I begin my first real teaching assignment on Wednesday. It’s calculus 150A, the very easiest math class for beginning freshmen. I’ve been a teach assistant for the last two years and I’ve taught some sections, but it was always the professor who lectured on opening day. I just realized that I don’t really have a plan for the first day of class.
I recall from my undergrad days that certain profs made an extra effort on opening day. The standard beginning was, “Here’s the syllabus. You’ll be graded on homework on quizzes. Dont plagarize. etc…” Some profs jumped straight into the material, or they tried to integrate some humor into the discussion of class policies. Since I’d like to do something different on the first day, I’ll ask the SDMB: What was your best ‘first day of class’ experience?
I’m not sure if this is for teachers only, so please excuse me if I’m hijacking.
My most memorable first day of class was on a nursing course, which I was academically more than equipped to handle.
The whoever-it-was who welcomed the new intake told us that the course was going to be very challenging academically. And that we would find it difficult. And that sometimes we might feel like quitting. But we should stick with it, because it would be worth it in the end.
For a week after that, every lecturer opened his/ her course with pretty much the same introduction.
I attended classes for a week. Then I took a week off. Then I went back and quit.
It was memorable, but perhaps not in the way that was intended.