Yes, another semester begins. I have not taught in a live, in-person class since early in March 2020. I have missed it terribly. At my age, I feared it might never happen again for me. With masks and distancing, it will not be the same. Nevertheless, I look forward to walking into a classroom on Monday at 9 a.m. with my usual, “Okay, let’s get started.”
There is
always a genuine thrill at the moment.
There is always
the recognition that great things can happen.
At the beginning, anything and everything is possible.
So, I wanted to share three pieces of advice this morning that might help you get the semester heading in a good direction. I believe the first week is so very important because it sets a tone for the entire semester. Create that foundation and then build on it each week thereafter. Creating a wonderful class is like meticulously building a tower, slowly one block at a time.
In my never-ending desire to do stuff differently, I have decided to deliver my three pieces of advice to you using a short YouTube video. I like these and use them in my class a lot. Even a person (like me) who is technologically challenged can create the video on Zoom and then upload it to YouTube. It certainly does not look like it was done by Steven Spielberg, but it conveys the message and gives me the chance to speak directly to my students.
I hope you will watch the video and consider steps that you plan to take to get the semester off to a great start!!!
Best of luck to you and your students!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFQxkMu7_CE&t=20s
