The first tutorial is important, as it sets many of the students' expectations for the rest of semester.  Indeed, many students decide then whether they will bother to continue attending your tutorials!

There are two things that you must do in the first tutorial:  

·        Write your name, contact details (telephone, email, room number), and consultation times on the board (if applicable);  

·        Show the students where the nearest fire exit is.

It is important that you establish a friendly but work-directed atmosphere early in the semester.  Here are some ideas for introductory activities in the first tutorial:  

·        Student participation.  Get students to participate immediately in the class.  For example, go around the class and ask each student to give their name and course.  If you want to remember their names, one good method is to draw a map of the class and fill in names as they are called out.  Students usually return to the same seats, so you will have an easy reference sheet for future tutorials.  

·        Introduce yourself.  Let the students think of you as a fellow University student, instead of a `tutor'. Introduce yourself with your name, course, interests, and a brief story on how you came to be tutoring this course at the University of Queensland.  Let the students know how you prefer to run tutorials, and what you expect of them.  

·        Introduce the course.  Students appreciate a brief overview of the course, where it fits in to the degree, and what they can expect to get out of it.  Also any tips or personal advice that you, as a fellow University student, might have.  You should make clear the format of the tutorials (e.g., presentations, groupwork etc) and what preparation is expected of students before they come to tutorials.