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Scholarship
July 3, 2025
Successful Beginnings in College Teaching: How to Engage Your Students, and Keep Them Engaged, from Day 1
- Author
- Provitera-McGlynn, Angela
- Publisher
- Atwood Publishing, Madison, WI
- ISBN
- 1891859382
- Table of Contents
-
Acknowledgments
Introduction
ch. 1 Classroom and Course Management: The Nuts and Bolts of Successful Beginnings
Teach Students to Do Well in Your Course
Make Your Attendance Policy Clear
Gather Information about Your Students
Accommodate Students Who Have Special Needs
Some Ideas on Promoting Student Success
Clarify Your Testing Policy
The Issue of Academic Integrity
Some Quick Tips on Managing the Learning Environment
Guidelines for Student Success (handout)
Preparing for and Taking Exams (handout)
More Tips for Test Preparation and Test Taking (handout)
ch. 2 A Positive Start: First-Day Classroom Activities and Icebreakers
Family Name Exercise
``What's in a Name?'' Exercise
Stand Up-Sit Down Exercise
Activities That Help Students Find Commonalities
Introduction by Identities Exercise
Student Disclosure Exercises
Dyadic interviews
Dyadic sharing using drawing or writing
Informal sharing exercises
Walk around the room exercises
Scavenger hunt
Wheel within a wheel
Alphabetize exercise
Introductions and repetition
Introducing Yourself
Course Expectation Activities
Your Goal: A Relaxed Atmosphere from Day 1
Personal Reference Inventory (PRI)
ch. 3 Creating a Welcoming Classroom Environment
The ``Chilly Classroom Climate''
What Students Want from Us as Faculty
How to Build Rapport and Connect with Your Students
Specific Tips for Building Rapport and Connecting with Students
Promoting Student-Student Interaction
Participation, Motivation, and Perseverance
ch. 4 Promoting Student Participation and Motivation
Promoting Self-Regulation: Teaching Students How to Learn and Improving Student Learning
The Interactive Classroom
The interactive lecture
Engaging your students --- even the passive and resistant ones The class discussion
Planning and executing classroom discussions
Cooperative and Collaborative Learning
The benefits --- and risks --- of cooperative and collaborative learning
Some specific group learning strategies
The Essence of Promoting Student Participation and Motivation
ch. 5 Dealing with Incivility in the College Classroom
What Is Classroom ``Incivility''?
Guidelines for Courtesy and Respect
Specific Disruptive Behaviors --- and How to Handle Them
Dealing with students who have side conversations
Dealing with students who sleep or do unrelated work
Dealing with student disruptions in large-lecture classes
It's Always Good to Have a Plan
ch. 6 Keeping the Ball Rolling to a Fruitful Conclusion
Motivating Your Students to Complete the Semester
The Role of Writing Exercises in Keeping Students Engaged, Promoting Critical Thinking Skills, and Fostering Learning
Other Active Learning Exercises to Help Your Students Persevere
Drawing the Semester to a Positive Close
Taking Class Notes
ch. 7 Turning ``Successful Beginnings'' into Successful Teaching Experiences
Appendix: Creating Your Course Syllabus: A Brief Overview
Helpful Teaching Resources
References
About the Author
Laying the groundwork for a successful semester starts with the first day of class. Author Angela Provitera McGlynn tells that the first day is not the day to pass out a syllabus and let everyone go. Rather, it's the day to set the context for the rest of the semester.
The author stresses the need for developing an atmosphere of respect for diversity while simultaneously providing a safe and exciting place to explore differences.
Included are a whole variety of ice breakers and other exercises to keep students engaged and interacting. In addition, such vital issues as environment, motivation, and civility are addressed with suggestions for promoting positive interactions. (From the Publisher)
The author stresses the need for developing an atmosphere of respect for diversity while simultaneously providing a safe and exciting place to explore differences.
Included are a whole variety of ice breakers and other exercises to keep students engaged and interacting. In addition, such vital issues as environment, motivation, and civility are addressed with suggestions for promoting positive interactions. (From the Publisher)