Pre-Term Teaching Checklist
Plan Well, Start Well
Plan Well: Create a Successful Course Plan and Syllabus
Use the “Montclair Syllabus” template and publish it on Canvas. Visit Write Your Syllabus Right for guidance on content and OFE for technical help.
Review details of the academic calendar and plan to communicate these to students.
“Warm up” your syllabus and opening pages of your Canvas course.
Incorporate the Strong Student Campaign - and let us know by completing this short form.
Align assignments & activities with your course goals – see Plan Your Course.
Use an Assignment Template to decrease student confusion and missteps.
Make your resources accessible and easy to access with help from the library and Designing Accessible Learning Environments webpage.
Review OFE's learning technology workshops you might benefit from.
Develop your AI strategy for the semester:
Include AI guidance and engagement in your course plan.
Disclose and explain how you use AI to support your teaching.
Review your course using Canvas Student View -- does it look right? Review your course in Canvas Student View. Confirm navigation, links, due dates, Gradebook settings, accessibility, and published content.
Consult Canvas support (scroll down page for support resources) and Canvas checklist for guidance.
All sections have an Academic Engagement assignment preloaded. Leave this assignment and module published. You may assign points if you wish.
Check out Clear Course Design for more guidance on setting up your course.
Review Instructor Essentials, a collection of important links and campus resources.
Start Well: Engage and Set Clear Expectations
Connect with students and communicate expectations (the week or two prior, ideally), by:
Create a welcoming, expectation-setting message through a video or other announcement and an impressive course home page.
Send a pre-term survey to solicit information about your students as you communicate your values and expectations. Pre-term samples and tips.
Develop a strategy for learning student names (tent cards, games) and name pronunciation. See OFE tips and samples.
Plan an engaging first day of class to foster purpose, engagement, and belonging.
Updated: 8/5/26