There is a tendency among some
teachers, perhaps fewer and fewer, to use the first day of class to pass out
the syllabus and then let the students go. There are good reasons for this
tendency: the students probably have five new courses to adjust to, and
bombarding them with course content may seem like overkill. In addition, many
colleges and universities have lengthy add-drop periods, and you may not want
to “waste” a proper class period on students who may drop the course. But many
teaching specialists suggest resisting this urge, instead aiming for a more
constructive first meeting, even if you end up letting the students out a few
minutes early.
The main reason to avoid simply giving students the necessary information and calling it a day, James Lang points out, is that this “sends a message that the course meetings are a requirement that you both would rather not fulfill: you’ll meet when you have to, but at every opportunity to cut things short (first and last days, or days before a break), you’re as eager to avoid seeing them as they are to avoid seeing you.” Indeed, setting expectations, signalling what kind of relationship you’d like to have with the students, and showing enthusiasm for the course are all important parts of a valuable first meeting.
Marilla Svinivki and Wilbert McKeachie advise that teachers should try to capitalize on the excitement and anxiety that often accompanies the first day of class (on the part of both teacher and student) to hook the students, to channel their excitement toward the course material. Similarly, Pat Ashton recommends that teachers go out of their way to show passion and excitement for the course, for the simple reason that “if students see that you are looking forward to teaching this course, then they are likely to look forward to the course.” All of this is difficult to do if you merely read through the syllabus, ask for questions, and dismiss the class.
Lastly, the first day of class is an opportunity to set expectations for the whole term. If you are hoping for plenty of student participation for the course, begin by instigating a discussion on day one. If you are planning to emphasize collaborative learning, why not introduce students to those concepts right away? If your style of lecturing includes plenty of entertaining (but pedagogically sound, of course) multimedia, let students see what they have to look forward to. A successful first meeting with students can pay off throughout the length of your time together. -DG
Sources: James Lang. On Course. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2008. 24-6.
Marilla Svinivki and Wilbert J. McKeachie. McKeachie's Teaching Tips. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2011. 21.
Pat Ashton. "The First Class: Making an Impression." Rosanne M. Cordell, Betsy Lucal, and Robin Morgan, eds. Quick Hits for New Faculty. Bloomington, IN: Indiana UP, 2004. 39-40. 39.