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Know Your Students

A designer creating a new company identity cannot even begin without an intimate knowledge of the company.

A person writing an email cannot start without knowing who the intended recipient is.

Political candidates have different speeches for different audiences.

Know your audience.
It's crucial for practically everything we do.

Your first day of class should include plenty of activities that help you get to know your students. First Day Questionnaire can be very helpful in this process as well.

There are also some general trends at the Academy of Art University that you should familiarize yourself with as you think about teaching:

Open enrollment for undergraduate programs is part of the Academy of Art University’s mission statement. Open enrollment means that any student with a high school diploma or a GED and a desire to pursue art and design can enroll here. If you are an instructor who attended a more academic program, or one with very competitive entry requirements, you will find that the Academy of Art University’s student population is probably quite different from the one that you were part of as an undergraduate. For more information and tips for working with the open enrollment population at the Academy of Art University, go to:
» Freshmen and Open Enrollment.

International students make up about one third of the Academy of Art University’s students. Many of them have just arrived in the US and some have very limited English language and US culture skills. For more information and tips for working with international students, go to:
» International Students
» Ideas for Working with International Students

Learning styles vary tremendously among our students. Understanding a little about learning styles can help you to plan lessons which are varied and reach a wide range of learners. For more information and tips for working with students who have varied learning styles, go to:
» Learning Styles

Classroom Services include students with documented disabilities who make up 2% of the Academy of Art University’s students. Disabilities may be visible (such as wheelchair users) or invisible (such as learning disabilities). There are also a large number of students who have undocumented disabilities. For more information on working with students who have disabilities, go to:
» Classroom Services

» First Day Questionnaire » Freshmen and Open Enrollment » International Students » Ideas for Working with International Students » Learning Styles » Learning Styles Inventory

» Lesson Planning » The First Day » Grading, Feedback, & Critique » Classroom Management