08/18/2024
Just a reminder to many of my faculty peers as we start the new academic year.
Even the most competent, honest, hardworking, talented students can suffer with anxiety, imposter syndrome, organizational challenges, and digital distress. Indeed, it can be the highest performing students who struggle most with these issues even when they are excited to be in our classes and willing to do the work.
And the lowest performers in your class might not be stupid, dishonest, or unwilling to work. Sometimes, they just can't pick it up the way that you are laying it down.
As faculty members we labor with these challenges too. We are trying to navigate all the complexities of our professional and personal lives and working to be present, prepared, and effective in the classroom and beyond.
Give your students and yourself some grace, some space, some humor, and some second chances.
See what happens if you start the semester assuming you are all in this together rather than looking for ways to limit, control, investigate, and police your students. See what happens if you create collaborate classroom covenants about issues like AI and academic honesty, rather than worrying about how you will "catch" them.
See what happens if you leave a week or two on the syllabus for your students to "choose their own learning adventure." See what happens if you build in one "mental health" day early in the semester for you and for them. See what happens if you assign one creative assignment in place of one traditional assignment. See what happens if you teach in a different environment or change how the classroom is arranged. See what happens if you add a playlist to your syllabus and invite your students to add to it as well.
Try just one thing that is different and see what happens. If you hate it, stop. If it's a disaster, never use it again. And give your students permission to try something new. See what happens if you reward the effort rather than outcome.
Drink a little more water.
Nap if you can.
Look for the opportunities that imperfection brings.
Try to remember that at times- in moments- if we are lucky Teaching can be really and truly the very best job in the world.
We got this.
I am looking forward to joining all my students at Wake Forest University as we embark on the journey of
