Student dynamic
Like any instructor, I am nervous about meeting the new students in my class, however, the first day of class does not necessarily mean that the first impression is the one that will predominate the rest of the semester. I have had semesters that started out good but somewhere along the way the student dynamic changed and by the end of the semester I was glad that class was over. And the reverse can be true. It is interesting how the student dynamic changes. You may start off with expecting a particular student(s) to do very well only to see them drop off the radar before the semester is over, only to find a student(s) that kind of "hid" in the background early on becomes the "unsung hero."
Justin,
Good words for instructors to consider. All is not lost if the first class is not what it should have been. Regroup and then come back strong in future classes. So true about a course being a marathon and not a sprint.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Very true! It's easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself to deliver a great 1st class. However, each course is a marathon and even if you don't feel like you had a very successful 1st class you still have plenty of other classes to fix any mistakes you made.
Joseph,
There is a tool that I use to gain insight into each student's aptitude and abilities, the SWOT analysis.
I ask each student to consider and write down their individual Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
Vincent Peppe
Faculty
Joseph,
Well said because they do vary between each session as you mention. Never really know the types of students I will have until I walk into the class for the first time. Always interesting both from a positive and negative perspective.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
