Sept 13 Discussion Questions

• The author states that teacher should tell the students how anxious he/she feels on the first day of class. It is supposed to show the students that you are secure enough to express your feelings. Is this a good idea or even necessary?

• What are some of the best ways to combat first day nerves? And what is the worst thing that could happen to a teacher on the first day.
  
  As an undergrad I never thought less of a professor for letting us out early on the first day, on the contrary, it was great. Is it really looked down upon at the department level?

  • Chapter 3 states that dismissing the class early conveys the message to the students that class time is not that important. Do you agree or disagree?

• When thinking about how to conduct the first day of a class, I was wondering how important having a discussion or some student interaction is. Should you just lead the class, or should you break the ice by having some sort of interaction to first day students?

• Is it helpful to give detailed information about assignments such as papers and projects at the beginning of a course, or should you wait until the due dates come closer?

• I can see how a grad student as an instructor aids in the students perceived ablilty to approach us, but I can also see how credibility might be an issue. How do we establish credibility and maintain our approachability?

• In chapter 3 McKeachie mentions several ways teachers can "break the ice" with students on the first day of class, but he also emphasizes how important it is to talk about the syllabus, class structure, and textbook. Given the fact that many classes are limited to less than an hour each session, how could one go about balancing "ice breakers" with syllabus introduction in an effective manner?

• What about "ice breakers" on the first day? How to do that without being too awkward?

• McKeachie recommends doing some kind of introductory or icebreaking activity with students on the first day of class, but I've never seen this done in an intro class. Although most of the intro classes at CSUS are smaller than I'm used to, it still seems like such activities would be more valuable in an upper division. Are they really worth the time in intro classes?

• Regarding Testing, Grading, and Fairness, in Chapter 3 McKeachie states: " If time permits, adjournment to a convenient snack bar or lounge may give students with special interests a chance to pursue them and get to know you better." What about office hours?

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