Write a letter to your students. In that letter, introduce yourself to students.

Tell them about your

hopes for the new school year and some of the fun things you'll be doing in class. In addition, tell
students a few personal things about yourself; for example, your likes and dislikes, what you did
over the summer, and your hobbies. Ask questions throughout the letter. You might ask what
students like most about school, what they did during the summer, what their goals for the new
school year are, or what they are really good at. In your letter, be sure to model the correct parts of a
friendly letter! On the first day of school, display your letter on an overhead projector. Then pass
each student a sheet of nice stationery. Have the students write return letters to you. In this letter,
they will need to answer some of your questions and tell you about themselves. This is a great way
to get to know each other in a personal way! Variation: Mail the letter to students before school
starts, and enclose a sheet of stationery for kids to write you back. Meg Basker, Harrison
Elementary School, South Bend, Indiana

Stringing Conversation Together

Cut string or yarn into pieces of different lengths. Each piece should have a matching piece of the
same length. There should be enough pieces so that each student will have one. Then give each
student one piece of string, and challenge each student to find the other student who has a string of
the same length. After students find their matches, they can take turns introducing themselves to
one another. You can provide a list of questions to help students "break the ice," or students can
come up with their own. You might extend the activity by having each student introduce his or her
partner to the class.
      Stacy Moore, Garrison Mill Elementary School, Marietta, Georgia

Any comments, any remakrs? ………………………………………………………………..

(8) What would you like to know about me? 

(1) You could try a “true or false” game.

Get each student to write three statements about themselves. Two statements are true,
while one is false.
Each student reads their three statements to the class and they (the rest of the class)
guess which statement isn’t true.
eg:
1. I have been to five countries.
2. I haven’t driven a car.
3. I like to eat apples.

One is false…. Which one is it?

(2) Find the person

Level: Intermediate
Language: asking questions
Procedures:
1. Day 1 – the teacher writes some questions on the board for the students to answer.
Students can choose 3 questions and write the answers on three slips of paper. Students
are required to give a full answer (I usually read a book at 7 p.m.). The teacher collects
the answers and checks them for any mistakes.
Questions:
What do you usually do at 7 p.m.?
What is your favorite movie/TV show?
What is your telephone number?
What is your street number/name of your street?
How many sisters/brothers do you have?
When is your birthday?
What do you like cooking?
Where did you go last summer?
How do you usually get to school?
(?)
2. Day 2 – each student receives 3 slips of paper written by other students. Now students
have to go around the room and find those who wrote those answers. They have to ask
questions: Do you have three brothers?

(3) Names A to Z
This activity is good for introductions and for practicing the alphabet. It is good for a
new group of students and for the class where you have just a few new students or a new
teacher.
Level: Beginning through Advanced
Language: What is your name? – My name’s ___./I am ___.
Alphabet
Procedures:
1. Students introduce themselves: What is your name? – My name’s Anna.
[Link] students line up in the alphabetical order (A to Z). If there isn’t enough room in
the classroom students can form a circle.
Variation:
More advanced students can be asked to add an adjective in front of their names: I am a
smart Sandra.

1. Introduce me: 
This activity is a great way to start a class of adult learners who are not complete beginners. Split
them up into pairs and have them take turns asking each other questions. You should have some
prompts written down on the board or on a handout, and they should be suitable to their level.
For example, beginner-intermediate students should have a list of questions, like: 

 Where do you live?

 What do you do?
 ?
 Etc.
More advanced students, may be simply given areas to investigate,
like:

 Education
 Family
 Work
 Leisure activities and hobbies
 Etc.
They should be encouraged to take notes, and try to remember as
much as they can about their partner. Once they’re done interviewing
each other, each student has to introduce his or her partner and tell
the class what they've learned about that person.
Very young learners or beginners can simply be taught to ask simple
questions like, “What’s your name?” and “How old are you?”, then
introduce their new friend to the class: “This is Sandra. She’s 7 years

Write five questions on the board. Questions might include the following:

 Where were you born?

 How many brothers or sisters do you have?

 What are their names?

 Do you have any pets?

Tell students to write those questions on a piece of paper and to add to that paper five more
questions they could ask someone they don't know. Pair students, and have each student interview
his or her partner and record the responses. Then have each student use the interview responses to
write a "dictionary definition" of his or her partner to include in a Student Dictionary. You might model
this activity by creating a sample dictionary definition about yourself. For example:

Make the Most of the First Day of Class

 The first day of class always creates some nervousness, even for seasoned instructors. It helps to have a mental
checklist of objectives to accomplish so that you and your students come away with the impression that the course
is off to a good start.

