While it’s just one day, the first day of class sets the tone for all the classes to come. An engaging and energizing first day is the foundation for an engaging and energizing semester. So, how do we achieve this? What should be our first day teaching priorities? While the first day is a good time to cover logistics such as course expectations and parameters, it’s important not to miss this unique opportunity to also draw students into the course content and classroom community so that they are engaged and motivated to learn. In this workshop, we will explore four principles, outlined by James M. Lang, that can help us achieve a powerhouse first day of class: curiosity, community, learning, and expectations. After outlining these principles, we will discuss examples of how they can be implemented in different disciplines and course contexts. Both new and seasoned instructors are invited to join us as we explore how to rethink planning for the first day of class.
By the end of this workshop, instructors will be able to:
- Describe four principles that lay the foundation for an engaging and motivating first day of class
- Apply these four principles to select active learning activities designed for different course contexts
- Rethink how they plan for their own first day of class