By: Dr Mary C. Clement

Source: https://www.magnapubs.com/magna-commons/?video=3025

“If you want to create a first-class learning environment start with the first class. From the very first day–from the moment students walk in the door–you set the tone for the entire semester. You can establish expectations, clarify responsibilities, energize and engage your students, and create a strong framework for success. We provide you with practical, proven tips for starting your classes off right.”

This informative 75-minute seminar is directed largely at on-campus or synchronous teaching environments, although some general concepts can be adapted for online environments. The presenter provides helpful examples and tips to support each item on the list with good practical advice on how to keep students engaged and learning.

1. Create procedures for getting students in the room
2. The value of an entrance table/desk
3. Learning their names
4. Focus activities
5. The “today we will” list
6. Introductions are important
7. The interest inventory
8. Every student makes a folder
9. Teach a lesson
10. The four-step lesson plan

Presentation handouts, full transcripts and supplementary resources are available for download if you don't have time to listen to the seminar.

Step 1. Create procedures for getting students in the room, includes advice on checking the teaching space and its technology ahead of the class.

For CSU staff, there is a helpful 20-minute self-enrol ELMO module titled

Classroom Technology at CSU, accessed at https://csu.elmotalent.com.au/dashboard
(choose Learning, then Course Catalogue to locate the module).

In this week’s bulletin we are continuing to draw from our new

CSU subscription to the Magna Commons series of online seminars.

A Magna Commons search for the keyword ‘engage’ produced a list of 57 seminars related to this theme, including the this week’s feature.

Other titles include:

· Engage Online Students with Targeted Feedback (60 minutes)

· Motivate, Engage, and Inspire: Tips for Teaching Modern Learners (60 minutes)

· Five tips to Engage Students Outside of the Online Classroom (40 minutes)

· Ten Ways to Actively Engage Your Students (60 minutes)

· Four Strategies to Engage the Multicultural Classroom (90 minutes)

Presentation handouts, full transcripts and supplementary resources are available for download if you don't have time to listen to the seminar.

Staff with a CSU email address can obtain the Magna Commons CSU subscription code from Ellen McIntyre elmcintyre@csu.edu.au

Link to Issue#1