Planning for Day One

This one came across my Twitterfeed today (thanks to @justintarte for sharing!)...

Image by Jennifer Gonzalez @ Cult of Pedagogy. Used with permission.

Oh. Man.

What if every teacher took this approach?

What if we decided that Day 1 wasn't for going over the rules, but rather for showing students what it is going to be like to be in this class?

What if we taught a fantastic, memorable lesson on Day 1?

What if we went out of our way to draw students in on Day 1?

What if we committed to carry this on far beyond Day 1?

The old saying is you never get a second chance to make a first impression, right? What if what happens on Day 1 is essential for the tone of the rest of your experience together with this class?

I am now thinking about my typical "first day" activities. What will I have to change if I want Day 1 to be about creating an experience for students? (Thanks for that approach, @burgessdave...)

I'm not saying it has to be all fun-and-games. That isn't the point at all. (Though would it be so bad if students found learning...fun?) The point is that Day 1 is the opportunity to grab our students, to give them the sense that we care about them, and care about their learning in this class, and care about making it an experience they will remember.

So how about it, educator? Are you willing to join with me? How are you going to be planning for Day 1?