Do you ever think your students see you as a robot that is plugged into the corner at night to be charged? Or maybe your students believe that you are really just another A.I. system, like Siri or Alexa, waiting to be asked a question so that you can share your wealth of knowledge? How can you break away from this feeling and make sure that your students know that you are the instructor of the course?
Make major gains in building a relationship with your students by having each student schedule a five minute meet and greet session with you in the first two weeks of class. Holding a meet and greet, one-on-one, with your students allows them to see you and gives you the opportunity to answer any questions they may have about the course.
Did you know that you can schedule appointments in Canvas? Your students can sign up for a time slot in their canvas calendar and you can see who is signed up for each slot in your Canvas calendar.
Meet and Greet Sessions
Once you have made the appointments and students are signing up, you might be thinking, what do you do if a meet and greet runs long? Or what are you going to say?
Here are some suggestions to help you prepare for the meet and greet sessions:
- Not sure what to say?
- Make a SHORT list of what you want to cover. Remember you only have 5 minutes.
- What if the meet and greet runs long?
- Use a TIMER. When you start the meet and greet, start the timer and let the student know when you are down to a minute.
- What if the student has no questions?
- Ask the student about their “battle buddy.” Who is the student’s rock, cheerleader, the person reminding them why they are taking your class? Most people feel uncomfortable talking about themselves but are willing to discuss those closest to them.
- How do I help my students know what to expect in the meet and greet?
- SHARE your reasoning. Send out an announcement that includes your reasoning for the meet and greet, what you hope to accomplish in the 5 minutes, and the tutorial video on how to schedule the appointment in Canvas.
- What if students do not sign up?
- Make their time WORTHwhile. Provide students with points for attending. You can make the meet and greet session an assignment in Canvas.
By setting up these meet and greets you will be giving your students the opportunity to start your course off on the right foot.
If you have an in-person class, your students will still benefit from one-on-one time with you. If you are comfortable meeting in person, have each student drop by your office within the first few weeks of class. Remember virtual meetings might be preferable for students with tight schedules, stay FLEXible and offer different formats for your meet and greets.