How to think about the end of the semester

Academic Twitter throws many messages at followers, many mocking the ever-present desire to produce more.

Me: It’s beginning to look a lot like...

My brain:
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it

Me: ... I will fail to meet overly ambitious fall writing goals

— Shit Academics Say (@AcademicsSay) November 25, 2018

Of course these tweets are usually about producing more scholarship. Traditional scholarship. Disciplinary scholarship.  Feeling bad/guilty/like an imposter because you didn't hit some (perhaps) self-imposed goal of x manuscripts submitted/accepted/reviewed? Allow me to suggest another metric that might allay your fears and self-doubts, and better capture your productivity: how much have you done for your students?

As I have occasionally chronicled in this blog, I used a different text for one of my classes this term, necessitating writing new jigsaw prompts for every day of class. That's 29 class days I had to address. In the end I wrote more than 120 prompts. That took countless hours (wish I had counted). I also read 33 student papers, including two that I really love, one among the best I've ever gotten. How many student emails? For my class of 170 I got 1,614 emails. I walked a student to the counseling center. I went to 3 graduation ceremonies. I'm improving on my course for the spring that already is a good course. Work, a lot of work. And I feel really good about it and I'm not ashamed to say so.

This is the job (at least for me): teach well. That's how we should be evaluating ourselves, that's the most important dimension. 

Of course, you should do the other things well as well. I'm sort of on record for saying that faculty should do more than just their job. And many faculty do.

Should you get paid more if you do more than your job? That's a topic for another blog. 

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Some of my favorite jigsaw prompts from the last half of the semester:

Personality

Think about what happens at the start of our class when Dr. Winslow says “Hello!” You all say hello back and then quiet down while Dr. Winslow makes announcements, etc. The important thing to notice is that (nearly) all of you are doing the exact same behavior. Do you think that means that you all have the same personality? If not, then how do you explain the fact that you’re behaving the same way?

Therapy

According to the psychodynamic approach, what are the causes of people’s problems, and how does a therapist help resolve those problems? For example, how would a psychoanalytic therapist help a patient who complained of anxiety, and having thoughts that she was “not good enough”?

According to cognitive-behavioral therapy, what are the causes of people’s problems, and how does a therapist help resolve those problems? For example, how would a CBT therapist help a patient who complained of anxiety, and having thoughts that she was “not good enough”?

According to Mindfulness-Based cognitive therapy, what are the causes of people’s problems, and how does a therapist help resolve those problems? For example, how would a mindfulness-based therapist help a patient who complained of anxiety, and having thoughts that she was “not good enough”?

According to client-centered therapy, what are the causes of people’s problems, and how does a therapist help resolve those problems? For example, how would a PCT therapist help a patient who complained of anxiety, and having thoughts that she was “not good enough”?

According to the pharmacological approach, what are the causes of people’s problems, and how does a therapist (doctor) help resolve those problems? For example, how would a doctor help a patient who complained of anxiety, and having thoughts that she was “not good enough”?