“Girls, just be sensible! Boys, come out from under the table!” Initial encounters in the classroom

Establishing credibility with a group of students for the first time is transactional and often complex. This article uses a case study of an initial classroom encounter to show how things can go wrong. Suggestions for improved classroom practice are first made from a common sense perspective, calling on classroom knowledge and experience. Further improvement is suggested through the use of three theoretical perspectives: symbolic interactionism, sociometry, and pedagogical strategies for fully engaging the students.