Making the Most of the Critical First Five Minutes of Any Class

By Alex Kajitani Remember the old Head & Shoulders Shampoo tagline? You never get a second chance to make a first impression. As teachers, we actually get a chance to make a first impression every single day -- often several times per day with each class we teach. And with today’s at-promise students, who are accustomed to the rapidly paced sound bytes and topic switches of a new media world, if we don’t grab their attention quickly, we know that they often tune us out and the rest of the class is usually shot. That’s why the first five minutes of any class is so crucial: it is an opportunity to connect with our students, set the tone, convey our expectations, and state, in clear terms, why the class is even happening at all. Before I was a teacher, I managed a seafood restaurant on the California coast. There, I learned many valuable lessons about the impact of first impressions. And while our students can’t easily walk out and choose another place to go to school if we don’t quickly meet their needs for connection, engagement, quality and comfort (as restaurant customers are apt to do), our students can certainly choose to not participate if those needs are not met – and then everyone loses. Below are five critical steps – from this former restaurant manager-turned teacher -- toward making the first five minutes of your class both efficient and effective: 1. Connect quickly.Ever walked into a restaurant and stood inside the door with a blank look on your face, waiting for the host or hostess to come and greet you -- but the staff just whizzes around you, not acknowledging that you’re there? Think about the stark contrast of this to the restaurant where someone greets you promptly at the door, warmly welcomes you, and has water and bread at the table as you’re getting comfortable. Perhaps warm bread isn’t a part of our pedagogy, but good customer service should be. When we greet and acknowledge our students as they enter our classrooms, we make them feel welcome, relaxed and happier to be there. Obviously, there are times when greeting each student by name is not possible; however eye contact, an affirming head nod or a thumbs-up is often enough connection for our students to feel noticed and welcome. This means they are also more open to learning. In addition, it firmly sets the tone that, as the teacher, you are well-prepared, in charge, and happy to be there. 2. Lose the lull.Continuing with the restaurant analogy, when the tables are full and a wait is required, what do smart restaurants have us do? Preview the menu. Read the daily specials, think about the foods ahead of us. This keeps us from getting bored and irritated, gives us time to process and ask questions, and eliminates confusion. By the time we are seated at a table, we are usually hungry, decisive, and ready to order. As our students sit down at their desks, they should never have to ask “Now, what?” On the very first day of school, I train my students that each day they enter, a warm-up will be displayed on the screen at the front of my classroom, and that they should be working on it before the bell rings. Of course, to begin their warm up, they’ll have already dealt with having a pencil that is sharp. Having our students working before the bell rings saves us a significant amount of time during the first five minutes of class, keeps students engaged, and eliminates the need to constantly remind them what they should be doing. 3. Grab their attention. What do you prefer: a waiter who mumbles a monotone “hello,” then rambles off the specials, bored and looking at the ceiling, or one who enthusiastically explains each dish in juicy detail, engages us in conversation, and throws in a joke or compliment? Students, especially our at-promise students, need something more than just being talked at. Consider engaging their minds and bodies with an opening clap (“Welcome everyone, let’s start out with a 2-clap on the count of three. Ready? 1, 2, 3…”) Or perhaps tell a funny story that happened to you on the way home from school yesterday. You don’t have to be Jay Leno with an opening monologue, but a quick joke, a short video clip, or an interesting news story that relates to what you are going to teach can all be excellent attention grabbers. 4. Provide purpose.Why do you choose to eat in any particular establishment – do you need filling, comfort food, or a light, quick meal, or something spicy and exotic? You always have a reason or purpose for what you choose to eat. And, while students can’t necessarily choose what they are going to learn on a given day, they can certainly understand whether what they are learning has a purpose or not. It’s our job, as teachers, to help our students see the purpose at the beginning of each class: your students need to know why they’re there. Here are three steps for clearly communicating a lesson’s purpose to students: *Write it: Have your objective clearly posted in the same, accessible place each day. Make sure it is student-friendly language. For example: (non student friendly) Objective: The students will be able to calculate measures of central tendency. (student friendly) Objective: We will calculate mean, median and mode, and be able to describe each to a friend. *Say it: In a straightforward manner, tell your students (most effective if done so while pointed to it in the written form indicated above): “By the end of class today, you will be able to calculate mean, median and mode. You’ll know you can do this because you will be able to tell a friend how to do it, as well as do it by yourself using a pencil and paper.” Here is where you can also connect the lesson to a larger purpose in their lives: “Believe it or not, you will use these skills when you are doing real things in your life such as shopping for houses and negotiating salaries.” *Ask for it back: Make the students tell you why they’re here. After completing the above two, simply ask a student aloud: “Hey xx, please tell us why we’re here today.” 5. Cut the hypocrisy.Would you trust a server at a health food restaurant who looks run down and out of shape? Or one at a five-star restaurant who dresses sloppily and speaks incorrectly? This goes beyond appearances, and deeper to authenticity. In short: we can’t truly sell what we don’t truly embody. Often, I see teachers chatting in the halls, texting, or running to/from the copy machine as the final bell rings. Admittedly, I’ve done all of these things as well. However, when we do, we severely weaken the power we have to insist that our at-promise students get to class on time, be ready to learn, and stay attuned to what we’re asking them to do. The key to our students being well-prepared, curious and passionate human beings begins with us, as teachers, being the same. As the new school year draws near, I find it fitting to share this story I came across recently, as it perfectly illustrates our role as teachers (and gurus?): A troubled mother took her daughter to see Mohandas Gandhi, who was world-renowned for his great spiritual discipline. It seems the young girl had become addicted to eating sweets, and her mother wanted Gandhi to speak to her about this harmful habit and convince her to drop it. Upon hearing this request, Gandhi paused in silence and then told the mother, "Bring the girl back to me in three weeks and I will speak to her then." Just as she was instructed, the mother returned with her daughter, and Gandhi, as he had promised, spoke to the girl about the detrimental effects of eating too many sweets. He counseled her to give them up. The mother gratefully thanked Gandhi, but was perplexed. "Why," she asked him, "did you not speak to my daughter when we first came to you?" "My good woman," Gandhi replied, "three weeks ago, I myself was still addicted to sweets!" Wishing all of you a fantastic beginning to the 2011-2012 school year– especially the first five minutes!!!