First Day Of Class Conversation Guide

This guide is designed to assist you to start the semester off well regarding conversations with diverse perspectives. It is ideal to begin the first day of class by setting group norms, getting to know each other's unique identities, and fostering an environment of mutual respect. Below you will find some ideas for how to do this. Additionally, there are ideas on how to take these concepts beyond the first day of class and create a sustainable classroom environment for the semester and beyond.

Top Pick Icebreakers

  • Read this article and reflect:
  • Sign up for OpenMind and take the Beginning Quiz. Reflect on your answers/results as a class.
    • Go to this link
    • Click "Pre/Post Questionnaire"
  • Cultural Icebreaker
    • From Dr. Amber Spry via Twitter
    • "Every year when I teach identity politics I ask the same question on the first day of class. Rather than the usual icebreakers, I ask: 'How does your family/your culture cook rice?'. Rice is a familiar ingredient across the globe. Almost every student has something to say. Plus I love hearing how different families prepare it. Asking students to share their experience with something where perspectives vary so widely is useful for pedagogical reasons. It models for the class early on that our answers to some questions will be different depending on the background we have when we enter the conversation. It gets the class to think about their relationship with culture. I use this little question about rice to transition to a more substantive discussion about how the same topic can mean many things to different people, and the way we engage with difference matters."
  • Use a joint Google Doc to have students submit their answers to these four prompts
    • What I Think About Me
    • What Others Think About Me
    • What Might Be Misunderstood About Me
    • What I Need From You/This Classroom
  • "Just By Looking At Me" Activity
    • Participants will share their answers to the following prompt -> "My name is and I am from... One thing you cannot tell just by looking at me is... This is important for me to tell you because..."

Setting Up Conversation(al) Norms

  • Ask: What makes you feel included and respected in the classroom?
  • Set a baseline for challenging conversations/identity conversations
    • Mutual respect
    • Growth mindset
    • Wanting to leave conversations with common ground and a sense of moving forward
    • Embracing uncomfortable and difficult emotions
    • Transparency and accountability
    • Active listening
    • Bringing more silent perspectives into the classroom
    • Calling people IN, not calling people OUT
    • Intentions vs Impact
    • Moving away from assuming everyone is having or can have our individual experience
    • Moving away from dismissing what we don't understand
    • Disagreement vs not understanding
  • HEALS Model
  • Did you say something offensive? Did you hear something offensive?
    • Via @WeTheUrban on Instagram
    • How to Correct Someone
      • "Hey! That's offensive because... So I would appreciate it if you didn't say things like that"
      • "When you said...it made me uncomfortable. So could you stay away from saying that?"
      • "I'm sure you weren't trying to come across this way, but when you said...it was offensive"
    • How to Respond When Someone Corrects You
      • "Thank you for telling me! I will make sure to think before I speak."
      • "I totally didn't even see it that way. I'm sorry. Thank you for telling me."
      • "You're so right. Thank you for telling me. I'm sorry".
    • We are humans. We are going to make mistakes. Be comfortable with being corrected. It's important to be held accountable when we're wrong. Don't be defensive. Accepting your mistakes helps you grow.
    • If this statement resonates with you, you could make it a class / clinical pledge!

Taking It Further

  • Sign your classroom up for Open Mind and incorporate it into syllabi or extra-credit
  • Subscribe to the Anti-Racisom Daily newsletter and encourage your colleagues and students to subscribe as well
  • Incorporate extra-credit opportunities or new syllabi additions involving antiracism education and social activism. Reach out to our working group for ideas and more information.

References/Additional Learning