The First Day of Class

Name tents & phonetic name cards

Students fold a card, write their preferred name and phonetic pronunciation on the front, and optionally add one fact. Faculty keep a seating chart with photos to review before class. Takes 5 minutes on day one.

Resource link: Learning Student Names

Brightspace Classlist & photo profiles

Brightspace’s Classlist shows enrolled students and any profile photos they have uploaded. Instructors can view names alongside photos and use them to build a seating chart before class.

Resource link: Brightspace Community: About Classlist

Private name and pronunciation check-in

Use a pre-course survey, first-day card, or Brightspace form to ask students what name they use, how to pronounce it, and anything they want you to know about being addressed in class. If asking about pronouns, make sharing optional rather than required. Why it matters: a private check-in reduces the risk of misnaming students publicly and gives students control over what they disclose.

Resource link: Learning Student Names & Pronouns

First-day name activities

Easy openers like “Two Truths & a Lie” give faculty (and classmates) multiple exposures to names in a memorable context. Works in person and synchronously online.

Activity: participants share three statements about themselves—two that are true and one that is fabricated. The goal is to get to know your peers better by having the group guess which statement is the lie.

Video link: 2 Truths and a Lie

Welcome students as they enter

Arrive early, greet students at the door or in the online meeting room, and plan to stay a few minutes after class for questions. This takes almost no preparation but immediately changes the tone of the class. Why it matters: students begin forming impressions of the course and instructor before formal teaching begins.

Resource link: Indiana CITL: First Day Strategies

Introduce yourself as a learner and teacher

Share a brief introduction that includes your background, why you care about the course, and what students can expect from you. Keep it human, but focused. Why it matters: instructor presence helps students see the course as a relationship-centered learning environment, not just a set of requirements

Resource link: Cornell CTI: Connecting with Your Students

Day One Brightspace welcome announcement

Post a short welcome announcement in Brightspace that orients students to the first week, names the first action they should take, and invites questions. Add a short video if appropriate. Why it matters: online students need a visible instructor presence and a clear first step so the course feels navigable from the beginning.

Resource link: Brightspace Community: About Announcements

Pre-course or first-day student survey

Use a short survey to learn about students' interests, goals, responsibilities, technology access, previous experience with the topic, and one question or concern. In Brightspace, this could be a survey, quiz, or ungraded assignment. Why it matters: surveys support belonging and help faculty adjust examples, pacing, and support before problems emerge.

Resource link: Yale: Developing a Pre-Course Survey

Prior knowledge quick check

Begin with two or three low-stakes questions, a concept map, or a poll asking what students already know and where they feel unsure. Avoid making it feel like a graded test. Why it matters: students' prior knowledge can help or hinder learning, and faculty need early evidence of misconceptions.

Resource link:CMU Eberly: Assessing Prior Knowledge

Interactive syllabus review

Instead of reading the syllabus aloud, ask students to use it. Options include a syllabus scavenger hunt, small-group syllabus jigsaw, or questions students write about what the syllabus does not answer. Why it matters: students remember policies better when they actively retrieve, explain, and apply them.

Resource link: DePaul Teaching Commons: The First Day of Class

Low-stakes Brightspace syllabus quiz

Create a brief Brightspace quiz over essential course policies, due dates, communication expectations, academic integrity, and support resources. Allow multiple attempts and use it for completion rather than high stakes. Why it matters: this helps students practice navigating the course while confirming that they can locate key information.

Resource link: Brightspace Community: Quizzes

Course roadmap and success path

Use the syllabus to show how outcomes, assignments, activities, and assessments fit together. Point out what successful students do in the first two weeks. Why it matters: students are more likely to engage when they understand the purpose and structure of the course rather than seeing assignments as disconnected tasks.

Resource link: Cornell CTI: Write a Course Syllabus

Community agreements

Ask students what they need from one another to learn well, then turn the responses into a short set of shared class norms. Revisit them when needed. Why it matters: community agreements make participation expectations explicit and give students shared ownership of the learning environment.

Resource link: Cornell CTI: Establishing Community Agreements and Classroom Norms

Discussion guidelines before discussion begins

If discussion will be central to the course, review or co-create expectations for listening, responding, disagreeing, and making space for multiple voices before the first substantial discussion. Why it matters: structured interaction reduces uncertainty and supports more equitable participation.

Resource link: CMU Eberly: Establish Guidelines for Interaction

How to ask for help

Dedicate two minutes to showing students where to ask course questions, where to find campus support, and how quickly they can expect a response. In Brightspace, create a Q&A discussion forum or pinned announcement. Why it matters: students are more likely to seek help when the pathway is clear before they are already overwhelmed.

Resource link: UCM: Student Services and Support Resources

Explain the rationale behind policies

When discussing attendance, late work, technology, participation, or communication expectations, briefly explain the learning reason behind the policy. Why it matters: students are more likely to view expectations as supportive when faculty connect them to learning rather than compliance.

Resource link: Berkeley Center for Teaching and Learning: Encouraging Attendance

Begin with a real-world problem

Open with a problem, case, question, or scenario that shows why the course matters. Then explain how the course will help students develop the knowledge or skills to address it. Why it matters: relevance and curiosity motivate students to invest attention before the course becomes a list of requirements.

Resource link: Cornell CTI: The First Day of Class

Small content task on Day One

Reserve time for students to write, predict, solve, compare, question, or discuss something connected to course content. Why it matters: the first day should model learning, not only course administration; students should experience the kind of thinking the course will ask them to do.

Resource link: CMU Eberly: First Day of Class

Prediction prompt

Before explaining a concept, ask students to predict an outcome, choose between possible answers, or explain what they expect to happen. Then use the course content to revisit their predictions. Why it matters: prediction is a small teaching move that increases attention and helps students connect new information to prior knowledge.

Resource link: James M. Lang: Small Teaching

Small teaching online launch activity

In the first online module, ask students to complete a small but meaningful task: introduce themselves, answer a course question, find the syllabus, and respond to one peer. Why it matters: online students need early interaction, structure, and success with the course platform before more demanding work begins.

Resource link: Teaching in Higher Ed: Small Teaching Online with Flower Darby

Exit question: What is one thing you need next?

End with a one-minute response asking what students understand, what remains unclear, or what support they need before the next class. Use notecards, a Brightspace quiz, or a discussion prompt. Why it matters: this gives faculty immediate feedback and gives students a structured way to surface confusion early.

Resource link: CMU Eberly: First Day of Class

Bridge to the next class

Close by naming what students did today, why it matters, and what they will use it for next time. Include the first concrete action students should take after class. Why it matters: a purposeful close helps students leave with direction rather than a pile of disconnected logistics.

Resource link: Cornell CTI: The First Day of Class