What is the purpose of the first class for you as the teacher?

The first class should give you an understanding of who is taking your unit and what their expectations are.

Think about your purpose as a teacher of the first class.

‘Good teaching and good learning are linked through the student’s experience of what we do. It follows that we cannot teach better unless we are able to see what we are doing from their point of view’ (Ramsden, 2003, p. 84).

What does it take to learn? What is required to support and encourage learning?

Student-centred teaching focuses on students’ understanding and achieving learning outcomes.

• The teacher supports learning and focuses on what the student does.
• Learning is a collaborative activity between the student and teacher.
• Student-centred learning is a learning model where students are at the centre and actively participate in their learning, as opposed to teacher-centred learning which is more prescribed and often little more than the transmission of knowledge with few opportunities for active student engagement.

Go to Week 11. Learning and teaching theories to explore further.

Now you have done some thinking around the purpose of the first class, it is time to plan your first class.