The First Day of Class
Introduction
• Day one is unlike any other day of the
semester. Treat it as such.
• On the first day, you and your students will
meet for the first time as a group of
strangers. From this day on, you will want
to cultivate this into an interactive group.
Things to do before your first class
• Pick up the course text, solutions manual
and any supplies you will need for
teaching (chalk, notebooks, etc.).
• Meet with the course coordinator and
other instructors.
• Familiarize yourself with the official course
syllabus.
• Write a syllabus of your own and make
photocopies.
• Locate your classroom.
Things to do before your first class
• If your section is full, find out if there is
space in your room to add more students.
• Obtain your class list from eLion.
• Decide how you will organize your
students’ grades and set up a system for
this.
• Set up a class e-mail list.
• Set up a basic website.
Things to do before your first class
• Set up a binder or some system for
organizing your course materials.
• Prepare your first lecture. Consult the
suggested homework list. Pick carefully
chosen examples.
• Practice giving your first lecture in front of
a small group of people.
Things to do before your first class
• Everything that you can prepare in
advance, do so. Leave as little to chance
as possible. The better prepared you are,
the better able you are to handle the
unexpected.
The First Day of Class
• Arrive to class a few minutes early.
• Introduce yourself.
• You may want to ask the class some
general questions.
• Give an outline of the topics you will be
covering.
• Go over the official course syllabus.
Highlight the important topics (text,
calculators, exams, grades, etc.).
The First Day of Class
• Go over your personal syllabus (your
homework/quiz policy, office hours and
location, etc.).
• Go over your general plan for running the
course.
• Pause every so often to ask if they have
any questions.
The First Day of Class
• You may want to establish some
rules:
– Not talking while other people are talking.
– Not reading the newspaper in class.
– Not getting up and leaving during a lecture.
• If you establish such rules, make sure
you follow through on them. You will
want to tackle any discipline problems
that arise quickly.
The First Day of Class
• You may want to provide some
recommendations for the course:
– How to use class time effectively.
– How to study for the course.
– How to do homework.
– Where they can go for help.
The First Day of Class
• If you are teaching Math 21, 22, 26, 41 or
110 you will be asked to give your
students a readiness quiz during the last
30 minutes of class.
• If you are teaching Math 17, 220, 230 or
250/251 you will not have a readiness
quiz. You may start to lecture on the first
day.
Common Questions
• Can I add your section?
• Should I be in this course or another one?
Is there a different math course I can take
to satisfy the general education
requirement?
• I have a disability….
• What type of calculator do I need?
• Do you take attendance?
The First Few Days
• Arrive on time and don’t let out class early.
• Make sure your lectures are particularly
well prepared.
• Continue to convey that you are
organized, knowledgeable, and are at
least trying to do a good job.
• Continue to conduct yourself in a
professional manner.
The First Few Days
• Continue to create a comfortable learning
atmosphere. Make a conscious effort to
learn their names.
• If you don’t know the answer to something,
it’s okay.
• Don’t be afraid to ask other people for help
or suggestions.
Attitudes & Expectations
“The greatest discovery of my generation is
that a human being can alter his life by
altering his attitudes of mind.” -William
James
Your attitude towards teaching and
towards your students will influence your
students’ attitudes towards the class and
towards you.
Attitudes & Expectations
What Your Students Expect of You:
• Demonstrate that you genuinely care
about them and that you want them to do
well in the course.
• You are knowledgeable of the subject
matter.
• Professionalism. Have a pleasant
demeanor. Dress nicely. Treat students
with respect. Get there on time.
Attitudes & Expectations
What Your Students Expect of You:
• Show that you are enthusiastic about
teaching and that you enjoy it.
• Communicate effectively. Speak loudly,
clearly and at a reasonable pace.
• Make yourself available outside of class.
• Give feedback on their performance in the
class.
Attitudes & Expectations
What Your Students Expect of You:
• Flexibility/valuing students’ opinions.
• You are in control of the class and foster a
comfortable learning atmosphere.
• You are well prepared and organized.
• You ask and answer questions.
Attitudes & Expectations
Remember:
The first few classes set the tone for the
entire semester. If you are not well
prepared for the first few classes, this
sends the wrong message to the students
about your attitude towards teaching and
the class. First impressions are lasting
impressions.
Attitudes & Expectations
You don’t want to convey the following:
• You don’t cover the material sufficiently.
• You embarrass them in front of their
classmates.
• You don’t care about teaching. This is
often done implicitly through lack of
preparation, slow return of graded
material, lecturing from the book, not being
on time for class, sloppy appearance, etc.
Attitudes & Expectations
You don’t want to convey the following:
• You are their best friend.
• You are their worst enemy.
• You are unaware of your audience.
• You assign things thoughtlessly.
• You think you are a stand-up comedian.
• You use words like “trivial” and “obvious.”
Attitudes & Expectations
What you can expect from your students
• Timely completion of assignments.
• Courtesy, politeness, respectfulness.
• Some involvement in the class.
• Academic honesty.
• Level of professional distance.
• Many of them will require additional help
from you.
Attitudes & Expectations
What you can expect from your students
• Many of your students will be freshmen.
You should tell them that in high school,
most of the learning goes on in the
classroom, but that in college most of the
learning goes on outside of the classroom.
• Students come from a wide variety of
backgrounds.
• Apathy on the part of some students.
Attitudes & Expectations
What you can expect from your students
• Many students are focused on their grades
rather than on learning. They seek to be
efficient in the sense of achieving the best
grade with the least amount of work.
• Many students will not spend a lot of time
on your course. A Penn State survey
suggested that 2/3 of the students study
less than 15 hours a week.
Attitudes & Expectations
Additional comments to foreign graduate students:
• The typical American student may be very
different from what you’re used to. Students
from your countries most likely have a much
stronger background in mathematics.
Attitudes & Expectations
Additional comments to foreign graduate students:
• Most students are from Pennsylvania or
surrounding states and may have difficulty
understanding instructors with a foreign accent.
“If you are organized, if you speak up, if you
treat students with the respect that you would
desire from an instructor and if you show some
enthusiasm for what you are doing, then
students will forgive a lot.” (Krantz)
Attitudes & Expectations
Additional comments to foreign graduate students:
• Write everything you want the students to know
on the board in an organized fashion.
• Immerse yourself in the language as much as
possible.
• You cannot lecture the entire time.
• Students may be less disciplined than what
you’re used to.
Attitudes & Expectations
Additional comments to foreign graduate students:
• Many students come in with very high grades
from high school. Many students become angry,
upset, and/or shocked that they will not be
getting an A in your course.
• Talk with other TA’s from your country about the
differences they have observed and about their
approaches to these situations.
Closing Remarks
Few people are born great teachers, but all of us have the
ability to at least become good teachers. However, you
will not improve merely by putting in more classroom
hours. Be mindful of your classes; make note of what’s
effective and what’s not, of what things you are good at
and what things you need to improve upon.
Teaching is not just a job, it is a privilege. Carry it out with
the dignity and respect it deserves.