Those who have attended university know that the first class of the new semester is typically dedicated to discussing the syllabus for the course (and possibly getting out early for the first and last time all semester). As students typically have a series of classes spread throughout the working week, I've taken to fondly calling the first week of each new semester "Sylly Week". It's the calm before the storm, the last sweet opportunity to be a bit lax with your time and resolve yourself to what's coming ahead.
Sylly Week is also a time for the instructor to set a good first impression, whatever they feel that might be, and to go over class expectations and due dates. This first meeting is often said to "set the tone" for the classes to come, and a quick Google search will bring you to several teaching guides and sources that stress the importance of this first day with your students (see gray button below for one of my favorites, by Carnegie Mellon University). That said, there is no one "right" way to teach someone, so take all of my advice however you like and adjust to your own personal tastes :)
As I've mentioned, I taught two semesters of a 1-credit introductory Biology wet lab (as opposed to a "dry"/computer lab) that was required for full course credit alongside a 3-credit lecture component (see blue button above). Wet labs are interesting because there's often a lot of physical movement when compared to a traditional sit-down lecture-style setting. There's also a considerable amount of group work, mostly to share materials and disperse responsibilities for larger experiments. I've found that Sylly Week is the perfect chance to get into this working-together mentality, and one thing that I've adapted and found effective from my days as an undergraduate resident assistant is the use of icebreakers.
This is a relatively low-key version of an icebreaker compared to those I used in my RA years (2 Truths and A Lie, anyone?). I simply ask my students to take some time to introduce themselves to those around them. A bit of movement around the room also gets their blood flowing a bit before I bog them down with syllabus information. If you're curious about how I go about discussing the syllabus, I've posted my entire slide set from Sylly Week below. Feel free to borrow ideas for your classes if you'd like :) |
This icebreaker took place after I'd introduced myself to the students. I like to reassure them that I know what I'm talking about. There's often an awful lot of unfamiliarity with the techniques and materials we use in introductory wet lab courses, so taking the bit of time to show the students that you've seen and done everything successfully before really boosts their confidence in you as an instructor.
It also helps to show the students that you're human like they are. I remember thinking in elementary school that the teachers never left their classrooms, that they probably had some kind of inflatable mattress stowed in the closet so they could sleep there and everything. Obviously I thought that less and less as I grew older, but there's always a chance that the students could mentally put their instructor up on this teaching pedestal, isn't there? It'd be a bit weird if they did it physically I guess... But to achieve this, I share a chart of my student evaluations from the previous year's surveys. I like to tell my students that it's alright to point out my imperfections by displaying them up front, and that constructive criticism will help me be a better teacher for them. Hopefully, this brings me down off of that pedestal in their minds but maintains the blossoming professional relationship within the lab.
It also helps to show the students that you're human like they are. I remember thinking in elementary school that the teachers never left their classrooms, that they probably had some kind of inflatable mattress stowed in the closet so they could sleep there and everything. Obviously I thought that less and less as I grew older, but there's always a chance that the students could mentally put their instructor up on this teaching pedestal, isn't there? It'd be a bit weird if they did it physically I guess... But to achieve this, I share a chart of my student evaluations from the previous year's surveys. I like to tell my students that it's alright to point out my imperfections by displaying them up front, and that constructive criticism will help me be a better teacher for them. Hopefully, this brings me down off of that pedestal in their minds but maintains the blossoming professional relationship within the lab.
One thing I always made for myself in my undergraduate major and minor courses was a checklist of assignment due dates and quizzes/exams. I always tried to fit everything onto a single page, one per class, that I could quickly reference to make sure I was up-to-date on everything. I've taken this "Due Dates Checklist" and adapted it as a handout for my students every semester, and am happy to share it here with you as well. I've attached the Word document file to the image below, so feel free to download and edit for your own courses :) My students were huge fans, and most of them had it as the very first page in their manuals and notebooks.
Now I'm going to try something I've never done before on the blog. I'm going to ask you to take a little survey for me. I'd really like the "Teaching" section of the blog to be helpful to you the reader, but I'd like to know exactly how I can go about doing that, especially since I'm not 100% sure who the members of my reading audience are or what they're be interested in seeing here. So I will leave you here, I'm eager to hear from you all :) Cheers, and thanks for your feedback!