Tips and Links for the First Days of Class
Below is a practical list of tips and links to create a supportive, inclusive, and equitable classroom on the first day and in the weeks that follow. This list is evolving.
Warm Welcome: Greet your students with a smile and genuine enthusiasm on the first day. A warm welcome sets a positive tone for the semester and helps build a sense of belonging. Cate Denial, at Knox College, advises a pedagogy of kindness (podcast & article) counter to the common advice to be intimidating on the first day. Some other wise words of advice for the first day.
Learn Names and Pronouns: Take the time to learn and use your students' names and preferred pronouns correctly. It shows respect for their identities and fosters an inclusive atmosphere. Here is a list of potential survey questions you can use and modify. Consider sharing a list of names, pronouns, and pronunciations with your class—they'd like to know how to address each other too! Want to memorize their names quickly? Try an app like NameShark. Here's a quick video describing how it works.
Accessible Course Materials: Ensure all course materials are accessible to students with disabilities. Start with the Accessible Syllabus Template. For your course materials, see the Course Accessibility Checklist from our ACCESS office.
Establish Ground Rules Together: Collaboratively set ground rules for classroom discussions and behavior. If you have a smaller class (e.g. 35 or fewer) involve students in creating these guidelines to ensure a sense of ownership and mutual respect. For larger classes, prepare a draft of the rules prior and encourage discussion and revision as you go through them with the class. See an example from Washington University.
Figure Out Your Generative AI Policies: Yes, you are going to need them for your syllabus and possibly for your assignment instructions. If you haven't yet, sometime this week explore a generative AI tool (e.g. Chat GPT, Bard, Bing Chat, Claude) and see what it can do. Take a look at others' classroom AI policies and the use of icons to communicate AI policy. Keep an eye on our Faculty Center website for upcoming AI resources, events, and webinars.
Inclusive Course Content and Classroom Culture: Review your syllabus with an inclusive lens. Ensure that the course content, materials, and language are diverse and represent a range of perspectives. Celebrate diversity and promote an atmosphere where all students feel heard, respected, and valued for their unique contributions.
Address Microaggressions: Be vigilant about addressing microaggressions and biased language. Address any instances promptly and respectfully, fostering a safe space for everyone to learn.
Emphasize Student Office Hours and Break the Ice: Assign an early low-stakes activity that requires them to make a short visit to your office (or Zoom link) during student office hours to make sure they can find you. My former office neighbor would give each student a "stress stone" (a river rock) when they visited her the first week as a way to connect and acknowledge the challenges of being a student. (from Nicole Klein, Public Health)
Class Tunes: At the beginning of the semester, students submit a YouTube link to a song for our class playlist. Before every class, I randomly select a song to play as students enter. When the song is over, I thank the student for sharing and sometimes they will share why they picked it. Students have noted on evals that it creates a welcoming environment from the first day. (from Alli Sauerwein, Speech Pathology and Audiology)
What practices do you have to create an inclusive classroom environment? Let us know here. Embracing inclusive excellence sets the stage for a successful and enriching learning experience for everyone!
