First Class Preparation

James Lang’s “How to Teach a Good First Day of Class” offers a useful way to approach planning your first day of class. Lang argues that the first class meeting can be quite significant with the opportunity to offer students an exciting preview of the intellectual exploration ahead.

[Students’] early, thin-slice judgments are powerful enough to condition their attitudes toward the entire course, the effort they are willing to put into it, and the relationship they will have with you and their peers throughout the semester. –James Lang

To design a strong first class, Lang suggests:

Sparking Curiosity.

Connecting your course to bigger, real-world questions invites students into a disciplinary conversation that they can connect with on a personal level. Some questions to consider: What was your own path into the field? Why is the learning students will do in this course valuable? What will they be able to do after taking this course? Consider a short activity or opening question that leaves students wanting to know more.

Building Community.

Learning is relational, which underscores the importance of designing classes, lectures, and activities that make students active participants. An icebreaker that is tied to the course content works especially well. For example, consider having students introduce themselves and work through a small shared problem together. This kind of activity that builds connection among students has been linked to improved performance and narrower achievement gaps (Gopalan & Brady, 2019). This is also a good moment to co-create course ground rules with students on discussion and engagement.

Getting Students Learning.

The first day provides an opportunity for you to model the kind of instructional methods you plan to use throughout the course (discussion, case learning, active lecture, writing, etc.), so students get a sense of the kind of work and learning they will do in this course. Consider presenting them with a problem they can’t yet solve, but should be able to by the end of the course. Or, ask them to reflect on what makes a class engaging for them and what habits help them succeed.

Setting Expectations.

Students show up on the first day with a number of questions and expectations they’re hoping you will address to help them determine if this is the right course for them right now. Outlining major assignments, policies (e.g., attendance and participation/engagement), deadlines, and requirements can help students make this decision as well as develop a plan for how they will successfully navigate this course. Highlighting key parts of the syllabus rather than reading it verbatim builds in time for students to ask questions about the logistics and expectations you have of them and that they can have of you.