One of our most requested topics, and one of the biggest challenges that we all face, is time management. While the Faculty Commons may not be able to help you figure out how to make time for a daily workout or meditation routine, we do have resources and tips for getting your teaching time management under control.
Before you adopt a new tool, schedule, or planner, spend a few minutes reflecting on the last time you had a semester like this one (e.g. multiple new preps, a large intro class…) and reflect on what was the most challenging. Was it keeping up with grading during the semester? Was it spending too much time prepping for class? Or maybe office hours weren’t working for you? Once you’ve identified a priority or two to work on, it is much easier to tackle your schedule.
Try the “beta” of our course-planning template. (FYI, you must be logged in to Google with your UD credentials to access this!) By mapping out what is due, when, and how it all connects, you’ll streamline your pre-class preparation time and make it much clearer which weeks require more than others.
Prepare a “teaching tool kit” of activities, discussion questions, or writing prompts that you know always get a classroom engaged and working. For weeks when you are under the gun with service or research, you can always rely on these resources to quickly and effectively get ready to teach. Need ideas? We love the Patricia K. Cross Academy’s video library of easy-to-implement teaching techniques.
