¡Hola profe! Let me know if you can relate: It’s the beginning of a new school year, and you’ve been getting to know your students. Things are going well, but now it’s time to go over the course syllabus and your class policies and procedures. You’re dreading it because you know that your students’ eyes are going to glaze over soon after you start talking and you’re worried you might lose the progress you made in getting to know your students and in setting the tone for the year.
If this sounds familiar and you REALLY dislike standing up in front of your classes and simply reading pages and pages of information, here are some ideas for making syllabus day more interactive and fun for your students!
(But first – if you need a syllabus template to get you started this year, check this one out!)
#1: Make a scavenger hunt.
A scavenger hunt is a great way to help your students understand the contents of your syllabus and your class policies and procedures without reading it to them word-for-word! I have used scavenger hunts to go over these documents with my students for years, and it is a hit every time!
Making the scavenger hunt is pretty easy! Using your syllabus and class policies and procedures, make a list of questions. These questions can be multiple choice, true/false, or open-ended – whatever you like! Your students will then use copies of the syllabus and class policies and procedures to answer the questions.
Some examples of questions to ask might be:
- What percentage of your marking period your grade comes from tests/quizzes?
- True or false: You are allowed to use your cell phone during class time.
- What should you do if you are confused and need extra help?
There are multiple ways to have your students complete the scavenger hunt. You could give your students the questions as a worksheet. Another option would be to post individual questions around your classroom and have your students move around and write their answers on a separate sheet of paper. If you like, you could have your students work in teams. I like to offer a small prize, usually a piece of candy, a sticker, etc. for the student or team who gets all the answers correct the fastest!
Here are some scavenger hunt resources you can use in your classroom to make syllabus day more fun and engaging for you and your students! These templates come with pre-filled questions that you can use, or you can edit them to suit your preferences!
#2: Gamify it.
Ask your students questions about your syllabus and class policies and procedures in the form of a game! Games are a great way to keep students engaged and to build a sense of community within your classroom at the start of the school year!
You can make electronic games like Kahoot! or Blooket if all of your students have devices! These are great for multiple choice and true/false questions. If you prefer open-ended questions, Gimkit might be an option to look into!
Another game option is Jeopardy – you can find lots of free templates online that work with PowerPoint and Google Slides. You could also create a board game, where you write a question about your syllabus and class policies and procedures on each space. These games are great if you’d rather stay as low-tech as possible in your classroom!
Like the idea of a Jeopardy game, but aren’t sure here to start? I’ve got you covered! Check out this editable syllabus Jeopardy game template, which comes with pre-filled questions that you can use as they are or modify them as you see fit!
#3: Have your students make memes.
My students LOVE this assignment! Have your students read through your syllabus and course policies and procedures and make memes that show their understanding of your course and how your classroom is going to run. There are many sites that your students could use to make their memes, but personally, I really like Canva!
I always make sure to have a conversation with students first about making sure their memes are appropriate for school. This has helped me avoid problems with the images or text that students use!
Here are some examples of memes that my students have made:
If you like the idea of a syllabus meme assignment, here are some editable directions and a rubric that you can use!
I hope this was helpful! Please feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email if you have any questions! Have a wonderful week, profe!
Señora Q 