Time Management for Busy Faculty

General Tips

• Prioritize and accept tasks according to your personal philosophy and values. Learn how to say no to requests that don’t fit with your philosophy.
• Make a list. This seems obvious, but a concrete list can help prioritize and organize tasks.
• Compartmentalize – determine how much time to devote each area of your life and allocate only that amount of time.
• Take regular breaks and schedule time for exercise, relaxation, and personal enrichment.
• Include time to think and reflect in your daily schedule.

Teaching

• Don’t over prepare for class – realize that there is only a certain amount that can be accomplished during a class period.
• Vary the class structure so that students contribute more – schedule discussions, debates, or collaborative projects.
• Include guest speakers, information literacy sessions, or films.
• Stagger due dates for your classes so that you’re not faced with grading 120 papers or exams at the same time.
• Take a few minutes after each class to reflect on the session and make notes for the next class session.
• When planning class sessions refer to the course competencies. If a planned activity doesn’t relate, omit it.

Using Technology, or Not

• Use only if adds value. For some, an old-fashioned paper calendar may be easier to use and ultimately more beneficial than a PDA or similar device; for others, features of an online or electronic calendar may be advantageous.
• Recognize that you are not a 24/7 person – turn off the computer/cell phone/pager and be available at designated times only.
• Set aside time each day to answer email.
• Always make backup copies of your work.

Want to learn more?
Contact the Center for personalized assistance or visit these web sites (note: some sites were designed for students, but still contain valuable information) -
Time Management for Faculty
Faculty Time Savers Handout
10 tips for time management in a multitasking world
Time Management
5 Time-Management Tricks

Ten Ways to Engage Students in Class

1. Use students’ names
   Using students’ names in class gives them a sense of belonging and demonstrates that you are concerned about their success.
2. Pair & Compare
   Have pairs of students compare notes and main ideas from the lecture so far. In doings so, they can fill in gaps and ask for clarification if necessary.
3. Start class with a question or scenario.
   Begin with a cliff-hanger that will be resolved during the class.
4. Reality Check
   During the class, ask students to relate the concepts to their own lives or have them find real world applications for theories.
5. Make your own
   Within your parameters, have students develop their own projects, reading assignments, and even exam questions.
6. Build a circle of learning and discussion
   If possible, arrange student desks into a circle to facilitate conversation and discussion among students.
7. Identify class objectives
   Clearly identify goals for the class at the beginning of each session. This will help students focus on the important concepts.
8. Think-Pair-Share
   Give pairs (or small groups) of students a question to think about and discuss. At the end of the discussion time, have the students summarize their discussion to the class.
9. Create Authenticity
   What do practitioners in your field do? Create assignments based on real world work.
10. Play cards
    Give each of your students three cards – one green, one yellow, one red. As you lecture, one of the cards should always be visible: green when they understand, yellow when they are getting confused, and red when they are very confused.

Want to learn more?
Contact the Center for personalized assistance or visit these web sites -
Making Lectures More Interactive
Teaching through Discussion
Strategies for Engaging Students
Active Lecturing: The Potential of PowerPoint

Mid-Semester Course Evaluations

What are they?

Mid-semester course evaluations are check points that allow an instructor to gather feedback from students about the course so far. Although faculty may hear from students anecdotally, collecting that information in a systematic manner allows for a more focused assessment of progress to date.

Why use them?

Unlike end-of-course evaluations, mid-semester course evaluations allow the instructor to make changes if the course isn’t progressing as planned. In this way current students can benefit from course adjustments. They also can be used to remind students of their responsibilities in the course and give them an opportunity to reflect on their learning and contributions to the course.

How to Implement?

The first step is to consider the course goals and reasons for conducting a mid-semester course evaluation: Are you trying to determine if the students find value in the course projects? Do they use the supplemental materials posted online? Prepare several questions to gauge students’ reaction to the course. The questions should be based on your goals for the course and teaching philosophy.

At a midway point during the semester explain the purpose of and expectations for the evaluation and distribute the questions to your students. It is often helpful to use the evaluation as an assignment – that gives students time to really think about the questions and their answers.

Once you have received the completed forms, spend some time reviewing them and looking for themes in the responses: do students perceive a lack of interaction? do they find the reading too difficult? do they want more class discussion? Determine how you will address their concerns and share your plans with them. Some matters may require changes to the course structure or requirements (e.g., can you add more time for discussion or find less complex articles to help them understand the material); other issues may require a discussion about course goals and expectations; this is a good way to explain why certain changes cannot be made (such as reducing workload).

Want to learn more?
Contact the Center for personalized assistance or visit these web sites -
Using Mid-Semester Evaluations to Encourage Active Learning
Using a Mid-Term Evaluation to Give Students Responsibility for the Course
Mid-Term Evaluations: Sample Questions
Learning from Student Feedback