The first class meeting should serve at least two basic purposes:

 To clarify all reasonable questions students might have relative to the course objectives, as well as your
expectations for their performance in class. As students leave the first meeting, they should believe in your
competence to teach the course, be able to predict the nature of your instruction, and know what you will require
of them.
 To give you an understanding of who is taking your course and what their expectations are.
These two basic purposes expand into a set of eight concrete objectives:
1. Orchestrate positive first impressions
2. Introduce yourself effectively
3. Clarify learning objectives and expectations
4. Help students learn about each other
5. Set the tone for the course
6. Collect baseline data on students' knowledge and motivation
7. Whet students' appetite for course content
8. Inform students of course requirements 

1. Orchestrate positive first impressions

First impressions can be long-lasting, and they are usually based on a thin slice of behavior. Before you even start
teaching, your students will have already made some decisions about you, so it is important to understand what
those impressions are based on and how to manage them.
 Your attire. Research shows that clothing affects several kinds of judgments people make, including but
not limited to, credibility, likability, dominance, kindness, and empathy (Raiscot, 1986; Morris et al., 1996). More
formal attire communicates expertise and confidence, less formal attire communicates approachability. Usually, it
is easier to relax a more formal impression into a more relaxed one than the other way around. These
considerations are likely to be particularly relevant for young instructors who are concerned about establishing
themselves as authoritative.
 The physical environment. Students can make decisions about what kind of course yours will be by the
way the chairs are arranged. Rows signify a more formal environment, while circles or u-shapes imply a more
informal atmosphere, with more expectations of student participation. The words on the board also indicate how
interesting the course is likely to be. In addition to the course information, consider having a thought-provoking
question displayed as they arrive.
 Your use of the few minutes before class. Greeting the students as they enter the classroom
communicates approachability. Franticly arriving right on time or even late communicates disorganization, and so
on.

2. Introduce yourself effectively

Your introduction should be succinct, but make sure to cover certain key areas. These questions should help you
decide what to say:
 What characteristics do you want to convey about yourself?
Among other things, you probably want the students to get a sense of your qualifications for teaching the course,
how formal/informal you want to be, and how available you will be to the students.
 What will you need to say to convey those characteristics?
Consider talking about your research interests as they relate to the course, in order to establish yourself as an
authority, and to make to course more relevant. Talk about the best ways to reach you (e.g., phone, email) and
your office hour preference (e.g., set hours, open door, make an appointment).
 What do you think students are trying to figure out about you?
In addition to the categories above, students are likely trying to determine whether you are a harsh or easy
grader, and how flexible you will be with deadlines. You don’t need to cater to their agenda, but you might want to
say something about your policies (more on this in the next objective).
 What should you be careful not to say?
Students do not need to know everything about you. In particular, it is not helpful to say you’ve never taught the
course before, or that it is your least favorite course to teach, or to disclose any irrelevant personal information
that can undermine you in the eyes of your students.

3. Clarify learning objectives and your expectations

This is probably the most important objective. Cleary laying out expectations starts to orient students toward the
kind of effort, learning, performance and classroom behaviors you expect from them, and it helps them use their
time productively. It will also help those students who are shopping around in deciding whether to take your course
or not.
 Describe the prerequisites so that students will know if they are ready to take your course.
 Highlight main aspects of the syllabus.
If you followed the course design process, you should have an effective structure for the course. Communicate that
structure to the students so they will understand the decisions you made for the course and the reasons why you
made them. In particular, make sure to highlight the learning objectives, the alignment with the assessments –
including the grading criteria – and the instructional strategies, the course policies, and the rationale for the
structure and the policies, and the reasons for choosing the textbook or other reading materials.
 Consider a quiz on the syllabus.
To reinforce the point that understanding expectations is crucial for success in the course some professors require
students to take a quiz on the syllabus and get all answers right before they go on with the course
content. Blackboard can be used for that purpose.
 Explain your expectations for student behavior (if they are not included in the syllabus) including
expectations for: 
 punctuality
 seeking help when needed
 offering feedback when appropriate
 preferences for student participation (e.g., raising hands and waiting to be called on vs. jumping
in the discussion)
 Communicate your commitment to the students’ learning experience.
Share some advice for success in your course (e.g., attendance, participation, keeping up with the readings) and
let them know you are confident in their success as long as they put in the required effort.

4. Help students learn about each other

The classroom is a social environment, so it is helpful to start the social dynamics in a productive way.
 Icebreakers raise the energy levels and get students comfortable so that they will be ready to
focus on the material, especially if you want to foster a collaborative environment where students will have to work
in groups or dialogue with each other.
 Make sure that the icebreaker is appropriate for the course.
 Icebreakers work even better when they allow students to get to know each other in the context
of the course material.
 Provitera McGlynn (2001) provide a variety of social icebreakers some of which can be tailored to
course content.

