As summer draws to a close, you may (understandably!) be mourning the end of rest, travel, family time, or focused research time, but I hope that the impending start of the semester also brings with it at least a glimmer of joy and excitement. Students often walk into the first week of classes full of anticipation, curiosity, and likely a bit of trepidation. Even after all these years teaching, the same is true for me, too! So, as you begin to shift your attention to course planning more fully, I have an invitation for you: How might you design your courses–or at least those first few days–to harness your students’ curiosity, to share your own excitement for the content of your course, and to quell any nervousness that your students (or you!) might bring with them into your class?
If you are looking for inspiration or just want to work on prepping your fall courses in community with others, we hope you’ll stop by the Faculty Hub to attend one of our upcoming pre-semester events or simply to grab a snack and find a welcoming place to work. Sometimes, attending a teaching workshop or swapping ideas with colleagues has a way of sparking creativity and reminding us why we wanted to teach a particular course in the first place.