“A BUNCH OF 1ST CLASS OPENERS THAT WILL ROCK YOUR STUDENTS’ iPADS!”

So what are you going to do? Have you decided? How are you opening your class? If you were one of the new bright-eyed and bushy-tailed students in your class, what would excite and impress you in class numero uno, other than your limited Spanish vocabulary? Here are a few ideas to break your 1st class mold wide open:

 As you open the flood gates and the students start pouring into the room, greet each student at the door

 Have music playing as they are searching for seats in the back of the room and settling down

 If the air conditioning is on the fritz and the temp is 90 or above, pass out autographed head bands to absorb their buckets of secreted bodily fluids

 Start class from the back of the room instead of standing at the lectern to grab their attention and watch their head-banded heads spin around like the kid in the Exorcist

 Blackout the room for dramatic effect and begin with

•  a pre-recorded welcome (on a black PowerPoint slide)
•  special music the students would know
• a video clip with a relevant point
• an hilarious video clip from YouTube
• a parody of a popular movie or TV program scene or image (e.g., Avatar, Glee)
• an impersonation of a well-known personality
• a creative, relevant rap

Any one or more of the above openers will charge (or “jack”) your students more than a can of Red Bull or will knock them loopy. I’m not sure of the final effect. There must be something you can do with your unique gifts and talents that will create an amazing opening. It’s like teaching in a gorilla suit on Halloween.

What opener have you always wanted to try, but were afraid to do? If you can sing, play an instrument, or perform the finale from Riverdance, do it. Boggle your students. Set yourself apart from the rest of the pack. Be bold. Take a swig of Red Bull, if you need it. Kidding. You’ll need more than one swig. Think hard and release your inhibited self and repressed, but, probably, fertile, imagination.

These techniques can make your opening memorable and, possibly, unforgettable, plus they can set the tone for what’s coming next. You do have something planned for the rest of the class, right? You better hurry and think of an activity quickly or you’ll be nailed to the whiteboard.

Let me know what unusual opening you tried and your students’ reaction.

COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC