Yes, that faint whooshing you hear is the sound of another semester slipping past us. There’s a certain inevitability to this point in the semester, for us and our students. After this (long!) week and the Thanksgiving break, those last two weeks of the semester will move at breakneck speed and we’ll find ourselves in the world of exams and is-there-any-extra-credit-in-this-class and who’s hosting the holiday party, anyway?
Seize this moment! Before the grading, the reckoning with piles of unattended laundry, and the renewed commitment to work-life balance, do a 10-minute diagnostic on each of your classes. You will never be better attuned than you are right now to what worked, what flopped, and what needs to be tweaked. Try creating a “Notes for Next Time” file, or simply mark up a copy of the syllabus indicating what topics needed an extra session, what readings should be updated, or due dates shifted to protect your sanity. Beyond logistics, are there new pedagogical moves you might try? Consider making a commitment to adding one new tool to your kit—a Blackboard feature, a classroom activity, a creative new assignment. There are innumerable resources to help you with these—check out upcoming TLP and CELT workshops, or let me know about a topic you’d like us to add to the roster. CELT can also offer department-specific “we come to you” workshops on topics of interest to particular units.
*Authored by Dr. Katherine McCarthy.
