Some things to consider before your first day in the classroom

  1. Complete your FERPA training
  2. Update your syllabus, and check to make sure you have any required or recommended syllabus language
  3. Learn about how to use Brightspace – UMaine’s Learning Management System (LMS). There are numerous resources available, along with our faculty support team who are here to answer any questions you might have about the use of Brightspace, Kaltura, iClickers, Zoom, RedShelf or our other educational technologies.  You can email citl@maine.edu with any questions, request a one-on-one meeting (Zoom or in-person), or use this consultation form.
  4. Visit your classroom with someone from Media Services (207-581-2500, or 1-2500 from a campus phone) to be sure that you understand how to use the classroom technology, connect your computer, log-in to the classroom equipment, lights, speakers, cameras and more. (This is especially important if you are in one of our 10 active learning classrooms!) You can request appointments in the weeks leading up to the start of classes for classroom orientations. You can also request someone to be there on your first day to help troubleshoot should any issues arise. 
  5. Contact Student Records if you would like to reserve a different classroom. Though this is not always possible, at times they are able to find classrooms that will suit your specific teaching needs.  In the future you can use your instructor constraint form to request classrooms. 
  6. Make sure your materials are at the Bookstore and where possible and relevant,  on reserve at the library.
  7. Contact your subject specialist librarian at Fogler Library to learn how they can help with your course.  
  8. Reach out to your students and get to know who they are, make yourself available to them to answer questions. For example, you can use a Google Form such as this one, to learn more about what diversity and knowledge your students will bring with them into your learning spaces. 
  9. Print off a list of your students with their photos to help learn student names on the first day. (To get a list of your students with photos, login to the UMaine Portal, select Academic Resources then Class Roster. Use the drop down menu to select the term and class and the list of student photos will appear.) Provide options for students to privately share their names with you so you can update your roster as needed. Some faculty find it helpful to share with students how they can change their names so that this information is accurate in classlists.