the college classroom fa15 meeting 9: the first day of class
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The College Classroom
Meeting 9: First Day of Class
December 1 and 3, 2015
Peter Newbury
Center for Engaged Teaching
UC San Diego
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu commons.ucsd.edu
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By the end of the first class, you want
students to have a good sense of
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why the course is interesting and worthwhile
what kind of classroom environment you want
how the course will be conducted
why the particular teaching methods are being used
what the students need to do to learn the material and
succeed in the course
Also,
you respect them
your want all of them to succeed (CWSEI, [1])
By the end of the first class, you want
students to have a good sense of
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why the course is interesting and worthwhile
what kind of classroom environment you want
how the course will be conducted
why the particular teaching methods are being used
what the students need to do to learn the material and
succeed in the course
Also,
you respect them
your want all of them to succeed (CWSEI, [1])
Is that all?
C’mon, you’ve got
50 minutes!
The First Day of Class[1]
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1. Establish motivation
1. personal relevance and interest
2. choice and control
3. sense that one can master the material
2. Personalize the learning experience
3. Establish expectations
4. Don’t go over the details
The First Day of Class[1]
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1. Establish motivation
1. personal relevance and interest
2. choice and control
3. sense that one can master the material
2. Personalize the learning experience
3. Establish expectations
4. Don’t go over the details
Wait, when do you
welcome them?
When do you tell
them your name?
Why is this necessary?
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You want every student to leave the first class thinking,
“This will be a good course, I’m ok being here. I have something
to contribute.”
If you don’t do it, “students who are most likely to see the
subject as worth learning are those whose backgrounds, and
corresponding attitudes, are most like that of the instructor.
Those students whose backgrounds are different, which by
definition (usually) includes most members of under-
represented groups, will be less likely to understand the
appeal of the subject and consequently more inclined to put
their efforts into pursuing some other discipline.”
(CWSEI, Motivating Learning)
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If you don’t have time to do
everything, perhaps start with the
items in the middle that support all
three components.
Tuesday AM meeting
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Tuesday PM meeting
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Thursday meeting
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When you're the instructor, what do
you want your students to call you?
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Don’t want “Professor”, “Dr”,
“Instructor” without a name
friend students?
class twitter acct
professional /personal acct
follow students?
class pinterest
class flickr acct
link to students?
Social Media
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Which of these
social media channels
will you (do you) use
to connect with your
students?
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make the icebreaker useful – introduce students to an
authentic task they’ll learn and practice during the course
use to create a learning community in LARGE classes
Think-Pair-Share
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What’s the difference between academic misconduct
and academic integrity?
Course details: don’t
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Don’t go into details during first class:
give links to more details on
course syllabus
detailed schedule
detailed learning outcomes
academic misconduct integrity
deadlines
rules/policies (eg, late assignments, missed exams…)
Could give an assignment involving reading these.
Microteaching Presentations
See blog for details
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu/fa15-microteaching-experience/
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First class do’s and don'ts
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Do Don’t
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Check out classroom
before the first class
clicker hardware?
podium computer?
lapel mic (“lav”)? Try it.
presentation remote
works from back of
room?
assume you’ll be able to figure it out at the time.
let a technical problem ruin your only chance to make a first impression.
20
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Start the class on time.
(establish expectations)
arrive late (what expectation does that establish?)
have “intimate” conversation with students in the front rows while you wait for others to wander in. This doesn’t “personalize” the class.
21
Do Don’t
Do Don’t
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Tell students you think they
can all succeed if they put
in the effort.
Fine to say the course is
challenging as long as you
also express it is
interesting/worthwhile
do-able with appropriate
effort
Say threatening things like
telling them you expect
some to fail
telling them that students
don’t usually like the
course
telling tell them that
students find the course
extremely difficult
22
Do Don’t
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Give them an authentic
experience of what the
class will be like.
If you’re going to use
peer instruction, do it
even if some don’t have
clickers yet.
email pre-reading
assignment 2 days before
the first class
Use teaching practices that
are inconsistent with how
you’ll teach the rest of the
time:
don’t use clickers if
you’re not (really) going
to use clickers
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Do Don’t
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Involve students during
class
Talk the entire class time
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Do Don’t
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Address academic conduct
in context throughout the
course:
talk about plagiarism
when you give out a
writing assignment, not
now
Emphasize rules and
penalties on the first day:
sends a message of
distrust
they’re not listening
anyway
25
Do Don’t
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End class on time with a
slide containing info:
your name
office hours
contact info
course website
homework
important thing
End class early
(establish expectations)
26
Do Don’t
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Repeat vital info at the
beginning of the 2nd class
your name
contact info
course website
Assume everyone was there
in the 1st class.
27
Do Don’t
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Reinforce all of these
messages (motivation,
personalized learning,
expectations,…)
periodically throughout the
course, at the appropriate
times.
28
Do Don’t
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Have a growth mindset:
You must believe all of
your students are capable
of learning your course’s
content.
If you don’t, you may
inadvertently deny your
students learning
opportunities.
Have a fixed mindset
about your students’
abilities, including
your job is to find
5% who will be like
you
your job is to filter
out students from
advancing to the
next course
29
Thank-you…
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for your enthusiasm for teaching and learning
for your commitment to this class
for generously sharing your expertise
I have a better understanding of teaching and learning and
I’m a better instructor because of what I learned with and
from you…
References
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1. Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative (2009). First Day of
Class – Recommendations for Instructors. Available under Instructor
Guidance Resources at cwsei.ubc.ca
2. Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative (2013). Motivating
Learning. Available under Instructor Guidance Resources at
cwsei.ubc.ca
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