A positive first impression creates an opportunity for establishing rapport between instructor and student. This makes reception of instructional material easier because the rapport leads to trust when it is maintained.
Cleveland Sigh
Cleveland,
For me the first class meeting is so exciting because I get to meet a new group of students and learn about them. By having fun ice breakers and an introduction session we get to settle into the course and start to learn about each other and how we are going to work with each other during the upcoming course. Always a great day!
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe this is crucial in dictating the course that the class takes. I think an educator can always fall into the risk of starting off a bit negative. Whether at the beginning of the semester or beginning of class.
This can be a class that becomes a teacher's nightmare, or a place that they remember why they went into the profession. Positive bleeds more positivity.
James,
Your last sentence really puts it all together. This is the foundation upon which we build our instructional effort for the duration of the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I truly believe first impressions are very important because it estalishes the momentum of the rest of the term. How I state my delivery, experience, expectations, and knowledge gives the class as a whole what I plan and expect from them.
What I notice is hard for me in the classroom setting is how young I look. I am in my 30's but I look very young. I notice that this sometimes can throw off some people in my class the first day. Then after a week or two of lecture they start to forgot how young I look and actually pay more attention to what I say. Though I feel I am still looking on how to balance it all out.
Tula,
I commend you for your ability to engage your students in the learning process to the point that your age or at least your appearance is not an issue. Your competence and confidence become more important to the students and this is exactly where you want them to be in relation to understanding the value of the course they are taking.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I want to engender a trust with my students that I can successfully enable them to master the course material.
Robert,
This is such an important part of the instructional process. I think it starts with respect then goes to rapport and then trust over a period of time in a course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
it shows your charcter and make the students want to come back to you and your class for advice and be very interested in learning from you the entire class or term that you will be guiding them through and it gives them some motivation to look forward in the future and what to expect from you and your class and it gives them a sense fo who you are and how you preform and how you expect them to preform. lead by example.
Hi,
Making a first positive impression is important because it sets the pace of what is expected and you are leading by example of what qualities/traits that they should develop as the develop further within their careers.
Timberly,
Right you are. You are the learning leader so you need to set the stage for the students so they will be excited about coming to class and look forward to the information that is being shared and skills that will be developed.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I remember my past professors. Within the first ten minutes of a new class, I would decide in my mind how that class would go. I have to remember that this is now happening to me.
Tracey,
Good point and one we need to remember as we plan our first class meeting. We need to think about how what we are planning will be received by the new students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The first impression offers a unique opportunity to set the stage and tone for the rest of the term. Making a mistake here can lead to communication breakdown, disinterest and reduced retention. Worse, it can cause students to not take you or the class seriously. Starting off by explaining why you love teaching this course, instead of grumbling about being stuck teaching it again, is the difference between a positive environment and a disaster class.
Shelby,
It is so much easier to build on a positive foundation so why not create one on the first day? Then it becomes a matter of earning respect and developing rapport which is an exciting part of being an instructor.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
If a professor makes a positive first impression, then the students are far more likely to respect the instructor, listen during class, and perform to the best of their ability. Students will feel like they are respected because the instructor has come in with a positive vibe and they feel that they will learn, so they will try hard.
A negative impression will only encourage students to act out, not listen, and be disrespectful to the instructor and other students. It makes a negative learning environment and can cause other students to act out and learn less as well.
The instructor set's the tone within the class which exhibits preparedness, professionalism and planning. It is difficult for a teacher to recover when they are not displaying all three characteristics.
A positive first impression when starting a new class is imperitive to gain respect, trust, and set clear expectations towards the students in the class. They need to make sure that their instructor will evaluate them fairly, displays confidence and expertise in the field they are teaching. The students need to feel that the material to be learned will be worth it and it is necessary.
I think the first impression is what sets the scene for class. If your first impression is positive and very motivated then the class will most likly stay that way.
Melannie,
A positive first impression builds a solid foundation for the instructor and the content that is to come. Trying to dig out of a negative hole is tough and really impacts the learning process. Your comments are right on target in this regard.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
