Welcome to the Tuesday Teaching Tip, an easy-to-implement tool that you can use immediately in your classroom teaching. 

TUESDAY TEACHING TIP: First week suggestions

Before the content, before the slides, before the learning objectives, there’s the moment you set the tone. The first few minutes of class can shape the energy, trust, and engagement for everything that follows. What if we used that time not just to review material, but to build community?

Here are a few creative ways your colleagues in Psychology are doing just that:

1. Turn your classroom into a farm. Invite students to choose a barnyard animal that represents how they’re showing up that day, and use it as a playful ritual to open class. (Lisa Whitfield)
2. Pair last-class review with a joyful, unrelated question. Try: “What’s something bringing you joy right now?” or “What piece of media are you really into lately?” It warms up the room before you dive in. (Michelle Rivers)
3. Start with a non-academic connection. A quick round of Tenzi, a simple dice game, or an improv exercise like pairing and mirroring can shift students from passive to present. (Matt Bell)
4. Learn something personal, and use it. Ask students to share a fun fact about themselves, then intentionally weave those details into examples and discussions throughout the term. (Tom Plante)
5. Learn their names, fast. Create flashcards with photos and names and practice until you know them all in the first week. It communicates care and belonging from day one. (Patti Simone)
6. Normalize participation. Acknowledge individual and cultural differences in speaking styles, while noting that our culture rewards those who speak up. To make space for everyone, gently cold call students as an invitation, not a performance. (Birgit Koopmann-Holm)
7. Frame tutoring as practice. Describe campus tutoring options as a place to practice, make mistakes, and master the material. Growth-mindset messaging can increase students’ use of support services and improve outcomes. (Giselle Laiduc)
8. Play 'Please Stand If.’ Create 5-7 prompts that students stand (or sit) based on their own experiences (e.g., "Please stand if this is your first year at SCU)." The movement in the classroom creates energy, helps students learn a little more about their classmates, and sets the tone for a positive learning community. (Barbara O’Brien)
9. Start the conversation. Have them line up according to the distance they were born from SCU. They have to talk to each other to figure it out. Tell them the goal is to meet each other, not to be efficient, and give them a few questions to ask each other when they meet. (Tim Urdan)

Small rituals. Big impact. Connection isn’t extra, it’s foundational to learning.

 

DID YOU DO IT?

Let us know how it went. We would love to hear your feedback about how you implemented today’s Tuesday Teaching Tip in your classroom. Click here to fill out our 3-question survey. The survey is anonymous, but if you choose to enter your name, you’ll be entered in a drawing at the end of the quarter to win a new book from Faculty Development!

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Student Panel on Accessibility on Wednesday, April 8 RSVP
  
  
• Digital Safety & Security Panel on Wednesday, April 15 RSVP
  
  
• Third Thursdays Shut Up & Write on Thursday, April 16 RSVP 
  
  
• CAFE: Hacking the Publication Process on Thursday, April 23 RSVP

 

WANT TO READ A LITTLE MORE?

• SCU’s DRT: Building Classroom Community
• Covarrubias, R., Laiduc, G., & Valle, I. (2019). Growth messages increase help-seeking and performance for women in STEM. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 22(3), 434–451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430218802958
• Rivers, M. (2025). Bringing it together: Bite-sized adjustments for powerful engagement. In P.K. Agarawal (Ed.). Smart Teaching Stronger Learning: Practical Tips from 10 Cognitive Scientists. Unleash Learning Press.

This week’s Tuesday Teaching Tip was prepared by Patti Simone on behalf of the Faculty Development and the Center for Teaching Excellence.

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And check out our full calendar of CAFEs and other Faculty Development events.