All that remains is the final...and then the grading, and the calculation of final grades, and the entering of grades. And then a couple of weeks to brace myself for my intersession course. I’m a Fifty Minute Man, so I’m not that excited to be teaching a 4 hour and 20 minute class 4 days a week for a few weeks....but they do pay me for it, which eases the pain a bit.
I only had one class this semester, and it seemed like a very short semester to me. I guess that’s partially because I incorrectly added an extra week of classes to my personal calendar, so imagine my surprise when I realized that I only had two weeks left instead of three! Oops. Not a big deal though. I managed to cover the important stuff effectively. My students were a pretty good group. A little quieter than usual, but still engaged and thoughtful. I have a suspicion that some of them are looking at the world a little bit differently after taking my course, so that’s a cool feeling.
Reflecting on the semester has made me look at how I can make my course better and perhaps, more efficient. I’ll be cutting some content and taking some new ideas for a spin next semester. Maybe I’ll even overhaul my syllabus. Because of my aforementioned calendar error, the biggest change I'll most likely make is that I'm going to revisit the very few videos I use in class. They take up about two and a half classes in total time, so I may go the "flipped classroom" route with them next semester, just to provide some more time for classroom discussion. Up to now, I have interrupted the videos to provide some context and commentary, so I'll have to find a way to make sure the students understand what and why they're watching.
My ultimate takeaway from this semester though, is the reaffirmation that I really enjoy being in the classroom.
How was your semester?
What are your takeaways?
And I agree, Eugene: "Resilience" is the key, not just f... more