Every semester I get butterflies in my stomach before my first class (and I am the professor!) Students begin each semester with different motivations and expectations for their classes.
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CELT Teaching Tip • January 10, 2019
10 ideas for a great first day of class
Every semester I get butterflies in my stomach before my first class (and I am the professor!) Students begin each semester with different motivations and expectations for their classes. Some are nervous, most are excited, and others are ready to finish this class until they can move on to whatever is next in their lives. Here are some ideas – from classroom management, to setting course expectations, to having a bit of fun, that might help alleviate some anxiety for both 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 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, course name, and section of the class on the projector screen, so that when students walk in they know that they are in the correct place. Review CELT's Ideas to Create a Welcoming, Engaging and Inclusive Classroom webpage.

3. Either at the beginning or the end of the class ask the students to complete an interest inventory index card . Following the class, you can cut out the student pictures accessible in AccessPlus and tape or staple them to the cards to begin to learn the students’ names. Questions posed to students can include:
  • Name according to the office of the registrar, with preferred alternate names or gender pronouns. You can then update your attendance and other records with these preferences.
  • The reasons why they signed up for the course and what they are most looking forward to learning.
  • What are their goals after graduation and how will this course help them achieve their goals?
  • If applicable, the reason why they might need to arrive late or leave early to 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? 

4. Share some information that will personalize you – your teaching experience , the reason you entered your discipline, an anecdote from your undergraduate learning days. If you have graduate teaching assistants, introduce them and let them tell 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 5 questions about the syllabus. The first group to answer all the questions correctly wins whatever suits your style and conveys the message 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 CELT's Learner Centered Mindful Syllabus Checklist (PDF).

6. Engage in an interactive activity that engages the students right away in course content. This will demonstrate the importance of students’ engaging in content with one another, a hallmark of successful learning experiences. Check out CELT’s 226 Active Learning Techniques (PDF).

7. Consider adding a surprising fact or a current event that demonstrates why the content in 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 will have office hours, the best way to contact you, e-mail parameters, phone policies, etc.

9. Let your students see the enthusiasm you have for your subject and your love of teaching. It’s much more effective to begin the course 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 be sure to hit the Publish button! Learn more from the Start of the Semester Checklist web guide.

CELT is looking forward to meeting and working with you spring semester 2019!

Sara Marcketti, Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

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CELT centralizes staff, services in Morrill Hall
All CELT staff, programs and services now are located centrally in 3024 Morrill Hall. The changes are in response to an external review recommendation to "foster a deeper integration of the tools and technologies within the instructional development offerings of the Center and create opportunities for pedagogical integration of these tools within the classroom design." Our contact information remains the same (515-294-5357, celt@iastate.edu).
Prepping for spring semester in Canvas
Use the Start of the Semester Checklist web guide to walk you through:
Applications sought for CELT's Engaged Faculty Institute on Service-Learning
Have you wanted how to incorporate service-learning into your class but were not sure where to begin? Or perhaps you have included service-learning in your class, but need assistance optimizing the experience. Service-learning incorporates community work into the curriculum, giving students real-world learning experiences that enhance their academic learning while providing a tangible benefit for the community. Iowa State University is partnering with the Regents Institutions to offer an Engaged Faculty Institute on Service-Learning with support from Iowa Campus Compact. Applications must be received by February 1 at noon. Submit your application via CELT's Engaged Faculty Institute on Service-Learning webpage .
nicci port Thomas Holme and Raj Raman
Award-Winning Seminar Series (January 2019)
Find Your Empowerment: Communities of change at ISU , Jan. 23 (12:10-1:30 p.m.) will be presented by nicci port, Project Director in the Office of the Vice President for Diversity & Inclusion

Solutions for Disparate Disciplines: Using researched-based changes to improve learning in your classroom , Jan. 25 (12:10-1 p.m.) will be presented by Tom Holme, Morrill Professor, Chemistry

Good Class Bad Class-Intentions vs. Actions in Classroom Teaching , Jan. 31 (12:10-1 p.m.) will be presented by D Raj Raman, Morrill Professor, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Register via the Learn@ISU website.
Learning Online: Canvas and Beyond
Using ISU AdminTools for Course Roles, Permissions and Incompletes
  • Do you have Teaching Assistants, a Supplemental Instructors or Tutor associated with your course? Is there a special guest that will be serving as a visiting instructor for your course? Add these people to your Canvas course using ISU AdminTools to manage additional people. Learn how via the Course Roles and Permissions web guide.
  • Do you have a student with an incomplete? ISU AdminTools where you would go to add students working on an incomplete - view how from the Manage Incomplete Students web guide.
January programming (alpha by topic then date)
For the most up-to-date events on the visit CELT’s Event and Registration website and register via the Learn@ISU website.

Seminars, Workshops, and Workshop Series
  • CELT Spring Semester Teaching Assistant (TA) Seminar, Jan. 11 (10 a.m.-Noon)
  • ISU Online Learning Community (ISU-OLC), Jan. 18 (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)
  • Workshop, Encouraging Critical Thinking and Intellectual Risks, Jan. 25 (4:10-5 p.m.)
  • Workshop, Where Do I Start? Using social media to support learning in your classroom, Jan. 29 (12:10-1 p.m.)

Building & Managing Your Course in Canvas Workshop Series
  • Building a Canvas Course that Makes Sense to Your Students, Jan. 14 (9:30-11 a.m.)
  • Low and High Stakes Quizzes in Canvas, Jan. 15 (10-11:30 a.m.)
  • Grading and Student Data in Canvas, Jan. 16 (2:30-4 p.m.)
  • Group and Collaborative Work in Canvas, Jan. 18 (2-3:30 p.m.)
  • Personalized Learning in Canvas, Jan. 22 (9:30-11 a.m.)
  • Video Instruction and Learning in Canvas, Jan. 23 (9:30-11 a.m.)
  • Rubrics and Outcomes in Canvas, Jan. 24 (11-12:30 p.m.)
  • Your Canvas Course on Smart Devices, Jan. 25 (3-4:30 p.m.)

Programs on Teaching Inclusively
  • Inclusive Classroom Workshop, Jan. 17 (2:10-5 p.m.)

Quality Matters (QM) Programming
  • Quality Matters Teaching and Learning Community, Jan. 24 (3:30-5 p.m.)
  • Workshop, Improving Your Online Course (IYOC), Jan. 30 (8 a.m.-Noon)

Team-Based Learning (TBL) Programming
  • 5-Part Series: The Research-Based Flipped Classroom: Team-Based Learning, meets for five consecutive Wednesdays: Jan. 23, 30, Feb. 6, 13, and 20 (3:30-5 p.m.)
  • Meeting, Team-Based Learning-Teaching and Learning Community for graduates of the TBL series, Jan. 11 (1:10-2:30 p.m.)
Prefer a Print version? To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with the web addresses, download the CELT January 10 Teaching Tip (PDF) ( http://bit.ly/2C8g77H )