• Check out your classroom and the technology in it, and consider how your approach will work with the furniture setup. Test out the tech and submit IT requests if you need help. Consider possible backup plans in case the tech doesn’t work right on the first day. Getting a sense of the space will help you visualize the class in advance and calm any nerves.
• Review your photo roster so that you can begin connecting names with faces. Students report time and time again that it matters when their professors know who they are by name, and giving yourself a head start with recognizing students can help establish belonging and community in your classroom early on. If you are a person who struggles with names, consider planning to have students create name tents, sit in the same seats for the first few weeks, or look into many other strategies for learning names.
• Decide how you want to lead your students during the semester. Is your style more formal or more casual? Do you want students to call you Dr., Professor, by your first name, or are you flexible about it? How do you want them to approach interacting with you? What rules are important to you about devices (with consideration for accommodations), food and drink, and other elements of decorum? Making decisions and being well-prepared to communicate about these expectations before you walk into class on day one helps you create the atmosphere you want, and is a kindness to students, who will thrive on your clarity and on the certainty you provide.

Setting the Tone

• You and your students will be in community together for the semester. Your first day together should reflect that fact. Provide space for building that together and, if it’s your style, consider allowing students to contribute their input to community norms and expectations. If you’re more firm about your own authority in the classroom, it’s still beneficial to give students the opportunity to provide feedback, ask clarifying questions, and share some ideas.
• Consider using a “Who’s in Class” survey to learn more about your students and their needs and expectations. This can help you design lessons tailored to your students’ needs, know more about why some students might struggle, and ensure that your students feel seen and heard.
• As a community, getting to know one another is essential. Prioritizing time for students to interact with you and each other on day one can help the class feel more welcoming faster, building community and belonging. These things aren’t just about feeling good: studies demonstrate that they are also important factors in student learning. Incorporating an icebreaker or warmup exercise is one easy way to begin to foster community (and learn more about your students’ names and who they are as people!). This website includes a wide range of creative ideas to get students talking to one another. And remember, these kinds of activities are beneficial throughout the semester to continue to cultivate community and get students ready for any class session, not just for day one!
• Build excitement about your class by sharing something with your students that demonstrates why the course material is engaging. For a course intended for majors, that could mean highlighting how your course is a bridge between prerequisites and student career goals. A fun activity could include a Background Knowledge Probe Bingo. For an introductory level course, helping students see what differentiates college level learning from their prior experiences or preconceived notions about a field can generate an eagerness to see more. What makes your field, subject matter, methodologies, or driving questions special? How might students across majors with a range of career goals find something relevant in your course? Consider incorporating activities that highlight a method you’ll use in class, something unique about your field, or a connection between students as individuals and the course itself.

Considering the Student Experience

• Yes, you’ll probably want to go over the syllabus, assignments, and policies. These are important, but can be overwhelming. Consider asking students to read the syllabus before day two and annotate it, use a syllabus quiz, or design a group exercise to avoid simply reading it to them. But if you prefer to read it to them, try to limit the amount of time you spend on these nuts and bolts. There will be plenty of time for questions in the weeks to come!
• The first week of class is a firehose for students. They’re learning a ton of policies, expectations, and content they will be tested on while also adjusting to new schedules (and sometimes an entirely new university!). Be patient with questions, and remember that just because you say it out loud on day one doesn’t mean they’ll recall it at midterms. Communicating about expectations and assignments is an ongoing process!

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