Getting to Know Your Students

A common belief among college teachers is that they only need to know subject matter. Recent scholarship states that teachers must know something about their students if they want to enhance learning in their classrooms.

New research on effective college teaching suggests that professors do better when they approach instruction as a process for helping students learn knowledge and skills (rather than as a presentation of course material). Obviously the starting point for helping students is by understanding what they know and believe.

Take time out to learn more about your students.

Students as People

Getting to know students means finding out who they are. Students, especially younger students, who see that the teacher recognizes them as an individual, are more likely to become more committed and content learners. Techniques to get students to introduce themselves during the first few days of class vary depending on class size, subject matter and teaching style. Below are some tips to start you thinking. Drop by the CIRT if you want to look over others.

Greeting. Create a personal touch as soon as students enter the classroom.

During the first weeks of class, arrive at the room 5 minutes early. Shake hands with students as they arrive, asking their name and a quick social question -- Did you enjoy the weekend's ballgame? As the semester progresses, you can start asking course related questions -- How's everything going? Did you like the reading?

In larger classrooms limit yourself to 5-10 each day. Use this new found familiarity in class when asking questions, looking for examples, or requesting leadership for groups.

Introductions. Get to know something about your students (& help them learn about each other).

Ask students to explain something about their name (what does it mean, where did it come from, how did they get their nickname); or ask them to describe some talent, hobby, achievement, or specialty that probably makes them unique in the class; or have them share one piece of information about themselves.

Again, larger classrooms may try these with 5-10 students each session.

More involved introduction activities can be used if blended with the lesson.

When introducing sociograms, students draw a map of their personal contacts and share with a neighbor. In philosophy, they create and share a value coat-of-arms.

You can ask students to arrange themselves in line according to almost any characteristic -- years studying science, number of foreign countries visited, size of home town, best frog catchers, confidence in the subject area, shyness, and so on. If cleverly tied to the lesson, students meet those with similar interests and abilities (& those who might be good resources).

Students as Learners

You might also want to find out more about the background and scholarly habits of your students during the early weeks of the semester.

Knowledge Probe. What beliefs (right and wrong) about your subject do students hold?

Design a non-graded, anonymous assignment to find out. Quick quizzes, puzzles, blank maps or diagrams, or games (like Trivial Pursuits) can provide great starting points for introducing a topic. Share the overall results with the class & discuss its implications (if good, you can build on it; if bad, you can discuss the consequences of ignorance).

Angelo & Cross have several activities designed that might make useful models. The CIRT will be glad to send you copies of their Background Knowledge Probe Technique.

Brainstorm. There are a number of brainstorming techniques that make a useful introduction to material.

Place a keyword on the board & have students list words/phrases they associate with it. Draw connecting lines into a web of current knowledge. The teacher can help reflect on strengths & weaknesses (and directions for learning).

Or, have students meet in pairs, then have pairs meet and so on. At each level ask students to list ideas about the topic. This develops a great deal of discussion about the subject.

Finding Connections. Ask students to find connections between the subject matter and their lives.

Who -- in their hometown, in their career line, in the world -- uses (or could use) this kind of knowledge? Have student ask friends, family, neighbors about when or how they use this subject matter.

Study how their favorite books, magazines, movies, music, and TV could profit from understanding the subject better.

Each of these sorties allows students to tell you more about how they might connect to your field.

Problem posing. A final tip is to give students a problem to address and observe how they respond. What scholarly skills do they use? What habits do they follow? After a while, have students reflect on the steps they followed. Confirm the good approaches and address (either immediately or in the near future) the erroneous efforts. This makes a good opportunity to explain the scholarly methods endorsed by your discipline. This awareness is the first step for students in learning new habits of mind.

By allowing students to offer problems they think are important to society or the field, you also get an idea about their perceptions and priorities.

Some Final Suggestions

Getting a student viewpoint of your course can be one of the best guides for how to organize your next lesson. Of course, this means getting to know your students. The above tips are just a few of many.

Use index cards to take attendance. On the first day, ask students to tell you anything you should know about them that might cause them problems in the course (medical, learning concerns, job or family responsibilities). Then write quick responses and hand them back at the next class. The cards then become an opportunity for them to ask me any questions. It only takes a minute in class (and about a minutes per card afterwards) but really helps keep a finger on the pulse of the class.

Instructors can use classroom diversity to advantage during introductions. Students enjoy learning about foreign countries and viewpoints from socially different peers. They may not know how to ask these questions. A sensitive and sympathetic instructor can be a valuable model.

This Teaching Tip was first published by Indiana State University’s, Center for Teaching and learning on January 13, 1997.