Hi Marie, I agree the syllabus should be presented thoroughly on the first day. Students are always anxious to get started with the hands-on activity. Students really do like to see visual aid being used in the classroom. You are right, the enthusiasm in the classroom is a trickle down effect from the instructor to the students. I have a thorough PowerPoint presentation on each course I teach to explain to students exactly what they will get from taking the course. The students absolutely love it. At my institution, instructors do not get heavily into salary with students. The placement coordinator goes into great depth with the students about salary. You will begin to lose students, if you bore them. As educators, we must be fully excited at all times. Patricia