Every semester, the first day of class comes with some anticipation, and not just from the students. Knowing that this one day sets the tone for the entire semester, I often struggle with how to introduce myself. I WANT to convey myself as a fun, enthusiastic instructor that is approachable, caring, and understanding; but I NEED the students respect me, understand the syllabus, attend class, and take responsibility for their own learning.

Balancing these wants and needs is a double-edged sword. Be too relaxed and you upset students when you won’t accept late assignments or excuse unannounced absences, or perhaps worse, come across as flippant and naive. Be too rigid and you risk forever scaring away students that may need help later on, or definitely worse, convincing the entire class that teaching is just a job and there is no passion behind your career choice. What’s an instructor to do?

I recently came across this article that I feel addresses these issues in a clever and positive way. Rather than telling your students everything that annoys you (let’s be honest, you rattling off a list of pet peeves as you read through the syllabus is a horrible way to come across as an awesome teacher), why not spin it around and tell the students everything you love about them?

We often forget that students new to college don’t get a crash course on how to be a student or how to interact positively with their professors. Their misconceptions about college (ahem, class being optional because no one is taking attendance), if left unchecked, can really harm them not only in your class but for the rest of their education as well. Do your students a favor, on the first day of class, help them understand how to be awesome in a manner that sets a positive tone for your class and makes you come across like the professor you want to be.