By Greg Paziuk and Jessie Beatty. A guide to the ins and outs of the first day in the classroom. Delivered at GATA Winter Academy, University of Windsor, January 2013

1. GATAcademy 2012
Greg Paziuk and Jessie Beatty

2.  Think about how you want your students
to see you
 Sets the tone for the semester – are you
serious? Are you casual?
 How much information about you do you
want them to have?
 How do you want to be addressed?
 Tie your dress into your image

3. Which picture projects a
more professional image?

4.  Any activity or game that can be used to
introduce students to each other and the group
as a whole
 They allow students to make connections and
build a support system
 Lighten the mood of the classroom
 Let you get to know the students (and learn their
names!)
 Don‟t just have to be used in the first day –
useful to do every so often throughout semester

5.  Provide your students with individual lists
of five characteristics or personality traits
 Each student must introduce themselves
to their neighbhours and record at least
one name next to each characteristic/trait
 Students cannot use the same person for
more than one characteristic/trait

6.  Think about them before the first class!
 Be consistent
 Try to give students a realistic sense of
the workload
 Be clear about your policies:
participation/communication/attendance/et
c.

7.  Contact information
 Office hours and location
 Syllabus
• Due dates
• Grading scheme
• Late policy
• Plagiarism
 How you present this info can determine
how well your students retain it (this goes
for assignments as well)

8.  Present your syllabus as a scavenger hunt that challenges
students and emphasizes the important points. For example:
1. Break into groups
2. Read through the syllabus
3. Locate the following information:
 The instructor‟s office hours
 The grade weight for the Final Portfolio
 The late policy
 The title of the primary text book
 Finish this sentence: “To this end, each of you will be asked to
write in multiple genres…”
4. All answers are final. The group which can locate each item
correctly wins a small prize

9. FLAT QUESTIONS ENGAGING QUESTIONS
 Anything with a yes or no  Possibility of differing
answer answers
 Planted answers  The Three Second Rule
 Silences students  Leads to discussion
 Unnecessary repetition  Reinforces concepts

10. NERVOUS CONFIDENT
 Fidgeting  Expressive gestures
 Pacing/rocking  Moving with purpose
 Speaking too quickly  Speaking at a measured
 Stutters (um, uh, etc.) pace
 Unconscious repetition  Deliberate reiteration/re-
and/or circling back emphasis of important
 Avoiding eye contact/fixating points (repeating for a
 Reading straight from notes purpose)
 Establish eye contact

11.  Preparation makes a difference
• Make a list of points you want to cover
• Be familiar with the syllabus
• Know your expectations
 Don„t be afraid to take a breath
 Make eye contact
 Be true to your personality – be genuine

12. (we love „em!)