GETTING STARTED First Day of Class

The first day of section will set the tone for the semester. That being said, do not stress if the first day of section “bombs.” All experienced GSIs have entertaining stories about disastrous first days. Even though undergraduates have high expectations of GSIs at UC Berkeley, they tend to be forgiving, appreciative, and respectful of GSIs who improve their sections as the semester progresses.

Create a lesson plan for the first day of class that lists yours goals and objectives, the steps or activities that you will undertake to accomplish those objectives, and the amount of time you will spend on each activity.

To assist you, we present a sample lesson plan for the first day of section and walk you through the activities that a GSI can use to accomplish the stated objectives. (Make sure to include goals and objectives at the outset of each lesson plan. The discussion of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives in the section of this Web site on writing (forthcoming; see also print version of the Teaching Guide) can be of use to you in establishing objectives focused on student learning outcomes.) Many undergraduates find it helpful when GSIs put their outline for the session on the board at the start of the class.

For video clips of successful first-day section meetings in psychology and math, see our video gallery.

Objectives for the First Day

1. Establish a welcoming classroom environment.
2. Define objectives for the section or lab and for your role as the GSI.
3. Discuss course and campus policies.
4. Introduce yourself, and have students introduce themselves.
5. Begin to learn students' names.
6. Gather student information.
7. Establish and discuss guidelines (or ground rules) for discussion.
8. Discuss course and section grades, readings, and assignments.
9. Get the students talking to each other.
10. Have students engage with class material.
11. Deal with enrollment issues.

Sample Outline for the First Day

1. Introductions and Attendance
2. Review of Section Syllabus
3. Guidelines for Discussion
4. Icebreaker
5. Group Activity
6. Enrollment

Creating the Setting

Obtain the most recent enrollment information for your section from the campus Web site, your department, or the professor. Print out the roster and review students' names before going to class.

When you get to the room, make sure the room has chalk and enough chairs.

If possible, arrange the chairs in a circle. Rows of chairs facing the instructor's desk or podium suggest to the students that the teacher is going to lecture at them while they silently take notes. A circle of chairs suggests that the GSI encourages participation and expects students to share the responsibility for learning in section.

Write an outline for the first day of class on the board before students arrive. Also, write information about yourself and section on the board. Some information to include: name, e-mail, office number, office hours, name of the course, and section number.

Greet students as they enter the classroom. Distribute to students the syllabus and other handouts as they enter the classroom, or after they are settled in their seats. Give each student an index card to fill out: ask the students to write on the cards their name, major, year, e-mail, and related classes they have taken. Collect the cards during or at the end of section.

Introductions and Attendance

Once students are settled, introduce the section (time, day, and number) and yourself. Tell the students your name, department, office hours, and e-mail address. If you have taught before, you might tell the students about your teaching experience. Consider telling the students some personal information about yourself, such as why you came to Berkeley, your academic interests, your hometown, undergraduate college, interests, hobbies, etc. By sharing personal information, GSIs demonstrate that they are personable and approachable. In deciding which information to share, however, keep in mind that you must maintain a professional boundary between yourself and your students.

Have class members go around the circle and state at minimum their name, major, and year. Take attendance as the students say their names. Write challenging names phonetically on your attendance sheet to help you pronounce them correctly. Consider having the students say their names each time they speak for the first couple of weeks. You may also consider having the students write their names on folded pieces of thick paper, which they then display on their desks for the first couple of weeks. Some GSIs, with permission, take pictures of the class to associate names with faces.

Going Over the Section Syllabus

Make sure each student has a copy of the section syllabus. As noted on this page, the syllabus is the “contract” for section or lab. It is important to thoroughly discuss with the students the information on the syllabus. Because we have covered in depth the elements of the syllabus, we will not do so again here. Rather, we provide a few pointers to consider when presenting the syllabus.

1. Have students take turns reading the policies aloud. Explain each policy and your (or the instructor's) rationale for the policy. Ask the students for questions, and welcome them to ask questions they do not want to pose in the group in office hours or after class.
   
