Making a Positive First Impression
Why is a positive first impression important when starting a new class?
Because a positive first impression is often lasting, instructors must appear enthusiastic, and thoroughly prepared. If the students sense that the instructor lacks ability or personality it can negatively impact the overall attitude and tone of the class as well as retention.
To let the student know that you are a common person and care about there well being
Positive first impression makes a bond and respect between teacher and studenty./
I think a positive first impression is important to give students an idea of who they till be learning from the rest of the class. I think one major goal should be to try to relate, and give them an idea of your background as to why you are a good person to teach the class without sounding arrogant.
Gladys,
What do you do to make a positive first impression with your students?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
IT CREATES A POSITIVE AND GOOD LEARNING ENVIRONMENt. STUDENTS ARE HAPPY LOOK FORWARD TO COMING TO CLASS.
GLADYS O.
Your student look up their instructor and if they feel comfortable and connected, they are willing to learn and succeed.
Reynaldo,
Right you are about first impressions. This is the reason that we need to plan for and provide a great first impression when we start a new course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
If you as an instructor do not wear lab coat the first day of lab class then it is not easy to ask students to wear a lab coat each time they are in the lab.
First impressions are not only important in a school setting but also in many other areas such as a business environment. First impresions portray not only personality but also other traits (good or bad) of the person in front of a classroom.
Alista,
Well said and something that all instructors need to remember as they share information with their students at their first class meeting. It is the foundation upon which the rest of the course is going to be built.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Just as you are evaluating the students, they are evaluating you. How you set the stage with expectations and ground rules which serve as a foundation for the semester, quarter, or year.
Malek,
I use this same method because I like to chat with the students to get a read on the mood of the students and that helps me to know if I need to make any adjustments in my approach for that day. Good strategy to use and I wish you continued success with it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
On the first day of class, like most subsequent classes I arrive before the students and greet them as they walk in. They normally enjoy this time very much, and often open up about their experience in the classroom.
Malek Deib
Sarah,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. This is a good lesson for us all to learn. Instructors should never approach the classroom unprepared. We know this but still it happens all the time. It is not professional nor beneficial to students if we just show up and try to bluff our way through a class. They paid for a professional experience and learning leader and we need to provide such to them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
This is a very good point and I strongly agree. I had an experience with an unprepared instructor once whom did not take the opportunity to admit his lack of preparedness with honesty and grace. Instead the instructor brushed it off and joked unprofessionally about the students being adults so is lack was excusable. The instructor never came back from that first impression.
Students are going to make an assessment of the course and competency of the teacher the first day. If we are not organized and prepared, it has a negative impact.Making the students feel comfortable in the classroom, respected, and motivated to come back the next day is essential.Giving them an introduction with a few professional and personal stories, then going through a short introduction with each student is a great way to "break the ice" and get to know each other.
Michael,
Good way to establish yourself as the learning leader of your class. You are clear and concise with your information about how the course is going to operate and what the expectations are. Then by following through you let your students know you are serious about what you are saying and consistent about how you enforce the rules of your course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have found that making a positive first impression gets the students wanting to come to your class and not dreading it. On the first day of class I try to convey to my students that I'm very reasonable with assignment due dates and such. I also follow through with what I say. I try to get them to understand that while I am a very flexible instructor, I frown upon greatly when a student tries to take advantage of that.
Frankie,
Right you are. Get them when you can and that is the first class meeting. Then you can build on that impression to create a dynamic learning community for your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
