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Setting the Tone for the Semester

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Title: Setting the Tone for the Semester


1
The First Day of Class
  • Setting the Tone for the Semester

Terri A. Tarr, PhD
August 13, 2008
2
Getting to Know You
  • Introduction by Interview
  • Introduce yourself and tell how long you have
    taught and what course(s) you will teach this
    fall.
  • After your brief introduction, the floor will be
    open for two interview questions.

3
Getting to Know You
  • Circle in the Circle
  • Form two concentric circles
  • Line up facing one person in the other circle
  • After the prompt, discuss each question
  • After discussion the inner circle will be
    directed to take one step to the right

4
Objectives
  • By the end of this session, participants will be
    able to
  • Articulate reasons why the first day of class is
    important.
  • Identify objectives for the first day of class.
  • Share ideas and concerns about first day
    strategies.
  • Recognize the multiple functions of an effective
    syllabus.
  • Identify elements that are essential to include
    in a syllabus and consider elements that you may
    wish to include in a syllabus.

5
YOUR Objectives
  • What would you like to gain from this session?

6
Why is the First Day of Class Important?
  • The first day sets the tone of the class for the
    whole semester!

7
What do Students Want to Know on the First Day?
  • Is this class going to meet my needs?
  • Is the teacher competent?
  • Is the teacher fair?
  • Will the teacher care about me?
  • Scholl-Buckwald (1985)

8
Creating a Community of Learners
  • Most learners respond well to caring and
    communicative educators who are willing to listen
    thoughtfully to their ideas and allow them to
    have some choice in the classroom. (Sowers,
    2004)
  • Possible First Day Activities to Promote
    Community
  • Introductions or icebreakers
  • Learn names
  • Have students work in groups
  • Review syllabus
  • Gather contact information
  • Gather information from students
  • Demographic
  • What helps them learn
  • Brainstorm a list of adjectives to describe a
    community of learners

9
Icebreakers
  • Most effective when they are tied to course
    content
  • Debrief by telling students the purpose of the
    icebreaker
  • Examples
  • Five-fingers icebreaker
  • People search
  • Common ground
  • Eight nouns
  • Others?

10
What Should We Do on theFirst Day of Class?
Lets Vote!
11
What Should We Do on theFirst Day of Class?
  • Involve students quickly
  • Identify the value and importance of the subject
  • Set expectations
  • Establish rapport
  • Reveal something about yourself
  • Establish your own credibility
  • Establish the climate for the class
  • Provide administrative information
  • Introduce the subject matter

  • (Fink, 1999)

12
Think its Too Much?
  • Building community can be done in small ways
    as an enhancement to what faculty traditionally
    do on the first day go over the syllabus, get to
    know the students, and introduce the subject
    matter.

13
How Much of You is in the Classroom?
  • Share the awe of discovery
  • Spread excitement for the work
  • Show passion for the discipline
  • Let students see enthusiasm in your teaching
  • Let students know you remember what it was like
    to be them

14
Terri Tarr
Born in Portland, Maine
Grew up in Michigan
Live in Indianapolis
  • Graduated from
  • Carmel HS
  • Ball State University (BA, MA)
  • Purdue University (PhD)

Running is the greatest metaphor for life,
because you get out of it what you put into it."
Oprah Winfrey
Married to Mike Mother of Chris (25) and Kara (20)
Associate Director, Center for Teaching and
Learning Associate Faculty, Department of
Psychology
15
Think-Pair-Share
  • What excites you about your subject matter?
  • What kind of activity would demonstrate it and
    articulate to students why you think the subject
    is important?

16
What If Im Nervous?
17
Ending the First Class
  • Bring closure to earlier activities
  • Make an assignment
  • Give time for reflection (minute papers)

18
Action Plan
  • What is something you might do differently on
    your first day of class this semester?

19
What to Keep in Mind
  • First impressions are lasting (even those first
    10 seconds!) so make the most of the first day.
  • Success is dependent upon planning, so do! DONT
    wing it!
  • Ask yourself, could problems during the course be
    alleviated by having a more effective first day
    session?

20
Designing an Effective Syllabus
21
Considerations Prior to Preparing a Syllabus
What do you want students to know and be able to
do as a result of this course?
Objectives
How will students get it?
How will you know if students got it?
Assessment
Activities
22
The Role of the Syllabus
  • The syllabus is a contract between students and
    faculty.
  • The ordinary syllabus conveys faculty
    expectations of students.
  • An extraordinary syllabus conveys what students
    can expect from faculty.

23
What More Can the Syllabus Do?
  • If you want students to have a passion for
    learning, you may want to start with something
    more interesting than school policies.
  • The syllabus gives you an opportunity to disclose
    your values, enthusiasm and interests.

24
Motivating with a Syllabus
  • Convey your enthusiasm for the subject
  • Convey the intellectual challenge of course
  • Provide a personal context for student
  • Convey your respect for students ability
  • Objectives are attainable and stated positively
  • Grading conveys possibility of success
  • Assignments are clearly presented
  • Assignments address different levels of Blooms
    taxonomy types of learning
  • Students learning is assessed frequently
  • Conveys the desire to help students

25
Essential Elements of a Syllabus
  • Course information
  • Instructor information
  • Required materials
  • Course description from university catalog and
    prerequisites
  • Course goals or objectives

26
Essential Elements of a Syllabus (cont.)
  • Content outline
  • Grading standards and criteria
  • A statement regarding accommodations for students
    with disabilities
  • Course policies
  • A disclaimer such as The above schedule and
    procedures are subject to change in the event of
    extenuating circumstances.

27
Why Are These Elements Important?
28
Possible Elements of a Syllabus
  • Conceptual structure of course
  • University policies
  • Grading rubric(s)
  • Statement providing estimate of student work load
  • Glossary of terms used in course
  • Bibliography

29
Possible Elements of a Syllabus
  • Campus resources
  • List of co-curricular activities relevant to your
    course
  • Supplementary material
  • Space for names and telephone numbers of two or
    three classmates
  • Statement on your beliefs about teaching and
    learning and instructional methods you will use

30
Additional Syllabus Considerations
  • Doesnt have to be a linear document
  • Details are essential
  • Course map
  • Introductory information
  • Course procedures
  • Detailed schedule
  • Weekly overview

31
One Final Question
  • What one or two new elements will you add to your
    syllabus?

32
References
  • Fink, D. (1999). http//www.ou.edu/idp/tips/ideas/
    design4.html
  • Scholl-Buckwald, S. (1985). The first meeting of
    class. In J. Katz (Ed.) Teaching as though
    students mattered. (New Directions for Teaching
    and Learning, Volume 21). San Francisco
    Jossey-Bass.
  • Sowers, J. (2004). Creating a community of
    learners Solving the puzzle of classroom
    management. Portland, OR Northwest Regional
    Educational Laboratory.
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