1. Let students know that they are not faces in an anonymous audience.
In large courses students often think that their classroom behavior eating, talking, sleeping, reading the newspaper, arriving late, leaving early. goes unnoticed. Tell students that you are aware of what is happening in class and act accordingly.
2. Ask students to refrain from sitting in certain rows of the classroom.
For example, one math professor asks students to sit only in rows 1 ,2, 4, 5, 7 ,8 and so on. With rows 3, 6, and 9 empty, he can walk thorough the audience between the rows, which is especially important while students are working at their seats. Of course this suggestion is only possible if your course is not maximally enrolled or oversubscribed and if your classroom is large enough.
3. Recognize students' outside accomplishments.
Read your campus newspaper, scan the dean's list, pay attention to undergraduate awards and honors, and let students know you are aware of their achievements.
4. Occasionally attend lab or discussion sections.
Sections give you an opportunity to meet students and answer questions in a smaller setting.
5. Capitalize on outside events or situations, as appropriate.
Relate major world events or events on campus both to topics in your class and to the fabric of your students' lives outside the classroom. Consider distributing a calendar or setting aside class time to mention community events and resources that will enhance their understanding of the subject matter: plays, lectures, performances, demonstrations and the like.
6. Arrive early and chat with students.
Ask how the course is going, whether they are enjoying the readings, whether there is anything they want you to include in the lectures. Or ask students to walk back with you to your office after class.
7. Read a sampling of assignments and exams.
If you have graduate student instructors who do most of the grading, let students know you will be reading and grading some of their assignments and
exams.
8. Seek out students who are doing poorly in the course.
Write "I know you can do better, see me during my office hours on all exams graded C or below. Offer early assistance to students having difficulty.
9. Acknowledge students who are doing well in the course.
Write "Good job! See me after class on all exams graded A, or above. Take a moment after class to compliment students who are excelling. Some teachers send "A" students a letter of congratulations at the end of the semester.
10. Schedule topics for office hours.
If students are reluctant to come, periodically schedule a "help session" on a particular topic rather than a free-form office hour. See "Holding Office Hours."
11. Talk about questions students have asked the previous terms.
Mention specific questions former students have asked and explain why they were excellent questions. This lets students know that you take their questions seriously and that their questions will contribute to further offerings of the course. Source: Gleason, 1986..
12. Listen attentively to all questions and answer them directly.
If they answer to a question is contained in material you will cover during the remainder of the lecture, acknowledge the aptness of the question directly whey you arrive at that subject. See "Fielding Students' Questions."
13. Try to empathize with beginners.
Remember that not all of your students are as highly motivated and interested in the discipline as you were when you were a student. Slow down when explaining complex ideas, and acknowledge the difficulty and importance of certain concepts or operations. Try to recall your first encounter with the concept - what examples, strategies, or techniques helped clarify it for you? By describing that encounter and its resolution to your students, you not only explain the concept but also convey the
struggle and rewards of learning.
Source: Gleason, 1986.
[Gleason, M. "Better Communication in Large Courses,"*College Teaching*
1986, 341., 20-24.]