Hello colleagues, I learned recently that engaging participants in the first 5 minutes of a meeting is important. I started to think about how much more important this must be in the first 5 minutes of a class-- especially an online class.
This article by Elise Keith in the Business Insider, claims that the first 5 minutes actually "matters most" if we want active engagement from participants.
Here are Keith's recommendations for how to start:
1. "Bring everyone into the room" (with a warm welcome)
2. "Set expecations" (by stating the goals rather than the agenda)
3. "Give everyone practice engaging ... Everyone should engage during the first 5 minutes."
4. "Make it safe to engage ... All voices matter"
What are some effective ways to start class to ensure everyone is actively engaged? Thanks for sharing your ideas with our community!
Take care, Susan Finn Miller
Moderator, English Language Acquisition CoP