OPENING NIGHT HINTS

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT (Go to Maintaining Class Enrollment and Attendance)

Use the following as a checklist to remind yourself of the many special organizational jobs you have to perform the first night of class.

• Be in your room early to greet students as they arrive.
• Write or print your name on the chalkboard. Put a sign with yur name and level on the door (optional).
• Begin the first class on time to demonstrate that class will always begin on time.
• Discuss the time of the break (if it is practical to take one). Stress the important of returning to class punctually. Provide clear directions to the restrooms.
• Discuss auto parking in legal and illegal areas.
• State the policy of the school about visitors. It's preferable to encourage visitors to observe for one class period. Visitors are potential students--if not for your class, for some other, even in another city.
• Discuss the school attendance policy. If you intend to make a telephone follow-up call, tell the students when they can expect it.
• Remind the students that you can supply any information they might like about completion certificates, refunds, fees, holidays, school personnel, transfers, high school diplomas, etc. Some simple reminders may be in order at the bginning of the school year.
• Establish an atmosphere conducive to good learning. Make students feel comfortable. You may want to plan activities in which they can meet their classmates duringthe first week of class.
• Plan ahead. Photocopy early.
• Spend some time during the first few lessons discussing the goals of the students through class discussion.
• Share your teaching goals with the class. Discuss your expectations for the class by the completion of the course.
• Reconize that good teaching is a cooperative art. Set up committees or use class discussion time to revise present teaching plans in terms of the basic needs and interests of the particular group with whom you are now working.
• Discuss objectives with the class. Consider the possibility of using student groups to plan measuring devices and evaluation goals.
• Suggest to the class that learning can be doing, seeing, hearing and telling. Invite the students' suggestions on various kinds of visual aids, demonstrations, and practical applications of their studies.
• Use non-text matierals (library books, periodicals, pamphlets, or objects). Urge students to be alert to the kind of resources to bring to class or use in their related work.

MAINTAINING CLASS ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE (Go to Classroom Management)

In years past, teachers have heard that classes with low enrollment would be terminated, but somehow the classes managed to survive. This can no longer be the case. Classes that drop in enrollment and/or attendance will be closed immediately according to Division guidelines. Listed below are suggestions that have proven to be successful by many adult educators. Should your class begin to drop in enrollment and attendance, you may wish to try one or more of these techniques or procedures. Attendance is the teacher's responsibility.

• Phone every student on your roster to encourage them to attend. This should be done the very first day of school. Sometimes repeated calls may be necessary.
• Encourage students in your class to recruit friends, neighbors and relatives into the program.
• Briefly, but sincerely, recognize those studnets who have brought in new recruits.
• Give each student a course outline and/or daily agenda for the week, month or entire course.
• Create an atmosphere where students are not afraid to make mistakes.
• Be eclectic. Use any method, technique, or combinations of methods that work for you and your students.
• Use as much variety in your lessons as possible.
• Space your best lessons and activities throughout the whole course to keep interest high. Don't empty your entire "bag of tricks" early on.
• Whenever possible, ensure maximum student participation in classroom activities on a daily basis.
• Request that students make daily or period evaluations of your instruction.
• Make the following day's lesson seem so tempting and provocative that students will not want to miss it.
• Personally take the time to greet each student upon entering and leaving your classroom. YOU are the vital element that will make your class a success.
• Plan a "not-to-be-missed" activity for the first fifteen minutes of class to ensure prompt student arrival.

Do not isolate yourself from your colleagues. Find ways to get needed support because you are not expected to know everything on your own.