First Day in Class

First impressions are important and set the tone for the entire semester. Your students will be listening closely to what you say and how you say it. Try to be at ease yourself and to put your students at ease as well.

The first class meeting usually includes administrative matters:

1. Begin by writing clearly on the board: the number of the course, the title of the course, your name, the location of your office, your office telephone number, your e-mail address, and your office hours.

2. Emphasize that you can arrange appointments at other reasonable times if necessary. This is a way of demonstrating interest in your students.

3. You might distribute 3x5 cards and ask your students to write on them their name, and if they are willing, their major, CS courses taken, and other information, except grades, that may help you. The cards can also be used to obtain sample signatures. (Be attentive to privacy in collecting the cards.)

4. You may have to announce the policies established by the course supervisor. In any case, you should be thoroughly familiar with them. They should cover transfers between sections, grading, absences, late submission of assignments, missing assignments, make-ups, incompletes, and cheating. An announced policy cannot be changed unless the change is harmless to every student enrolled in the course. Policies must be applied uniformly and reasonably.

5. Use the remainder of the time for instruction. An overview of the course would be appropriate.