Orientation
The first day of class I always introduce myself,and inform them of my background,then I asked them to introcuce themselves,tell me what elective they are taking,where they are from,and what they expect from the school...
This is so true. I love to tell them my hobbies so that they can see that I enjoy my life. I inform them that I like to work hard, so that I can play hard.
I follow these as well. I also have them all introduce themselves and give a brief description of why they came to school. It shows them that they have common goals.
Thomas--
You are absolutely right. Letting students know you are 'human' and have other interests, etc. helps to give more context to what they are requested to learn in the classroom.
Susan
I also like to tell them about my hobbies and other interests during orentation. My hope is that the students can find something we have in common. This helps us build a relationship and think of each other as people, not just instructors and students.
Alcide--
Sounds like a great first class. I think your questions help to break down barriers and build a great learning environment.
Susan
