Why introducing yourself in class matters

I once had a discussion with my FICS colleagues about the importance of self introductions — something which I doubt anybody really discussed with you. This prompted me to engage MMS 200 students, the ones supposedly on their way to graduation, to discuss how they have regarded their self-introductions in all the courses they have come across.

I personally adopt a pattern — I say my name, educational and professional background, and then relate them to whatever course I was handling. I never found copying from an old site and then pasting it to the new one to be satisfying. So, my introductions to change a bit as time goes by.

The sentiments the students shared were a bit disappointing and I explained to them why. Now, after thinking about it for weeks, I’ve decided to openly share my reasons to those willing to read on.

The fact of the matter is, we are in an online university. I have had an above average level of motivation to get to know students in person and more willing to facilitate F2F sessions to meet you in person. Despite that, I have only met a small fraction of BAMS students in person.

What does that have to do with self introductions?

The thing is, just like in social media and bulletin board/forum systems, in these course sites, what we post is just about the only thing we have to hold you to. For most of you, I wouldn’t know where you live, how many kids you have or how good looking your spouse or significant other is. I wouldn’t have a full picture of who and what you are.

Your words are the only things we as teachers can associate you with.

Therefore, if you share your life story, even though it’s corny for some (or even me in some instances), I will know where you’re coming from everytime I read anything you post. While by no means am I fully equipped to deal with it, knowing that you may have certain handicaps help me accommodate you better.

The less you say, the less we notice or even care.

That is why I find it annoying when some student who I almost never heard from in the duration of a course gets a low final grade suddenly floods me with all sorts of excuses in order to coax any sort of consideration. Well, if he or she said those things early on, he or she probably wouldn’t be in that predicament, right? It is sadly more common than I would want it to be. Heck, I don’t want any such instances to occur, at all.

First impressions last…

Unless you’re encountering a prof for a second or third time, your self introduction is your first impression. If you don’t make it count, you automatically subject yourself to an uphill battle to prove yourself for the rest of the trimester.

That is why it is likely that the majority of the so-called uno-club members of BAMS are particular with their self introductions.

… But so do the second, third….

A BAMS student would typically go through me 2 or 3 times before graduating. And I do observe how your self introductions evolve. For me, it is a good indicator of how you have progressed mentally and emotionally over your years of residency. So, in my mind, I can be like, oh, he sounds different and more determined now and he seems poised to do much better… or… geezus he still sounds like a slacker…

The self-introduction is a symbol of how you carry yourself as a student and as a person. Its quality, as well as any reason or excuse you might have regarding it, is a reflection of what you are. And if you think it doesn’t matter, well… best of luck to you, then.