Education
Imagine being invited over to play and then just going over instructions. Disappointing, right? But isn’t that what happens all the time on the first day of a new class? The start of the semester should not force students to wait for the “good stuff.” Instead, they should feel invited to immediately begin thinking about the content and practicing the skills they will master over the next several weeks. This episode shares several activities that could be used in those early class sessions as well as pitfalls to avoid as we encourage our students to play…right from the start. Sources referenced in and consulted for this episode: Gannon, Kevin. “The Absolute Worst Way to Start the Semester.” ChronicleVitae. August 3, 2016. Gonzalez, Jennifer. “Is Your Lesson a Grecian Urn?” Cult of Pedagogy. October 30, 2016. Lang, James M. “How to Teach a Good First Day of Class.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. “Make the Most of the First Day of Class.” Eberly Center, Carnegie Mellon University. Mayhall, Marguerite. “The Vital Importance of First-Day Activities.” Inside Higher Ed. August, 14, 2018. Nunn, Lisa M. 33 Simple Strategies for Faculty: A Week-by-Week Resource for Teaching First-Year and First-Generation Students. Rutgers UP, 2019. Stevens, John and Matt Vaudrey. The Classroom Chef: Sharpen Your Lessons, Season Your Classes, Make Math Meaningful. Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc., 2016.