First Day Jitters
Whether you’re a new or veteran teacher, it’s common to feel a bit nervous about the first day of class. A good way to deal with jitters is to be sure that you are well prepared.
Onsite, bring:
- The Attendance roster (located in your on-campus mailbox)
- Supplies: functioning white board pens, an eraser, etc.
- Your syllabus—on an overhead transparency or laptop (in case students didn’t download it online)—to briefly introduce the course and your expectations
- Any technology you want to use—reserved several days in advance, from the Audio Visual department (AV@academyart.edu), and tested
- A First Day Questionnaire to learn about your students’ academic backgrounds, aspirations, and contact info
- Samples of past student work that will inspire and motivate students
- A homework assignment to get them going right away
Online preparations:
- Complete the “Teaching Online” training from Cyber Campus
- Review your course materials and discussion topics for the semester
- Download your media
- Make sure all your topics for Module 1 are ready to go
- Check in with your online teaching coach at Cyber Campus
Do everything you know to feel relaxed:
Get a good night’s rest, have your favorite form of nourishment, and walk briskly around the block. Arrive early, check the room, run through what you intend to say, and envision the class flowing from start to finish.
To alleviate any lingering anxiety, plan activities that will engage students and allow you to step out of the spotlight. Learning names and doing Ice Breakers takes the pressure off of you while building community—that elusive yet essential ingredient of any successful class. Another way to accomplish this is to put students in groups and have them fill out a Group Assets chart to get to know one another and discover each other’s abilities, interests, and class-related experience. When they’re finished, each student can share about a classmate’s strength or skill that might be of value to the group. This establishes a culture in which all participants are contributing members and puts everyone at ease—including you!
Resources:
The First Day Experience
Getting Off to a Good Start
Creating a Comfortable Learning Environment
*Visit our website to browse other Library topics or past Teaching Tips. |
