Tip 1: The end of semester is often a time of reflection on student learning. Our reflections might be intentional or they might be spontaneous and ephemeral. For some classes, we might have fleeting thoughts about how students will do on the final. For other classes, our reflections might encompass larger issues: why did this class work well this time? Or, what could I do to avoid problems in this class?
Take a few minutes to record your thoughts during a time when students are taking a last test or final. Draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper. On the left, quickly write down all the positive aspects of the class—anything from the room configuration to the reading assignments students reacted to positively or the case studies they got excited about. On the right side, write about your frustrations. When did students turn in poor work? Where did they get confused and stuck? Jot down any ideas about what you can do to ‘fix’ problems—such as looking for a new textbook— at the bottom of your sheet of paper. Stick the paper in your folder or notebook for this class.
When you start prepping for this class next time, you will find a note to yourself full of ideas. On the left side are those things that worked well—examine these and try to do more of those things. And for those problems on the right, think about solutions, so those issues don’t mess up your class again.
Or, call the TennTLC and let us help you!
