The First Day of Class

Introduction Day one is unlike any other day of the semester. Treat it as such. On the first day, you and your students will meet for the first time as a group of strangers. From this day on, you will want to cultivate this into an interactive group.

Things to do before your first class Pick up the course text, solutions manual and any supplies you will need for teaching (chalk, notebooks, etc.). Meet with the course coordinator and other instructors. Familiarize yourself with the official course syllabus. Write a syllabus of your own and make photocopies. Locate your classroom.

Things to do before your first class If your section is full, find out if there is space in your room to add more students. Obtain your class list from eLion. Decide how you will organize your students’ grades and set up a system for this. Set up a class e-mail list. Set up a basic website.

Things to do before your first class Set up a binder or some system for organizing your course materials. Prepare your first lecture. Consult the suggested homework list. Pick carefully chosen examples. Practice giving your first lecture in front of a small group of people.

Things to do before your first class Everything that you can prepare in advance, do so. Leave as little to chance as possible. The better prepared you are, the better able you are to handle the unexpected.

The First Day of Class Arrive to class a few minutes early. Introduce yourself. You may want to ask the class some general questions. Give an outline of the topics you will be covering. Go over the official course syllabus. Highlight the important topics (text, calculators, exams, grades, etc.).

The First Day of Class Go over your personal syllabus (your homework/quiz policy, office hours and location, etc.). Go over your general plan for running the course. Pause every so often to ask if they have any questions.

The First Day of Class You may want to establish some rules: Not talking while other people are talking. Not reading the newspaper in class. Not getting up and leaving during a lecture. If you establish such rules, make sure you follow through on them. You will want to tackle any discipline problems that arise quickly.

The First Day of Class You may want to provide some recommendations for the course: How to use class time effectively. How to study for the course. How to do homework. Where they can go for help.

The First Day of Class If you are teaching Math 21, 22, 26, 41 or 110 you will be asked to give your students a readiness quiz during the last 30 minutes of class. If you are teaching Math 17, 220, 230 or 250/251 you will not have a readiness quiz. You may start to lecture on the first day.

Common Questions Can I add your section? Should I be in this course or another one? Is there a different math course I can take to satisfy the general education requirement? I have a disability…. What type of calculator do I need? Do you take attendance?

The First Few Days Arrive on time and don’t let out class early. Make sure your lectures are particularly well prepared. Continue to convey that you are organized, knowledgeable, and are at least trying to do a good job. Continue to conduct yourself in a professional manner.

The First Few Days Continue to create a comfortable learning atmosphere. Make a conscious effort to learn their names. If you don’t know the answer to something, it’s okay. Don’t be afraid to ask other people for help or suggestions.

Attitudes & Expectations “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.” -William James Your attitude towards teaching and towards your students will influence your students’ attitudes towards the class and towards you.

Attitudes & Expectations What Your Students Expect of You: Demonstrate that you genuinely care about them and that you want them to do well in the course. You are knowledgeable of the subject matter. Professionalism. Have a pleasant demeanor. Dress nicely. Treat students with respect. Get there on time.

Attitudes & Expectations What Your Students Expect of You: Show that you are enthusiastic about teaching and that you enjoy it. Communicate effectively. Speak loudly, clearly and at a reasonable pace. Make yourself available outside of class. Give feedback on their performance in the class.

Attitudes & Expectations What Your Students Expect of You: Flexibility/valuing students’ opinions. You are in control of the class and foster a comfortable learning atmosphere. You are well prepared and organized. You ask and answer questions.

Attitudes & Expectations Remember: The first few classes set the tone for the entire semester. If you are not well prepared for the first few classes, this sends the wrong message to the students about your attitude towards teaching and the class. First impressions are lasting impressions.

Attitudes & Expectations You don’t want to convey the following: You don’t cover the material sufficiently. You embarrass them in front of their classmates. You don’t care about teaching. This is often done implicitly through lack of preparation, slow return of graded material, lecturing from the book, not being on time for class, sloppy appearance, etc.

Attitudes & Expectations You don’t want to convey the following: You are their best friend. You are their worst enemy. You are unaware of your audience. You assign things thoughtlessly. You think you are a stand-up comedian. You use words like “trivial” and “obvious.”

Attitudes & Expectations What you can expect from your students Timely completion of assignments. Courtesy, politeness, respectfulness. Some involvement in the class. Academic honesty. Level of professional distance. Many of them will require additional help from you.

Attitudes & Expectations What you can expect from your students Many of your students will be freshmen. You should tell them that in high school, most of the learning goes on in the classroom, but that in college most of the learning goes on outside of the classroom. Students come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Apathy on the part of some students.

Attitudes & Expectations What you can expect from your students Many students are focused on their grades rather than on learning. They seek to be efficient in the sense of achieving the best grade with the least amount of work. Many students will not spend a lot of time on your course. A Penn State survey suggested that 2/3 of the students study less than 15 hours a week.

Attitudes & Expectations Additional comments to foreign graduate students: The typical American student may be very different from what you’re used to. Students from your countries most likely have a much stronger background in mathematics.

Attitudes & Expectations Additional comments to foreign graduate students: Most students are from Pennsylvania or surrounding states and may have difficulty understanding instructors with a foreign accent. “If you are organized, if you speak up, if you treat students with the respect that you would desire from an instructor and if you show some enthusiasm for what you are doing, then students will forgive a lot.” (Krantz)

Attitudes & Expectations Additional comments to foreign graduate students: Write everything you want the students to know on the board in an organized fashion. Immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. You cannot lecture the entire time. Students may be less disciplined than what you’re used to.

Attitudes & Expectations Additional comments to foreign graduate students: Many students come in with very high grades from high school. Many students become angry, upset, and/or shocked that they will not be getting an A in your course. Talk with other TA’s from your country about the differences they have observed and about their approaches to these situations.

Closing Remarks Few people are born great teachers, but all of us have the ability to at least become good teachers. However, you will not improve merely by putting in more classroom hours. Be mindful of your classes; make note of what’s effective and what’s not, of what things you are good at and what things you need to improve upon. Teaching is not just a job, it is a privilege. Carry it out with the dignity and respect it deserves.