When I was little, I got such delight setting up the tabs in my new binder for the school year. The tidy separation and potential for organization scratched a certain itch. Today, I go as paperless as possible, and neither of our children is all that interested in collaborative school prep projects at the moment. They’re squeezing as much out of the remaining summertime as they can.
Perhaps you are focused in the final stretch of summer, as well?
Should the reality of what’s about to come begin to hit, here are some suggestions for next steps:
- Review: Essential Resources for the New Academic Year (available as a T+L Update Post, or from an email sent from Teaching + Learning August 1, 2025, at 10:15 AM).
- Consider: Michelle Miller’s Designing Courses for Success in the Year to Come, as she reflects on her intentions for the coming year. Pick a theme you would like to focus on and identify the smallest step you could take to make a change.
- Block: Time in your course schedule and due dates for what may emerge in the moment. Robert Talbert extends this idea even more in sharing how he has restructured his calc classes in recent years. I do something similar, leaving the first two weeks for onboarding (with a strong focus on sparking curiosity).
- Spark: Ideas and sign up for the Spark Sessions during the academic and faculty gatherings. The goal is for you to walk away with 1-2 practical ideas you can put into practice right away.
- Review: The new Student Experiences of Teaching (SET) survey, which will be used in place of the course evaluations. See more information on Faculty Central.
I’m aware that for many of you, this is not a season of celebration and breathless anticipation, but rather a time of mourning. May the God of peace comfort you, guard your heart, and give you strength that surpasses all understanding.
