4. What should I do on the first day of class?

Whether you are the instructor of record, leading a discussion section or lab, or assisting in a large lecture class, remember that the first day of class is a time of anxiety for all instructors. For some, this anxiety is little more than a mild elevation of heart rate, while for others it may approach the terror stage. As a new TA, you should not be too concerned about feeling anxious; in fact, you might think about the fact that the same adrenaline rush that produces the physiological symptoms associated with anxiety will also give you the intellectual and emotional energy you need to make your classroom a lively, interesting environment.

Before the First Day: Preparing your Classroom
A first step is to become familiar with the territory, your teaching environment—that is, the classroom. You can find the classroom assignments for your courses by logging on to MyUAlbany, or if you are a TA for a large class, ask your lead instructor. If you want to change classrooms, the process begins by putting in a change request through an administrator in your home department.

Go to your assigned classroom before your class starts, preferably a day or two early. Does the room have a screen for projection if you need it? Is there an overhead projector? A computer projector? Chalk and erasers? Other types of equipment? Do you want to arrange the room in some special way for your class? (If so, be sure to rearrange it when you are done!) Are there enough seats for the size of the class? In other words, familiarize yourself with your classroom before you actually start teaching, and you will have one less thing to think about on the first day.

Many smart classrooms are available throughout the campus. If you need media support but are not assigned to a smart classroom, Audio/Visual Services can, with advance notice, provide you with portable equipment (i.e., TVs, slide projectors and portable computer projection systems). (Return to top)

The First Day: What Your Students Need to Know

• Am I in the right class?
  At the beginning of the semester, confusion reigns. You have found your way to the classroom, but have your students? Announce the number and name of your class as a first step, and write it on the chalkboard. You may be shocked to know how many students can sit through an entire class without knowing whether it is American Lit or European History. Part of your strategy for being relaxed in class is to avoid unexpected problems, and a student (or students) in the wrong classroom is one problem that can be avoided.
  
• Who is this teaching assistant?
  As a student in a class, you are one of many, and either hope to be noticed or, perhaps, ignored by the professor depending on your level of preparation, interest, and so forth. As an instructor in a class, you are the focus of everyone’s attention. Students are curious about you, and will make decisions about you whether or not you give them any information; why not recognize this curiosity and give them some information that you control? Write your name on the chalkboard or overhead projector, and pronounce it carefully. Tell the class how you prefer to be addressed: Ms., Mr., Miss, last name, first name, etc. Write your office room number, office telephone number (but probably not your home phone, unless you want to deal with your students whenever they wish to talk to you, which can be late nights or weekends!), office hours and your e-mail address. Tell them something about your educational background, interests and experiences, relating these to the class. Anecdotes are wonderful ways of humanizing the classroom and allowing students to see you as “normal,” to the extent, of course, that your anecdotes are not too strange!

• How will this class be run?
  Will you lecture? Do you expect discussion? Will students work in groups? Will you conduct classes outside of the classroom (such as in a media center, library, or natural laboratory)? Is there a class web site? Will you provide students with handouts or other study guides? Such guides exhibit your organizational abilities. Discovering in the middle of class that a handout was necessary underscores that you haven’t done enough planning. You should also be clear about your attendance policy. Although we might believe students will come to class because classes are important and relevant, students have their own “adaptive strategies” or cost-benefit calculations about attendance. Quizzes, homework, in-class activities and other grade-related exercises will maximize attendance. You have an obligation to tell your class what you expect of them in terms of exams, quizzes, homework, papers, participation, etc. These elements should of course be spelled out in the class syllabus, but you must take the time to reiterate these expectations and answer any questions relating to them. You may feel that the students are excessively concerned with grades, but remember that they are trying to gather information to help them survive their first day, too.

• Who are the students in the class?
  Students are interested in knowing something about their peers, just as you may be interested in knowing about your students. One way of informing everyone is to have students introduce themselves (providing name, year, major, previous courses in the subject, etc.), or you might have them introduce each other. Provide students with a 3 x 5 card and ask them either to put information about themselves on the card, or to use the card to gather information about the person next to them. The cards then can be used for introductions, and you can keep the cards for information on your class.
  
  Such information-gathering is the first step in getting to know your students’ names and helping them get to know each other. A number of studies have shown that students respond much more positively to instructors who know who they are, as opposed to feeling like an anonymous number.

• Is this the right class for me?
  In discussing the aims of the class and how you will conduct it, students will be looking for assurances that the course will be what they expect, what they need or what they want. Make sure you let them know about any prerequisites they should have completed or any special skills they need before taking your course. Also let them know what skills or training they will gain from your class. Explaining how the subject material is related to other areas, jobs, and interests is an excellent way of keeping students’ enthusiasm up. (Return to top)

Other strategies
No matter how well prepared you are, you will probably tend to speak too rapidly at first. This is a normal reaction to anxiety; to help yourself relax, make a conscious effort to speak slowly. You might even put a reminder in your class notes: “Slow Down!!” Speaking slowly has multiple benefits: relaxing you, allowing your students to take clearer notes, and helping them to understand you better.

Keep in mind that the first day of class sets the tone for everything that will follow. Don’t let it be a throwaway day, but take advantage of the opportunity to get the students interested in your course. More strategies for the first day of class and suggested icebreaker activities are available in ITLAL’s General Teaching Resources. (Return to top)