The first day of class can be an anxious experience for your students. Students enter the first day of class with at least four questions (Ericksen, 1984):
- Is the class going to meet my needs?
- Is the teacher competent?
- Is the teacher fair?
- Will the teacher care about me?
To this list we should add:
- Will I be able to succeed?
- What does the teacher expect from me?
- What will I need to do to get a good grade?
- Will I be able to juggle the workload for this course with the workload in my other courses?
Keep in mind that the first day of class sets the tone for the whole course. This is the best opportunity you have to establish your expectations for student achievement and behavior. Take advantage of the fact that most students will be looking for signs to indicate what the course holds for them, and will therefore be highly attentive. Therefore, be careful to communicate to students not only your high expectations for them, but also your commitment to and support for their learning.
Setting the Tone for the Semester
Consider the messages you send on the first day that can help your students persist and succeed in your class. Possible topics include:
- We all experience challenges: Consider sharing your academic struggles and how you overcame them. This can be a great segue into discussing how you plan to support your students’ learning journey. Also consider getting testimonials from prior students on how they struggled in the course but were able to succeed, which is a great tool for reinforcing resiliency. Discussing the languages, norms, and expectations of higher education or your discipline can be particularly helpful for the novice learners in front of you. For more specific issues, see the blog post “Unspoken Expectations and Student Success: Revealing the Hidden Curriculum.”
- Normalize asking for help when you struggle: Learning is an uncomfortable process and students should know that this is normal, but that they can ask for help. There are many reasons why students might be hesitant to ask for help. Explain that asking for help is a sign of investment in their own success. Let students know when they might struggle in your course and provide concrete steps they can take to recover.
Recommended Checklist for the First Day of Class
Prior to the First Day
- Visit your classroom prior to the first day and practice with the technology in the room so you will feel confident on day one.
- Print and review your class roster with pictures of your students using the IU Photo Roster tool in Canvas.
- Review your Canvas Student Profile Report to learn about the group of students in your class.
- Create an outline for how you will use your class time.
- Reflect on the climate you would like to create in your classroom; you may want to address some of these issues on the first day of class, too.
- Send a welcome email to your students, perhaps inviting them to respond to a few questions via email or a survey.
On the First Day of Class
- Arrive early and plan to stay late to answer student questions. Never miss the opportunity to welcome students as they enter the room.
- Introduce yourself to the class and help students meet each other with an activity.
- Review the “key points” of the syllabus, focusing not on all the policies and details (they can read those—and be quizzed on them—later), but instead highlighting the learning outcomes for the course and helping students see their relevance in their own studies and lives.
- Communicate to your students clear expectations about attendance and grading policies.
- Set the tone by engaging students the way you intend to throughout the semester; that is, if you expect them to engage actively in discussions or solve problems, do that on the first day—telling them about how they will be active learners is counterproductive. In other words, let them practice learning the way they will throughout the semester.
Additional Resources
For more about the suggestions and broader frameworks, see How to Teach a Good First Day of Class from the Chronicle of Higher Education.
See our blog post on Welcoming Your Students and Setting Them up for Success.