4 Best Practices for Teaching at DeGroote
First Day of Class
The first day of class is an important one for you, especially if you’re a new instructor, and for your students. This class is an opportunity for you to set the tone of the course, to explain to students your policies on communication regarding the course, inclusivity and accessibility, grading, and any other policies you have set, as well as to begin engaging with the course material.
On the first day of class, we recommend reviewing the course outline. While you’ll likely make available the outline for your students to access on their own time, the first day of class is an important opportunity for you to point out changes from prior years, required texts or other materials they need to be successful, and to break down the grading scheme and your course policies for due dates, accessibility, missed classes etc. Explicitly reviewing this with the class on the first day will help avoid confusion and misinterpretation that can lead to issues for students later in the course.
If you are using any technology in your teaching, from a computer with a projector to apps or other tech tools, it is critical that you have had the opportunity to practice in advance. While you may be familiar with the software on your own computer, the particularities of the classroom or the technology therein may introduce issues that can disrupt your teaching. Before the first day, visit your teaching space to test all of the tools you plan to use on your first day. If you are teaching on main campus in Hamilton, contact Campus Classroom Technologies for codes to the computer cabinets or login details of any computers that may already be available in the room. If you are teaching at the Ron Joyce Centre in Burlington, you can contact DSB IT Services for any questions or information you require.
For courses that will make use of Avenue to Learn, it can be helpful to walk through the course site to clarify where you will post learning materials and to demonstrate which tools you intend to use in the course. This is especially important for first year students as it is likely that they will have limited experience using a course website in their prior learning experiences.
On the first day, you may already have accommodation letters to review from some of your students. They have the responsibility to discuss accommodation requests with the instructor at the beginning of the term so you should be prepared to discuss specific accommodation requests with students who have registered with Student Accessibility Services.
Finally, the first day of class is an opportunity to introduce yourself. Students are often curious about their instructors as people, what their backgrounds of study are, and institutions they have attended in the past. This is an ideal time to let them know that you are open and approachable as an instructor so they can feel comfortable asking questions and getting help from you when they need it. De