By Sandra Simpson, Gonzaga University School of Law
Hi All,
I hope your semester is off to a great start. I know that I have been silent these last few weeks, but I have been swamped with the end of summer and the start of the semester. I had some time today to post a blog post with a teaching idea on getting to know your students and starting to build a learning community in your classroom. At the beginning of the semester, I sent my students a “Getting to Know You” form which contained the following questions:
- Tell me anything you would like me to know about you.
- How comfortable are you with writing and research? Please give me as much information as you can so I can gauge your experience.
- Why did you decide to go to law school?
- Why did you choose Gonzaga?
- What study methods work best for you?
- How do you learn best in the classroom?
- Think of your favorite teacher; what qualities made that teacher your favorite?
- Think of your least favorite teacher; what qualities made that teacher your least favorite?
These simple questions gave me insights into who is sitting in front of me. I stapled a picture to each of their information sheets so that I could put a face to the information. I am only one week into the semester but the information has already helped me. For instance, when I am forming working groups for the day, I was able to pair students who are comfortable with writing and research with students who are less sure. Also, knowing what study methods work for the students in front of me, helps me shape how I teach each group of students. Because each group of students is so different, it is good to have information about those students rather than creating lesson plans without that information.