New semester to-do list

Quick ideas for the beginning of the term (for more information click one of the highlighted titles or another link in red text).

• Rock the first day! – do something engaging; don’t just go over the syllabus.
• Make great presentations – consider the strategies outlined in Presentation Zen and try something other than  PowerPoint.
• Create visually effective handouts – you could start with a visual syllabus.
• Have students make media – in lieu of written papers try TED-style presentations or public service announcements.

Full disclosure: that’s not me in the photo. Although I can understand your confusion, I don’t have a beard.