Here are 4 tips for the first day of class that will make it a positive experience for everyone involved. I know, preparing for the first day of class often makes us nervous. Our students come to class with certain expectations and, most importantly, with a desire to learn and hoping the teacher will be there to help them throughout the year. We would like to deliver a great first lesson, make a good impression on the students, and start the new course with a bang. The only question is: what to focus on? Crack the book open? Play the Name Game for 60 minutes? Give students a questionnaire asking them what they would like to work on in class? There are no golden rules to be followed when planning your first day, but there are some tips to help you.
# 1 Tip: Break the ice
The first day of class is not only for the students to get to know their syllabus and receive their coursebooks. It is a unique opportunity for you as a teacher to introduce yourself, get to know the people you are going to work with for the rest of the course, and maybe most importantly, let students get to know each other. There are many great icebreaking games to be used in the ESL classroom, so don’t neglect your chance to help the group feel comfortable with you and with each other. Goodclassroom atmosphere should never be overlooked as a factor that influences your students’ progress, not to mention your own comfort.
# 2 Tip: Do language analysis
Icebreakers are not only fun. They provide you with a fantastic opportunity to assess your students’ strengths and weaknesses when it comes to English. Listen carefully to what they are saying, make mental notes on what they struggle with or what is overall their strong suit. The first day of class might not necessarily be the best occasion to correct your students grammar or pronunciation, but after analysing the language they use closely, you will surely get the idea how to tweak the course so that it suits your students’ needs better.
# 3 Tip: Establish learning goals
Some people love learning languages and do it as a hobby, which is great. Mostly, though, students come to language courses because they need English in their everyday lives and have a goal in mind. The first day of class should be the time when you find out what these goals are. Do your students need English for work, university, travelling, they have a foreign fiancee, or maybe they need to take an exam next year? Surely, you might not be able to satisfy every need of each student, but knowing WHY they come to your classes will help you make your teaching more engaging and effective.
# 4 Tip: Introduce the course
You played some great icebreakers with your group, you know their names and motivations, the first class is going great. Now, it might be a good moment to get down to business and actually tell your students what the course they signed up for is going to be like. I usually approach this formal part towards the end of the class, after we already have had some fun and everybody is more relaxed. Your students need to know what they are paying for:
- What does the course cover?
- How are you as a teacher, the course and the coursebook going to help them achieve their learning objectives?
- How are they going to be assessed (if at all)?
- Is there anything you expect of them (any homework?)
- Is there anything they can do OUTSIDE OF THE CLASS to keep improving (mobile apps you recommend, websites, podcasts, blogs, etc?). Yes, your professional guidance should also be included in the price of the course.
If you already have the coursebook, spend some time going through it and inform your students whether you are planning on supplementing the book with some extra materials. Finally, it is time for some Q&A. There always will be questions, and rightly so. Making sure your students know what the course will be like helps you avoid any misunderstandings and talking to them about it is, once more, a chance for you to find out whether there is a way for you to improve the syllabus to meet your students needs and wants.
Hope you have a good first day of class with your new students!
Here is an infographic that summarizes 4 tips for the first day of class:
