2 Quick Tips to Engage with Your Students from Day One

The Spring term is quickly approaching. Remember that the culture of a classroom begins forming from the first contact with your students. Ensuring a successful term means thinking about how you connect with your students before they enter the classroom and during those initial sessions. With that in mind, here are some quick tips to begin engaging with your students from day one.

1. Post a welcome message on the wall.

Beyond being a great space for updates and announcements, the wall should be a hub of communication that allows for an ongoing conversation with your students. Often your students will have had course access for a week or more before they actually meet you in class. An inviting welcome message lets them know who you are and what to expect from this course. It’s also a great opportunity to remind them what to bring to class or have completed before day one. It also does not need to be a dry wall of text, wall posts can include images and video. A nice video introduction can really put a face and voice to a name. You could even have students record or post introduction videos/messages.

2. Set expectations and norms on day one.

First classes can easily be bogged down in the minute of syllabi and assignments. While those pieces are important, it’s also important to take the time to lay down your expectations of the students in class. Make sure to cover simple things like, “How do we ask a question, or can we turn our camera’s off?”* It can also serve as a springboard into deeper conversations around what respectful communication and disagreements look like in your class. Think about how you want your students to behave, then set those expectations early on. Don’t wait until later weeks; forming the culture of your classroom early on paves the way to a smooth term.

*Generally the answer is no, students should not have their cameras off for any extended period of time.

Work Cited: First Live Session: Setting Expectations