Implementation Tips

A number of helpful tools and techniques for establishing initial respect are described below. Each of these focuses on parties introducing themselves, enhancing their strengths, and their promoting their willingness to work together.

Setting the Stage—Before class starts, arrange chairs in a circle, write your name on board, chat with early arrivals, and ask students to get acquainted with their neighbors (McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006).

Instructor Testimonial—Give a candid self-introduction in which you relate your professional skills to your experience at an age similar to that of participants or in a course similar to this (Provitera-McGlynn, 2001).

Round-Robin Introductions—Give each student a number of questions to use in interviewing another classmate. After the interviews, ask the interviewers use the information they have just gained to introduce the interviewees to the rest of the group or to a subset of the class (Krumsieg & Baehr, 2000).

Two Truths and a Lie—Ask each participant to tell three things about himself or herself, one being untrue. Ask the others to try to guess which “fact” is untrue by asking insightful questions.

Peer Testimonials—Ask several students from a previous course offering to give brief statements about their learning experiences, including the challenges they encountered, and the resulting personal growth. Allow the panel members to spend some time afterward answering questions from new students.

Burning Questions—Divide the class into small groups. Have each group review the course syllabus or a course assessment from a previous class (3.3.6 Mid-Term Assessment) and have them pose to you their most burning questions about the course. Answer these for the entire class (Krumsieg & Baehr, 2000).

Philosophy Statement—Ask students to do a free writing assignment in which they describe their vision of an ideal learning environment. Ask them to comment on how well this vision was realized in prerequisite courses, and ask them to suggest how this might be implemented in this course.

Student Survey—Ask students to fill out a one-page survey that gives information about their pre-college background, their preparation for this course, special skills/experiences they can draw on to contribute to the course, and their academic career plans (Davis, 2001).

Learning Contract—Give students a contract like the one available in the Student Success Toolbox. After fielding questions and making small edits, sign it, and ask everyone else to sign it as well. Keep copies available in a binder to refer to during individual and team consultations.

Davis, B. G. (2001). Tools for teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Krumsieg, K., & Baehr, M. (2000). Foundations of learning. Lisle, IL: Pacific Crest.

McKeachie. W., & Svinicki, M. (2006). McKeachie’s teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Provitera-McGlynn, A. (2001). Successful beginnings for college teaching: Engaging your students from the first day. Madison, WI: Atwood.