   
2. Emphasize the extent and limits of your role as a GSI, and specify the types of activities that will occur in section. You might wish to share with students what the function of section will be.
   
   
3. Explain the purposes of office hours, and encourage students to visit you in your office. Tell the students that, whenever possible, they should ask you questions about the course during class or in office hours, and not over e-mail. Consider scheduling your office hours to accommodate the maximum number of students.
   
   
4. Discuss course readings. Where should students go to purchase books and the reader? What should they read for the following meeting? Provide tips on how to read the texts, and consider providing reading questions for the students to answer or think about.
   
   
5. Mention key dates and reiterate your policies for late assignments. Answer questions students have about assignments, homework, and exams.
   
   
6. Announce that students with disabilities should make an appointment with the DSP (Disabled Students' Program) if they need special accommodations (e.g., extra time for exams). Inform the students that they need to provide you with a “letter of accommodation” from DSP that authorizes and describes the accommodations you need to make for them.
   
   
7. Discuss the grades for the section and the course. Explain your grading policies and procedures.
   
   
8. Describe campus resources and direct students to the resources you have listed on your syllabus. Some GSIs announce the first day of section that they periodically refer students to the Student Learning Center (SLC) to get help with writing, reading, etc.
   
   

Setting Guidelines or Ground Rules for Discussion

Consider developing with the students a set of guidelines or ground rules for class discussion. (See “Establishing Guidelines for Discussion.”) We recommend these exercises because they

• include students in the process of establishing guidelines for discussion,
• make students take responsibility for developing guidelines with you, and
• produce an agreement to which you and the students can refer throughout the semester.

If you decide not to conduct a ground rules exercise, we suggest that you discuss the statements you have written on your syllabus about respectful discussions.

Icebreakers

It is important to get the students talking to each other and participating in class the first day. Many GSIs accomplish these goals by doing an icebreaker activity. Sample icebreakers include:

Two Truths and a Lie: Have all students say three statements about themselves. Two should be truths, and one should be a lie. Students guess which statement is a lie.

Example: My name is Josh and I

1. worked in a circus during high school (lie).
2. sang in a rock band (truth).
3. have a dog that loves to eat socks (truth).

Consider going first, to demonstrate how the icebreaker works and to ease students' anxiety.

Partner Interviews: Organize students in pairs. Have the students interview each other. You may provide interview questions. Have the interviewers introduce their partners to the class.

Again, the goal of icebreaker activities is to get the students to talk to and learn about each other. These activities also help the students and GSI learn each others' names. Try to choose icebreakers that do not put students on the spot or make them overly uncomfortable.

See icebreaker examples in our video gallery.

Group Activities

Students (and GSIs) often come to the first day of section with their heads still on vacation. An effective way to ease them back into school (and keep them talking to each other) is to have them do a group activity dealing with class material. Here are some sample activities for various types of courses:

Reading and Composition: closely observe and analyze a short text

Math: solve an interesting or novel problem

Biology Lab: conduct a simple experiment

History: interpret a brief archival document

Sociology: discuss social explanations for putatively individual problems

The activities should not be pitched too high. The objective of the exercise is not to test students or point out gaps in knowledge but rather to introduce students to the course material and have them work through a problem together with peers.

Enrollment Information

Discuss enrollment issues, such as adding and dropping the class, switching sections, students on the waitlist, etc. Will you drop students from the class who miss the first couple of sections? When will you enroll people from the waitlist?

Getting Student Feedback on the First Day

Consider giving the students a few minutes at the end of the meeting to summarize or anonymously evaluate the first day of class. For example, you might have them write questions they still have about the course or the material, or state concerns they have about the section or the class. You might ask students to write one or two things they felt went well or poorly the first day, or what they will take away from the session and apply to their teaching. This feedback will help you prepare for the following meeting and your next first day of class.

For Further Reading

Boice, Robert. Advice for New Faculty Members. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

Brookfield, Stephen D. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995.

Curzan, Anne and Lisa Damour. From First Day to Final Grade. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2000.

Davis, Barbara Gross. Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.

McKeachie, Wilbert J. and Graham Gibbs, Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers, 11 th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.