Research shows that students form their opinions about the instructor and the class in the first 15 minutes. So plan this first interaction with your students carefully. Here are some ideas – from classroom management to setting course expectations to having some fun- that might help alleviate some anxiety for you and your students.

1. Visit the classroom before the first day and try out the technology, microphone, lights, etc. Contact ITS Solution Center if you need assistance at 515-294-4000 or view the ITS Classroom Technology webpage.
2. Arrive early and greet students as they arrive. Introduce yourself and post your name, how you would like to be addressed, the course name, and the class section on the projector screen so that students know they are in the correct place when they walk in.
3. Ask the students to complete an interest inventory index card at the beginning or the end of the class (See the Who’s in your class? form). Following the class, you can cut out your students’ pictures in AccessPlus and tape them to the cards to begin learning your students’ names. Questions posed to students can include:
   • Name according to the registrar’s office, with preferred alternate names or gender pronouns. You can then update your attendance and other records with these preferences.
   • They are why they signed up for the course and what they look forward to learning.
   • What are their goals after graduation, and how will this course help them achieve them?
   • If applicable, the reason why they might need to arrive late or leave early for your course. This can help with seating logistics and minimize possible future disruptions.
   • Fun questions help to get to know students, such as: If a song played when you entered the room, what would that song be? If you won one million dollars, what would you do first?
   • Tip: To access your class list information, visit the office of the registrar’s Class List webpage. Additionally, if you have questions, work with whoever is the departmental contact for course offerings on the registrar’s Departmental Contact webpage.
4. Share some information that will personalize you – your teaching experience, the reason you entered your discipline, or an anecdote from your undergraduate learning days. If you have graduate teaching assistants, introduce them and let them tell you something about themselves.
5. Provide a detailed syllabus, including learning outcomes, expectations, procedures, course schedule, and other information students may need. Talking at length about the syllabus sends the message that students can ask you rather than look up course information. Instead, distribute the syllabus and give students five minutes to review it. Then put them into groups and give the groups five minutes to answer five questions about the syllabus. The first group to answer all the questions correctly wins whatever suits your style and conveys that the things students need to know about this course are in the syllabus and they should look there before asking you. The goal is to help students realize they are responsible learners. Download the Learner-Centered Mindful Syllabus Toolkit (PDF).
6. Engage in an interactive activity engaging the students in course content. This will demonstrate the importance of students engaging in content with one another, a hallmark of successful learning experiences. Check CELT’s 226 Active Learning Techniques (PDF).
7. Consider adding a surprising fact or a current event that demonstrates why the content of this course matters. Establishing relevance and promoting intrigue can help motivate student learning right from the start.
8. Set up clear communication strategies for the students. These could include when you have student office hours, the best way to contact you, e-mail parameters, phone policies, etc.
9. Let your students see your enthusiasm for your subject and your love of teaching. It’s much more effective to begin the course by letting students know that this is a course you want to teach with content you love and that you are there to help them learn.
10. Finally, if you are utilizing a Canvas course, enroll your students and hit the Publish button! Learn more from the Start of the Semester Checklist web guide.