Importance of the First Day of Class (Innovative College Teaching)

Chapter 1 Excerpt

On the first day ofclass, I arrive at the classroom before students get there. As you can see inthe pic, I place index cards at each seat. (Most of my classrooms are not this fancy:)

Icebreaker to StartClass

On the doc cam, Idisplay the first page of the syllabus, which asks students to fill out theIndex Cards with:

- Name

- Favorite movie orTV show dealing with LAW

- Law topic ofinterest

This is my icebreaker. I do this in class sizes ranging from35-120 students. It gets students talking before the content. After I collectthe cards, I start with:

“Welcome everyone to[fill in the class]. My name is Perry Binder and I’ll give you my backgroundafter I meet each of you.”

            Then, one byone, I’ll read the name and movie or TV show and topic of interest, with achance for the student to elaborate. There is more than enough time in a75-minute class to personally address each index card, up to 60 students. I’munable to do that in classes of 120 students, but I’ll still read aloud themovie or TV show from every index card. When I find interesting ones or onesI’ve never heard of, I’ll look for those students and ask them questions.

In a class of 45students, the icebreaker takes about 20 minutes.

Once I’m done with theindex cards, I’ll re-mention my name and give them my background, where I grewup, went to college and law school, where I practiced law, how I got intoteaching, when I got to this institution, the classes I teach, and theinteractions I have in the professional community. Next, I ask the followingquestions:

“Is this anyone’s firstsemester at this college?”

“Is anyone here agraduating senior?”

“Is there anyone herewho doesn’t know one person in this room?”

To the first question, Ioffer a sincere welcome; for the second, I lead the class in a round ofapplause for those people; and for the third, I tell students that we aretaking a five-minute break for you to speak with the individuals next to you,and maybe exchange contact information for notes missed in the future. Theonce-silent classroom becomes loud and joyous.

* * *

Other than developing arapport with students, I have an ulterior motive for the index card exercise,which unfolds all semester long: Hollywood portrays law cases that are neatlywrapped up in an hour or two, while the reality is much different. I attempt todemystify the legal process by showing how it is slow and easily manipulated,with mixed results for parties to a lawsuit.

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