Establishing a Welcoming Environment

March 25, 2021

A warm smile. A friendly hello. A wave of the hand to welcome someone into a space. Students new to your class value that immediate sense of belonging and welcome to the physical or digital space.

Quick Reads

Quick reads are short articles and videos that reflect on or summarize current thinking, research, or experiences related to the topic.

Make the Most of the First Day of Class

This webpage provides a first day 'mental checklist of objectives to accomplish so that you and your students come away with the impression that the course is off to a good start.'

How to Teach a Good First Day of Class

This advice guide reviews four core principles, logistics, and examples of in-class and follow-up activities for the first day of class.

Create a Welcoming Online Space for Your Students

Seattle University provides great ideas for building community from the start as well as maintaining connections throughout the term.

What is ‘Swift Trust,’ and Why Do I Want it in My Classes?

This approach to building community and engagement can work well in online courses where students have less opportunity to engage informally.

Welcoming students to the online environment

From ACUE’s Online Teaching Toolkit are three different strategies to welcome students to your online class.