The first day of class is an opportunity to build connections with students and set the right tone for the semester. Too often, instructors focus on reading the syllabus and course policies, which can give students an underwhelming first impression of what to expect in the course.

In this workshop, you will learn research-based best practices for creating a first-day lesson plan that will excite your students. The workshop includes activities that faculty have used in their courses along with practical guidance on how to develop activities that work for your own course. Special attention will be given to adapting activities for in-person classes in which one or more students are attending via Web conferencing. Participants may attend this workshop in person or via Zoom.