First meeting
The first meeting sets the tone for the rest of the course. I always try to include a little bit of humor to get the students to relax and see that I am human too.
Craig,
Without humor I would be lost because it can be used in so many different situations to bridge a connection to the next topic or defuse a situation.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree! Humor always helps break the ice with everyone. I use that a lot when getting to know new people.
William,
Another great example that has probably happened to many of us. Multi-generational teaching is a challenge to say the least. In order to reach them all we need to be very flexible and able to adjust our instructional delivery on the fly if we are to keep students engaged.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Initially the demographics of my classes were mature working people. The first day was fairly easy. Introductions a few laughs and so on.
Then I transitioned to high school classes. Trying to remember my temperament in high school I recall not responding well to rigid authoritative figures who assumed I was fairly immature and unknowledgeable. So I attempted to treat them just as I did the more mature classes thinking that high school students these days are more "developed" for lack of a better word.
Wrong....
Set the tone for the course poorly and spend the rest of the time trying to fix it. Very Frustrating.
Jocelyn,
This is such an important part of the human factor in teaching. By being there when they come and and chatting with them for a few minutes you are earning their respect and developing rapport. It is upon these two elements that the teaching/learning effort will grow.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Every day I always come ahead of time in my class not just to prep myself for the class presentation, but to show to them that how important my students are by welcoming them everyday and show to them that their instructor is prepared to meet them and in the class.
Nathan,
I have been teaching for many years and I am like you just before starting a new class. I think some nerves are a good thing because they help keep us on our toes and excited about meeting our new crop of learners.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
No matter how may terms I have gone through, I still feel some small sense of nervousness with a new class. One thing I do to calm my nerves is to simply smile to the students. This softens the "air" and make the students more comfortable.
Robert,
By setting the tone for the class the first day many instructors are thinking about starting the class on time, being prepared and sharing information that will get the students excited about the upcoming course sessions. By presenting yourself as a professional learning leader to help the students to see that they are going to make progress in their career development if they are willing to put forth the needed effort.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think it is hard to set a tone in the first day. The fact that you want to break the ice does not mean comedy will be used every day of class. I believe that first day is crucial to connect with the students and give them a clear vision of what and where they will be at the end of the course. Vision is important and goals must be part of that vision.
Albert,
Humor can as you say be an integral part of the teaching learning process. The key is to make sure the humor is such that it reinforces what is being taught and helps students to be able to enjoy a laugh.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I try to do the same thing with humor. Some Instructors will tell a joke to get the students relaxed, but be careful you do not want to offend any student. You don't want to turn off anyone in the beginning.
FRIEDA,
Instructors need to select class openers that work best with their instructional styles. I like to use ice breakers and informal introductions. I find that these methods help the students to get over their nerves and have some fun. Since my classes run for three hours I can take the time to do the introductions and ice breakers and then go to the syllabus where I outline the requirements for the course. Then I do a pretest activity so I can get a baseline on my students and their experiences in relation to my course. All of these activities set the stage for a focused class but one that enables the students to get comfortable with each other and myself and ready for what the future classes hold.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Reginald,
This is so important. Also, a shared laugh really helps to get students settled in and prepared for what is going to come next in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree the first day should be a day of trying to getting to know one another.
Everyone can introduce themselves and give a brief synopsis of background, goals and future plans. This is just a an example some instructors I have had in the past initiate games to get the class talking and motivated.
Though I never really cared for this type of activity, I always prefer to get to work and little personal activities, the method can be beneficial for a relaxation technique.
