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APA Committee
on the
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| Topic: | First Day |
| Name: | Louisa Moon |
| Institution: | MiraCosta College |
| E-mail: | lmoon@mcc.miracosta.cc.ca.us |
| Date Submitted: | 4/3/2000 |
Article
Many students at my college are shopping for a class on the first day. I have learned from collecting and reading their notes that most of those who stay in the class still are not commited enough to take notes on that day. So, if I'm trying to convey crucial information about the course or the discipline, the first day is not the time to do it.
Instead, I spend time getting to know my students and letting them get to know me. I do a brief (10 minute) Learning Styles inventory, and we discuss the different types of learning opportunities there will be in class (what there is for visual learners, aural learners. . .). Then, I have them fill out a form about themselves, including their learning styles, questions they have for me, and how they would rate their schedule of commitments. I keep this with their grade sheets all semester, so that I can remind myself of things I have learned about a particular student, or of what commitments might keep the student from attending class.
After this is finished and I tell them the most important things I think they need to know about me, including my learning style, what I value from them, and my pet peeve. I tell them that the ideal ending for the course would involve their developing tentative answers to fundamental questions based on reason, but also that they develop a willingness to question and revise those answers based on evidence and a felt-need to continue asking them. This takes care of the student who is going to be frustrated because s/he is not learning enough facts in the course.