The 1st day

First Impressions: Activities for the First Day of Class

The old expression that you never have a second chance to make a first impression is certainly true in the classroom. Early in my career, I witnessed and tried several first-day-of-class strategies, ranging from briefly introducing the course and dismissing students early to spending the entire time reviewing policies and procedures, but I began to feel that most time we were missing an important opportunity. Students are never more attentive than they are on the first day of class, when they’re eager to determine what kind of professor they’re dealing with, and although it is tempting to delay the real work of teaching and learning until the class list has stabilized, it can be difficult to change even the subtle norms that are established during this initial class. Here are some strategies to help students begin using the skills they need.

First Day of Class Activities that Create a Climate for Learning

There’s no discounting the importance of the first day of class. What happens that day sets the tone for the rest of the course. Outlined on this site are a few novel activities for using that first day of class to emphasize the importance of learning and the responsibility students share for shaping the classroom environment.