First Day of Class
I find that it really helps the students to gain an idea of what they can expect from the class by having the students give their own life experience as it relates to the class. This is accomplished on the first day of a new term while discussing the syllabus and the expectations of and for the class
For each new group of Massage students I always have the students share what got them interested in the industry. Not only does it allow me to see where they are coming from, but also breaks the ice with each other.
Hi Jennifer,
I know some teachers who do this with great success. It also seems to do an effective job of helping establish some degree of camaraderie amongst students.
However, I personally avoid personal discussions like this, as I've had multiple experiences with students who essentially share too much information. This inevitably creates not only an environment of awkwardness but also a depressing one (depending on the tales) that detracts from what I'm usually trying to accomplish on the first day.
But every class is different, of course.
