First Day of Classes

The first day of classes has come and gone. I am so excited to have met my students this semester. My morning class (9:30 a.m.) started off slow, but seemed to pick up energy as the period progressed. How excited can students get about the course syllabus anyway? I hope my energy is infectious. I have already identified a few talkers and a few students who may need to be coaxed out of their shells. That is always a challenge - getting students to see that what they have to say has value...to me, their peers, and the world around them. On the other hand, my afternoon class was quite vociferous, a pleasant alternative to some of my past experiences where everyone refuses to speak. They have a good sense of humor, but one that will need to be closely monitored.

Although today's classes went well, still I wonder how many students I will lose this first week. Some may be scared off by the technology. I know it is scary for some, who have little experience working on a computer or using the internet, but it will pay off in the end. They will become comfortable using technology for their courses and in their day to day lives. That's the goal. The world is becoming more and more a digital society. The last thing I want for my students is to be disadvantaged because they don't have experience with technology.