Second Act

We just finished Week Ten so I’m two-thirds through the semester. As I was working on class prep, I had an epiphany. When it comes to revising and improving my class materials, trying new things, or infusing creative approaches, I’m much more inclined to do such things in the first half of the semester. In the second half, I seem content with minor changes and mainly upkeep more of the same. Why might this be?

When preparing my syllabus before the semester begins, my enthusiasm levels for my classes are at their highest. While I know the layout for the entire semester, I try not to determine all the details for every single class session. Every group of students is different and so adjustments will need to be made, and I want to be open to changes rather than rigidly following a fixed pre-determined plan. I do however plan the first four weeks or so in detail, and I make changes or flourishes I’m excited about. I have the luxury of time to think about these in detail because the busyness of the semester hasn’t started.

As I reflected on my classes this semester (and I’ve taught them many times over the years), I noticed that the first four weeks has the material which excited me the most, and I’ve constantly refined it so much so that I might call them a ‘work of art’. Material in the middle part of the semester sometimes gets a makeover, as when I revamped my approach to chemical bonding in first semester general chemistry. But sometimes it’s more routine. The last third of the semester seems to get short shrift in terms of modifications and improvements. Maybe I’m both busy and tired at that point. Two thirds into the semester is also when registration for the next semester takes place, so I’m meeting with lots of my students, signing forms, and performing other administrative tasks.

I owe it to my students to do a better job in the Second Act of the semester, although I’m not sure that will happen this semester. Maybe it’s because I’m going on sabbatical next academic year and the present semester is the end of a long stretch where my mind and body are looking forward to its renewal. I am excited about the classes I will be teaching after my sabbatical, and I have already thought of new things I would like to do. Maybe as I plan these things I should start at the back end of the semester and work my way to the front end. I should do this more often – envision the culmination and then work my way towards the setup.

I’m feeling particularly motivated to infuse a bit more creativity into my class prep, particularly since I just watched Ralph Breaks the Internet (on DVD). A clever story, creatively told, and chock-full of interesting tidbits alongside the main arc. Watching these movies makes me first wonder why I’m not in a more creative industry, but moments later I realize that it’s up to me to put in energy to do creative things in my industry. Higher education has room for flexibility and trying new things, even in a subject that is perceived as highly structured and hierarchical. Chemistry is creative! I should remember this and do a more creative job curating my class material so that the students catch that scent – the same scent I get when watching a creative movie!