The First Day
Introductions
The first day of school, I will be standing in the doorway to my room, ready and waiting to greet my students from each class with a smile on my face. After students have settled, I would like to focus on two main points for the day: introducing myself and understanding what the students want from the course. A fun way to share with my class the life I live is to have a slideshow with images that represent different things about my life, whether they are family members, hobbies, or other interests. I would also go around the room and ask that each student introduces him- or herself to me and maybe states a quick fact. If the students are already familiar with each other, it might be more reasonable to have an icebreaker to get the students participating. It would also be appropriate to collect the questionnaires sent out before the school year, or maybe hand them out as the students’ first assignment. Having lived in the residence halls as both a resident and a resident assistant, I have found that sending out a brief letter before the year starts and asking for students to fill out a questionnaire has lead to a smooth introduction and easier transition.
Starting Off on the Right Foot
Another integral theme that should be addressed the first day of class is that of classroom expectations. As a way to provide structure, but still allow student voice in regards to student rules, I would like to have a “skeleton” syllabus. The syllabus would not yet be handed out on the first day, but we would read over the academic goals for the semester and possible projects that correlate with these goals. In terms of student behavior and policy, I would have a very basic list of rules for the class. They are as follows:
- Please respect yourself, your peers, your teacher, and your learning.
- Avoid distractions that may interfere with the learning of yourself and others.
- Come to class prepared for the day and ready to learn.
- Put forth your best effort in the class.
- Strive to strengthen community in the classroom.
In addition to presenting these five rules, I would ask that the class collectively defined each underlined word. Allowing the students to decide what each term means they still having a say in their classroom environment and learning process, and it provides meaningful participation. In terms of policies that are more related to dress, behavior, hall passes, and other specific rules, I would have students refer to the student handbook that lists policies that applies to all students in the building. I would then turn the tables and ask my students what rules they have for me as their teacher. By asking this, I can open the floor to any pet peeves the students may have about classroom procedures and discover what personally works best for my students’ learning.
Finally, I feel that the first class should have some time set aside to measure students’ needs, interests, and expectations. With the remaining five to ten minutes, I would have my students fill out an exit slip answering the following questions: 1) What more do you want to know about Ms. Northrup? 2) What more do you want Ms. Northrup to know about you? And 3) What are some things you wish to learn in this class? Students commonly want to share more about themselves and learn more about their teacher, as human beings are social creatures at their core. Asking these personal questions allows students to open up and share about themselves while also feeling more comfortable in a classroom where their teacher takes a serious interest in each student. The final question is more about gauging what my students perceive the class to be about and what I can do to accomplish any goals they may have in learning a second language and exploring other cultures.