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Rather than starting class by reviewing the syllabus, professors can choose a more engaging activity.
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The first week of classes can be a trudge for college students as they rotate through variations of introductions to their faculty members, the course content and the syllabus. Infamously called “sylly week,” the start of the academic term often feels less serious and engaging for students.
Rather than reading the syllabus for the first class, instructors offer ideas that they use to spice up their first day of class to make the experience more engaging and personal.
- Introduce yourself.
From the first day, faculty members have the opportunity to set an approachable and personable tone with students by introducing themselves. This introduction should extend beyond name and title and include something personable, such as family makeup, children’s ages or favorite elements about the course, Kevin Steele from Valparaiso University wrote.
This introduction doesn’t have to be verbal. Anthony Lacina from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences likes to arrive early and put on music in the background, and then he introduces himself to students and makes small talk before class starts, he wrote in a Faculty Focus article.
Investing in approachability creates positive outcomes in students as well as better, richer feedback for the faculty member, says Chris Morett, head of the Faculty Approachability Project.
- Get to know your students.
Professors can also prioritize student success on the first day by learning more about the class. Get-to-know-you activities break the ice, promote positive engagement with the faculty and foster a sense of belonging. Around one-third of students say they want professors to take more of an interest in them to boost academic success, as well, according to data from a 2023 Student Voice survey from Inside Higher Ed, conducted by College Pulse.
These activities could be academic in nature, such as taking a survey of students’ knowledge of the course material, or engage them on a more personal level, like asking their favorite food or how they’d spend an ideal weekend.
Not every instructor is gifted at remembering students’ names, so tips like using photos, writing a seating chart, creating name cards or making introductions during class can help build relationships. Jeffrey Howard from Georgia Tech finds when students introduce themselves at the start of the term, it makes it easier to learn their names later in the course.
- Create a syllabus assignment.
One of the key elements of the first day of class is reviewing the syllabus to ensure students know where to find relevant information, including course topics, materials, resources, assignments, office hours and more. Rather than having students review the document together during the class session, instructors should consider designing a syllabus assignment that requires students to read the document.
A quiz, delivered at the start of the first class or due before the second session, or an in-class game can make the document more engaging while still ensuring that students are informed and utilizing it.
- Set classroom expectations.
In a traditional classroom setting, professors set the tone with rules, expectations and policies. An active learning environment could flip that narrative and have each member of the class, including the professor, establish class expectations that everyone abides by.
Classroom community agreements are one way to build a trusting, empathetic and inclusive classroom experience for participants because it requires collaboration and group value setting, wrote Jesica Siham Fernández in a career advice column for Inside Higher Ed. The approach also fosters positive instructor-student relationships.
- Start teaching.
Rather than waiting for the second class session to begin covering course topics, instructors can begin teaching earlier when they reconfigure syllabus day.
The first day is an opportunity to introduce new topics and get your students while they’re fresh and before major deadlines, wrote Patrick Bigsby for Inside Higher Ed. “Your students’ curiosity and energy will be relatively high and unfettered by the frustration and fatigue that tends to set in by the first week of November—take advantage!”
Do you have an academic success tip that might help others encourage student success? Tell us about it.
