There’s no discounting the importance of the first day of your OM class. What happens that day sets the tone for the rest of the course. Here are a few novel activities (see Faculty Focus—July 19, 2017) that emphasize the importance of learning and the responsibility students share for shaping the classroom environment.
Best and Worst Classes – On one section of the blackboard you write: “The best class I’ve ever had” and underneath it “What the teacher did” and below that “What the students did.” On another section you write “The class from hell” and then the same two items beneath. Ask students to share their experiences, without naming the course or teacher, and begin filling in the grid based on what they call out. In 10 minutes, 2 very different class portraits emerge. Move to the best class section of the board and tell students that this is the class you want to teach, but that you can’t do it alone. Together you and your students have the power to make this one of those “best class” experiences.
First Day Graffiti – Flip charts with markers beneath are placed around the classroom. Each chart has a different sentence stem. Here are a few examples:
“I learn best in classes where the teacher ___”
“Students in courses help me learn when they ___”
“I am most likely to participate in classes when ___”
“Here’s something that makes it hard to learn in a course: ___”
“Here’s something that makes it easy to learn in a course: ___”
Students are invited to walk around the room and write responses. After there are comments on every flip chart, you walk to each one and talk a bit about 1-2 of the responses.
Behaviors: Theirs and Ours – Put students in groups and have them respond to: “What are 5 five things faculty do that make it easy to learn?” Make a master list to share in class or online. Below the 5 things faculty do, you can also list the 5 things students do that make it hard or easy to teach.