thanks for sharing this us.
Gary
Hi Brian,
There a number that work really well. One that I use frequently is to have students turn to the person seated next to them and in three minutes share three things from their lives. Then I bring the class back together and have the students introduce the other person and share two of the things with the class. This helps students to get to know each other, a bit about each other plus I get to hear each student's name and two items about themselves. This gives me connection points for remembering their names so I get to practice names while the introductions are being made.
Gary
I am younger than many of my students. By introducing myself and sharing my credentials and work experience, I establish a leadership position in the classroom, demonstrate the qualifications I have in the field, and give the students an overview of what I have to offer as a teacher and mentor.
The student introductions are very important for me. First, I like to know how they prefer to be addressed and how to pronounce it properly. Second, I always ask about their specific interests in the field so that I can try to taylor examples to help keep students interested and motivated about the material.
I have also broken the students in to small groups and then given them some made up product (like a shoe phone) and asked them to present a 2 minute infomercial pitching the product - amazing how creative the students are and it hits most learning styles. Some students are creative behind the scenes (writing the "script") while others want to perform, etc.
Do you know of any other exercises or games that would help to break the ice for instructors and students?
I try to let the students know that I am just a real person doing a real job :) I like to get to know them a little each week so I try to ask a "what is your favorite" question at the start of each class (works especially well for the longer lectures). I also think it is important for the students to get to know their classmates in a more informal way - I have seen so much outreach from this exercise. I also have the student pair up in the first class and introduce eachother instead of themselves. This gives them a chance to meet eachother and do a little public speaking as they get in front of the classroom for the "presentation".
Through instructor and student introductions The student is learning what my qualifications and expertise are and some of my background in the field of instruction. I am also learning about the students background and associating names with faces which is a difficult task for me.
Hi Steven,
You have a good approach to your comprehensive introduction of the course and yourself. This method keeps the focus on what is important for students to know about the course's expectations, requirements and polices. The students know how to get settled into the course and prepare themselves for the upcoming sessions.
Gary
It has been my experience from the past 20 plus year of teaching that your introduction should be succinct, but make sure to cover certain key areas. For example:
You want the students to get a sense of your qualifications for teaching the course, how formal/informal you want to be, and how available you will be to the students.
I discuss my research interests as they relate to the course, in order to establish myself as an authority, and to make the course more relevant.
In addition, the students are usually trying to determine whether I’m are a harsh or easy grader, and how flexible will I be with deadlines. I don’t to cater to their agenda, but I do discuss my expectations.
It is also my philosophy that students do not need to know everything about me. For example, I will not disclose any irrelevant personal information that can undermine me in the eyes of my students.
They learn about my 35 years of on job experience and that I am capable of teaching them the content. Also, that I will be understanding and fair with them.
I am accomplishing a few things. First I want them to know that I am just as human as they are and that I am just there to help them along their journey. Secondly it helps me to tie a name to a face because I have a little more information about that person than just a name.
It is always a good idea to learn about where your students are coming from. Each of them come from different backgrounds and life experiences. Knowing a little bit about how they came to where they are now, not only lets other students see that they are not really all that alone or all that totally different, but it gives the instructor insight into how to approach them with content.
Hi Judith,
This is a great way to create a solid foundation for the course as well as a comfort zone for the students. This way they all can feel accepted in the course as well as feel they can be successful in the field with hard work and effort.
Gary
an open forum for getting to know you, the student's reason for choosing this courses, their goals and means of accomplishments, lastly, to give them a short introduction of who i am, my years of experience, why i love my job and my total committment to them, in helping them to achieve their goals.
I have learned that by introducing myself, and my background as a Medical Assistant helps the students get to know me as an Instructor. I also ask the students to introduce themselves and tell me why they have decided to become Medical Assistant. We have them write down what motivated them to chose this career so that they can remind themselves to stay focused on what brought them here in the first place.
I teach the last class that the students take before leaving for their externship. Most of them have been in the cohort group starting from day 1 and finishing together. They already know more than we will find out about each other in a classroom setting but I tell them it is still important for me to get to know them and maybe there is something that they have not shared about their interests or passion for the industry or maybe they have learned something they didn't expect to over the past year or even have them introduce each other to me.
I hope to learn what the students expect out of my class and their experience levels. My introduction should show my knowledge of the subject matter and put the students at ease.
Hi Angela,
This similar to the format I use and I have had great results with it. I am sure you are as well. This gives you some real insight into the dynamics of your students and their reasons for being in the class.
Gary
I ask the students to fill out a 4x6 notecard and bring it with them to the next class period. On the front side of the notecard I have them answer simple questions: Name, hometown, hobbies, what motivated them to further their education, level of math background (the subject I teach). On the backside I ask them to attach a picture of themselves. It allows me to gauge their level of comfort in the subject area, how motivated they are, and connect the name with a face. I find I learn who they are as a person and are able to build a connection much faster this way.
