How Prepared Are You For The First Day Of Class--Or "Blink", Does It Matter?

Abstract

Recent findings indicate that students often form lasting impressions and opinions of teachers and their potential teaching effectiveness within the first few minutes or even the first few seconds on the first day of class. This paper argues it is the entire first day of an economics class that deserves special attention. Teachers of economics should clearly define economics as a science and explain its scientific methodology. They should emphasize the distinct limitations of economics that explain the many widespread disagreements among economists. Of equal importance, they should stress that understanding the science of economics will be of assistance in preparing and expanding a student’s critical-thinking skills that will ultimately result in sound decisions throughout life. Finally, the paper calls upon teachers to bond with their students by reaching out with genuine concern for each student's success in the class.