5. Set the tone for the course

The way you engage students on the first day sends powerful messages about the level of involvement and
interaction you expect from them.
Inexperienced instructors sometimes make the mistake of lecturing at the students for a few weeks, then try to
have a discussion when the first big unit of the course is finished, only to be surprised at the lack of student
participation. This is because students have already been socialized to just listen in the course.
The following strategies will help you set a productive tone:
 Whatever you plan to do during the semester, do it on the first day. For instance, if you plan to use
discussions, have students start talking on the first day. If you plan to use groups frequently, put students in
groups on the first day. If you plan to use extensive writing, have some kind of short reflective writing activity. If
 you want the students to be in charge of their own learning, start with an activity where they are the experts, and
cannot rely on you for information. For instance, in a psychology course on myths about human behavior, the
instructor starts with a brainstorming of myths about student behaviors in dorms.
 Consider a “Homework 0” voluntary-mandatory office hour. The assignment is simply to make an
appointment with you at a convenient time, find your office and visit you there before the next class or two. This
gets students to your office, breaks the ice with a short one-on-one interaction, and makes it much more likely that
the students will come back for help when they need it.
 Establish a culture of feedback. Let students know you are interested in how they experience the
course and in any suggestions they have. Let them know you will do formal early course evaluations, but that they
should feel free to give you constructive feedback, even anonymously. You might not adopt every suggestion they
have but you will listen and consider them. This starts to create a partnership in learning.

6. Collect baseline data on students’ knowledge and motivation

This objective stems directly from the second overarching goal for the first day of class.
 Collect data about baseline knowledge. This can take several forms:
 Check that students have taken relevant courses in a sequence.
 Give students an ungraded pretest that assesses knowledge and skills necessary for the course.
 Also rely on students’ self-reports about how confident they feel about particular knowledge and
their ability to apply it.
 More information on several forms of pre-assessment.
 Get a sense of students’ motivation in the course. Collect data about:
 why students are taking your course
 what they expect to get out of it, and
 what challenges they anticipate
 Decide what to do about different/inadequate prior knowledge. Depending on how many students
are lacking certain knowledge or skills, you might choose to:
 tell them they cannot take the course
 tell them how they can bridge the gap on their own
 decide to devote one or two classes to a review of important foundational material
 defer that to a review session ran by your TA

7. Whet students’ appetites for course content

Some instructors simply hand out the syllabus and dismiss class figuring that the enrollment has not yet stabilized
and it does not make sense to cover material. While there is truth to that argument, the first day of class is a great
chance to stimulate interest about the course and to activate relevant prior knowledge students have about the
material. Here are some suggestions for activities that orient students to the content:
 Directed reading-thinking activity. Lyons et al. (2003, p. 87) suggest the following exercise:
1. On your own, list everything you can think of that might be in a book entitled [your textbook, or
the name of the course if you don’t have a textbook].
2. Get with a partner, share your ideas, and then put the ideas you both generated for step 1 into
categories.
3. Give each category a name.
4. Get with another pair and together combine your ideas. Then arrange the categories as a table of
contents for this book and write it on the chart paper each group has been given.
This activity gets students talking to each other, makes them realize they bring relevant knowledge to bear, and it
makes them think about a possible overarching structure for that knowledge. If that structure is appropriate, you
can capitalize on that, otherwise this exercise will expose some of the misconceptions students possess, giving you
a chance to correct them. The activity typically takes about half an hour.

 Collect data from the students about issues related to course content. This exercise gives you
knowledge about the students and is relevant in social science courses that involve research. A statistics instructor
 always collects data on the first day and uses the survey and the students’ responses to illustrate points about
survey sampling.
 Have students generate hypothesis about a typical problem in your course. This exercise can be
used to foreshadow different positions and camps in your discipline. When appropriate, you can push the students
to think about how they would test their hypotheses, getting deeper into methods of inquiry appropriate for the
discipline.
 Connect course content to current events. Bring in newspaper or magazine clips that relate to your
course. Whenever you can connect your field to current events, or pop culture, or student interests, you
demonstrate relevance, which increases student motivation.
 Common sense inventory. Nilson (2003) describes a “Common Sense Inventory” where students need
to determine whether 15 statements related to the course content are true or false (e.g., in a social psychology
course, “Suicide is more likely among women than men,” or “Over half of all marriages occur between persons who
live within 20 blocks of each other”). After paired or small group discussions, you can reveal the right answer. This
works particularly well in courses where students bring in a lot of misconceptions (e.g., Introductory Physics).


8. Inform students of logistics

Students are also looking for answers to questions such as:
 “Will I be able to get in this course that I really need?”
 “I have a conflict, is it possible to switch sections?”
You might want to provide information about the following categories:
 caps on enrollment and waitlists
 drop-add dates
 rules about course sections
 safety procedures
 other relevant administrative or logistic procedures
While this may seem like a lot of information to consider for one class, remember that the first day of class sets the
tone for the entire course. Time upfront will pay off in the long run.