CFE Number 1 January 2009
The First Day of Class
... Your Chance to Make a Good First Impression
The way you choose to spend the first day of class
will set the tone for the entire semester. In the
academy there used to be a relatively common
practice of devoting the first class meeting to reading
the syllabus to the students and then, after answering
questions about the course, either beginning to
lecture or dismissing the class early. Alternatively,
there are many things you can do on the first day
that w'ill help establish rapport with students, set
norms and tone for the course, prepare students
for the semester's work, correct any misperceptions
about the course, and generate excitement about the
subject matter.
Students typically want to know two kinds of
information on the first day of class. They want
to learn as much about the nature and scope of
the course as possible, which helps them to decide
whether they want to remain in the course and, if
so, to better anticipate the work requirements for
the semester. Students are also curious about the
teacher as a person. They want to know if you will
be reasonable and fair with them, if you care about
them as individuals, and if you care about the course
content itself.
A comprehensive, learning-centered syllabus
distributed during the first class promotes a positive
attitude in students, as it shows you care about the
course and have made an effort to plan it carefully.
At minimum, your syllabus should
• describe the course goals and objectives
and how these fit in the larger curriculum;
• outline the structure of the course,
including topics, grading, examination
procedures, reading assignments,
attendance policy, faculty office locations,
and office hours;
• describe expectations for everyone in the
classroom; and
• provide an easy to access guide to
navigating the course throughout the
semester.
By preparing a w' ell-designed syllabus, you remove
the necessity of discussing in detail the various
components of the course. Students can read those
for themselves. A detailed and clearly organized
syllabus frees up time on the first day of class to
spend on learning more about students and their
interests, sharing information about yourself, and
exploring why the topics of the course are important
for students to spend time learning. The syllabus will
also provide late-joining students with all the vital
information they need to succeed in the course. Do
consider how' much of the syllabus to emphasize
during class and leave the remainder for students to
read on their own. Emphasize the importance of the
syllabus and explain they will be held accountable
for all material in the syllabus, much like they are
held accountable for all content of the text, not only
the material read to them.
Get to Know Your Students
We have known for many years that respect and
other affective factors greatly impact student
motivation (Cohen, 1981). Students have strong
preferences for being treated as respected individuals
and achieve more when instructors have a positive
attitude toward both the course content and the
students themselves. Thus, there are good reasons to
show students from the very beginning that you view
them as individuals within a community of learners
and care about them as people.
Center for Faculty Excellence
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
