Ideas

Idea #4: Day One Activities to Build Community

"Fostering a sense of social belonging in the classroom makes all students feel welcomed and supported, leading to increased motivation, improved academic performance, and a better overall learning experience." —Tracie M. Addy, et al.

Learning Intentions

Carefully crafting the first day of class can ease students into the class with an immediate sense of community and safety that sets them up for success and leaves them ready–and maybe even excited–to learn.

First Five Minutes

Play Music: your preference or what is relevant for the class
Instructions on Screen: what students can do as they filter into the space
Name tents: name, nickname, pronouns, major, superpower, illustrations, etc. on folded cardstock
Quick Write: preconceptions, concerns, questions, ideas, hopes
Info Card: names, pronouns, why are you taking the class, favorite song, what helps them learn, complete the phrase, "I'm the one who…"

Introductions

Guess Who I Am: Work in pairs to guess the answers to some key questions about you. Be as open and honest as you hope they will be in the class.
Authentic Self Introduction: Let students know why you are excited about the class, what you love about the subject, how to best communicate while respecting differing viewpoints, and what success in the class looks like to you.
Simple Plus: Self introductions plus add something fun or relevant; major, superpower, favorite (vacation/cookie/pet/book, etc.)
Pairs: Partners learn something special about each other or have them draw avatar stick figures of each other to use while introducing each other.
Circles: Each student writes their name in the middle of a big circle, adds circles around it with things that they identify with most strongly, then mingles to find peers who are most or least similar to them.
Structured Study Partners: Students mingle and exchange contact information with each other.

Getting Oriented

Positive Tone: Share excitement for class, how to be successful, how all can be "co-creators," try saying "we" instead of "you," emphasize office hours and offers of help.
Community Guidelines/Norm Setting: Work together to form expectations for class discussions and behaviors. Share in course site and revisit occasionally.
Syllabus Scavenger Hunt: Students work in pairs to find the answers to the 10 main things students tend to have misconceptions about in your class.
Annotated Syllabus: Students work together to mark up a printed syllabus and share out things that are helpful, confusing, etc. Annotation tools can be used for online option.
Key Topic Chat: Students discuss in groups several common sense/misconception statements related to course material; share out or add to a concept map on the board or via a poll.
Set Up for Success: Give a tour of your course site, help set up specialized publisher access, software, or website accounts needed for the class.

References

Addy, T. M. Dube, D., Mitchell, K. A., & SoRelle, M. E. (2021). What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching. Stylus.
Barkley, E. F. and Major, C. H. (2025). Engaged Teaching: A Handbook for College Faculty. 2nd ed. Social Good/Patricia Cross Academy.
Borowski, R. (2025). Modeling and Building Relationships for Belonging in Math Education. Innovative Teaching Showcase. Center for Instructional Innovation, Western Washington University.
Davidson, C. N. & Katopodis, C. (2022). The New College Classroom. Harvard Univ. Press.
Denial, C. J. (2024). A Pedagogy of Kindness: Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Ed. University of Oklahoma Press.
McLaughlin, J. (2025). Cultivating Belonging in Field Science Education. Innovative Teaching Showcase. Center for Instructional Innovation, Western Washington University.
Nilson, L. B. 2016. Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors. 4th ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Sidky, S. 2023. Creating a Warmer and More Inclusive Syllabus. Indiana University Bloomington – Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning. Indiana University Bloomington. August 1, 2023.