First Five Minutes of Class: They Matter!

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

The old adage about the importance of first impressions is true for a reason. Research has found that our first impressions tend to stick, even when later events occur that have the potential to change our mind.

The first few minutes of a childbirth education class sets the tone for the rest of your class session—and in some cases, your entire course. It can ensure your clients have a positive, meaningful, educational experience. On the flip side, a negative or stress-filled first impression can be challenging to overcome.

Why Start Class with a Bang

Starting class off strongly doesn’t just increase the likelihood of participants enjoying your class and having a good first impression. It also helps ensure that expectant parents learn the material well and are able to stay focused.

A study from 2013, published in the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, found that having a strong “hook” in class, or something to get students’ attention, both engages students and also enhances learning retention. It does this by increasing arousal (interest/excitement for learning), decreasing boredom, and focusing attention.

Prep Work

Preparing for a positive opening to class isn’t just about planning activities. It’s also about getting yourself in a good emotional place. Your clients will pick up on whatever mood you are in, and will tend to match your mood. So, it is important for you to be as calm, relaxed, and positive as possible.

Still, it can be difficult to leave the rest of your life behind as you enter class. These tips can help:

• Follow a ritual before each class to get yourself in the right frame of mind.
• Use one of the relaxation techniques you teach: deep breathing, visualization, meditation.
• Practice positive self-talk, reminding yourself that your clients are fortunate to have you as an educator, and you are going to improve their birth experience.

Five Strategies for the First Five Minutes

Having a few simple exercises in mind to do with your students during the first five minutes of class can be invaluable and set you up for success. Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Ice Breakers

Ice breakers are a fun and easy way to help connections grow between people. They lighten the mood, build rapport, find common ground, and can even add a bit of humor. Ice breakers can range from name-learning games, to asking fun questions like what the last TV show they watched or podcast they listened to. Another fun icebreaker is “two truths and a lie,” where you ask participants to write down two true things about themselves and one lie, prompting the class to guess which is true and which isn’t.

2. Slide Show

You know those slide shows that play when you first arrive at a movie theater before the previews? They may feature ads, movie trivia, or interesting movie facts. You might consider using this model as your clients arrive at class. Put up a slide show of interesting birth facts, trivia questions, and frequently asked questions. It will get your clients thinking, and might even get a few conversations started before class begins.

3. Freewriting

Writing can be a wonderful way for clients to focus, sort out their thoughts and feelings, and get their minds ready to learn. You can put up a prompt on the white board, and emphasize that this will be a freewrite. Grammar and spelling doesn’t count and no one will be seeing what was written. Topics can range from questions and concerns about pregnancy and birth, to ice-breaker-type topics such as what clients did over the weekend or what their favorite comfort foods are.

4. Emotional Check-In

Clients come to class with whatever emotional baggage they are carrying during their days. Having an emotional check-in can help people unload their emotions and can also give you valuable information about what is going on with your clients and what type of support they might need during class.

A helpful tool often used for children can be adapted to adults as well. It’s called the Zones of Regulation tool, and it helps participants recognize their emotions and share them with others. It involves different colors that describe emotional states—blue, green, yellow, and red. You simply ask students to share their emotional color or “temperature” with you. This can be done privately, by writing their answer on a piece of paper, or as part of a quick group exercise.

5. Question of the Day

Starting class with a question is a great way to encourage focus and participation among students. It’s best if this question is open-ended and related to the material you will be teaching during the class. Questions allow students to use critical thinking skills, consider different perspectives, and become active participants in learning. You can use these questions to move into your more formal lesson plan.

The Last Five Minutes Matter, Too

Leaving students with a feeling of satisfaction, mastery of the material, and concrete pieces of information to carry home, is vital for an effective class experience. So, the last five minutes of your class matter just as much as those first five minutes.

Make sure you do something to tie everything together so that your students leave class on a positive note. To that end, consider:

• Reviewing what was learned in class, summarizing it in a few short sentences and/or bullet points on the white board.
• Asking students to summarize what was covered in class, and what they learned; this can be done in groups or pairs, and then shared with the rest of class.
• Having students write down three things they learned in class and found most valuable, and then asking them to share.
• In addition to summarizing the main points of the class, consider providing a preview of what will be covered during your next class.

Every moment makes an impression, but giving extra care to the first and last will set the stage for success for the many moments that come between.

Wendy Wisner, Freelance Writer and Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)

Sources

The Beginning and End of Class. (2021). Yale University, Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning.

Honeycutt, Barbi. (2019). Three Focusing Activities to Engage Students in the First Five Minutes of Class. Faculty Focus.

Nollmeyer, Gustave. (2018). Zones of Regulation. Eastern Washington University.

Rosegard, E., & Wilson, J. (2013). Capturing students’ attention: An empirical study. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 13(5), 1–20.

Rowh, Mark. (2012). First impressions count. American Psychological Association.

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