People tend to always ask me what this means…well here is what prep means to me:
– Making preparations for my semester which usually takes at least 1-2 weeks and this does NOT include research time
– Preparing my syllabi – making new ones or modifying old ones
– Preparing the course schedule. What are we going to be doing each week?
– Preparing readings. I usually do NOT use a textbook. I usually find that latest and greatest research articles and have students read them. I also usually include significant pieces from the field.
– Going through my course materials and developing course materials. I need to plan the course and assignments. I generally change my courses at least by 80% each semester so I need to rethink everything.
– Developing materials for the first few classes. I usually only develop my PPT slides (if used) and class activities for the first 2 weeks of class. I find that when I develop them for the whole semester they end up needing to be modified a lot because not every class is the same. Things need to be tailored to my students, in the specific class, which usually takes me a week or two to pick up on.
– Planning assignments. This is the hardest part. What do I want my students to accomplish in my class? This is the product that they will leave with. I want this product to be something that they can add to their portfolio to show employers. I also want this product to be something that will help them when they are working professionals. This usually involves a lot of work thinking through the assignments, how it is due, if its going to be done in groups, etc. I am a big fan of having students create a scenario or working with clients, then developing a project around that. I generally have various parts of the product due throughout the semester so I can give feedback before the final product is completed. I am also a big fan of students peer reviewing each others’ work.
– Prep also involves contacting students, making sure they know how/where to get to class the first day. This is essential in my program since some students may be using webex (virtual classroom software) to attend class.
– Setting up my course website. Whether using blackboard or my own website, I need to make sure all the course materials are posted.
Im sure I am missing a few steps but as you can see it’s a lot of work, planning, and thinking – and my semester has not even begun!