Friday, January 08, 2010

Help Please

I realize that I should be catching up with Thanksgiving and Christmas pictures, and I will get to that eventually. Since blogging more frequently wasn't on my list of resolutions this year, I won't let this setback bother me to much. In the meantime, I have much more urgent things to ask my friends in the blogosphere. So, in a few weeks I will start teaching all alone for the first time! I am excited and a little nervous. (For those of you who don't know, I have a fellowship to teach undergrad writing classes while I am in the Master's program.) Anyway, I am getting all prepped for the first day of class. We will, of course, go over the syllabus, etc. I am also having them write a mini essay on how they view themselves as writers, etc. But, to start out, I think we should do some sort of mini get to know you session. I know those can be annoying, but it is a small class (20 people) and we are going to be doing lots of peer review and group work, so I want to help us all be comfortable with one another. This is where you all come in. What is your most (and least) favorite way to start off a new class. Does anyone have any great "get to know you" suggestions? I don't want to start out as the totally annoying teacher, but I will if I have to! :) It's all in the name of learning, right?

4 comments:

ed and brooke said...

I can't say that I know any good getting to know you games. That's so hard... I've had so many classes where the professor is like, "Everyone go around and name your favorite color/ vacation spot/ food, etc." The worst is trying to come up with something that rhymes with your name... Anyways, im in a Health Information Management program. I've been doing it forever it seems and now, that I'm at the end, I'm pretty sure I'd like to change majors. That's the way it usually goes... I'm thinking of going into Sonography, but it really depends upon how crazy the next year is with Esley. I can't believe you're teaching and you have three kids. I have no idea how you do it! Seriously, I am so envious.

LizzyP said...

I say writing icebreakers. I once attended a writing workshop for elementary writing teachers in which we had to quickly come up with an ad campaign to sell ourselves as writing duos. We (as small groups) were also given an envelope with ten words and we had to organize them so they told about one member of the group. (I think there were a couple blank slips to write words of our own choice.) I'll try to think of other things we did. I actually got to know my fellow workshop attendees very well.

MAB said...

Have you heard of Postsecret.blogspot.com? I'm thinking something like that- people write something about themselves anonymously and everyone tries to guess who it is. Along the 2 Truths and a Lie vein. Or is that too Mormony?

(Wow! Heather the teacher!)

s g said...

those all sound like good ideas...I do think the most embarrassing moment one is overused...so maybe steer away from that. I just heard the other day a group did name your favorite cereal and why...apparently started some great discussions. good luck!!