Professional – Promotion

Personal – Therapy

Professional: Creativity
Personal: Balance

I spend a lot of time designing courses and finding new ways to engage students, so creativity keeps me energized professionally. Personally, balance is my goal: making time for family, friends, travel, and rest while still doing work I love. I hope these two priorities will help me maintain…

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Ohhh. This is a good question. For work life, I think my focus is going to be on coolness. I mean that mainly in the sense of things being tranquil but obviously in the suave-type way too.

For my personal life, it would be fun and experiment. I’d love to focus on pushing myself out of my comfort zone and trying new things with my family.

You can do this! Small piece by small piece 🙂

Professional- Focus

Personal – Calmness

Congratulations to Matthew Martin for being our randomly chosen Week 6 Winner! 🤩

@m-e-martin You’ve got this, Matthew!

Complete Dissertation (easier said than done)

These are my mainstays: satisfaction (professional growth) and self-care (personal). Too often institution-driven PD is boring and unfulfilling…an exercise in box-checking. I prefer finding professional growth opportunities that fuel my passion. As for self-care, taking care of myself is always a priority, and the residual benefit is that it…

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Welcome to the final week of our competition! Thank you to everyone for playing, bringing your A-game, and making this contest so memorable. Congratulations to Matthew Martin @m-e-martin for being our Week 6 Winner!

Without further ado, let’s crown our final champions and dive into the last question: If you had to pick just two words to define…

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I’m a planner with a sense of adventure—I like to have a clear itinerary, but I also leave room for unexpected discoveries along the way. That approach shows up in my teaching through well-structured courses with clear outcomes and expectations, while still creating opportunities for student choice, exploration, and real-world application.

One thing I’ve learned in my teaching journey is that even the best lesson plans sometimes take an unexpected turn—and that’s okay!

As instructors, we carefully plan the topics we want to cover, but learning doesn’t always happen exactly as we imagine. Recently, while teaching ethical dilemmas to my third-semester nursing students, I realized…

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Hey Everyone,

I use a combination of detailed planning and free-spirited wandering. I plan some things in advance, but I really enjoy having time to see where the day takes me. I use this in my teaching by setting aside enough designated time to complete specific activities or cover certain information, but leave enough wiggle room for my…

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@mkterrelluaptc-edu Which LMS do you use? There are a few ways to integrate questions in videos without having to re-record them.

Thanks for posting these summaries. I am doing some soul searching this summer regarding how I include AI as a tool in my courses, so these type articles give me some good POVs to ponder.

Regarding the college for all concept – A friend’s son (19) is on a “job” in the state where I am. When he graduated from high school, he went to work for…

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I wish I could magically redo my lecture videos so that they have questions at certain intervals before students could continue. I am slowly doing that now, but it takes me a LONG time to redo all the lectures I have for the 4 courses I teach. So that would be so great. I could really have a summer off if that was the case.

Thank you Andrea, I have used a “tentative” calendar with course content, readings, and exams listed since I began teaching as a grad assistant in the 80s. It has served me very well in getting a clear picture of the expectation in front of me and my students. I used to follow it fairly rigidly. But about 10-15 years ago something,…

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Wow. I’m super impressed. That seems like a lot of work on your end.

How did they just figure that out? I mean, we have known about the World Cup for years. Lol.

I love the way you phrased this. Do you build things into your syllabus that allow you to freedom to move topics?

That’s great. I am always concerned about where the discussion is headed. I feel like it may depend on the topic that is covered, too.

I’m more of a detailed planner, but I definitely don’t have it down to a science. I use a notecard for each week of each class and I put the outline for the week on that notecard. It also becomes a catchall for any questions or things that I have to do for that class outside of class time.

I am a free-spirited wanderer. In my lesson plans I am able to revamp a lesson quickly if I see that it is not working. I also tend to lead discussions into topics that I see my students more engaged in, that helps me bridge and connect with them on the more challenging topics.

@hgriffituncfsu-edu A travel style that prioritizes meals? Sign me up. I center food in my teaching (I call it Snack/Cookie Leadership), but it’s more an inclusive response to food insecurity that doesn’t make anyone feel self-conscious. I bring food as a way to quickly establish a positive vibe in the classroom. But I also tell students that…

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I try to create the syllabus with a multi-modal approach. If a student wanted an exact straight line, hitting all the course materials in a pre-selected order, they can do that. I also provide a more winding path, with the mandatory assignments clearly highlighted and a selection of optional curated material for students to browse. Every time…

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I agree. I’ve learned that flexibility is often more valuable than having the perfect plan. As long as students are still meeting the learning objectives, I’m comfortable adapting activities, assessments, or schedules when unexpected situations arise. Teaching definitely keeps us on our toes! 😊

I like your travel analogy 😁 It’s amazing how often the unplanned stops become the most memorable part of the journey. The same is true in teaching, sometimes the best learning happens when we follow students’ curiosity and see where it leads

I’m a free spirited wanderer. Part of it is because I work with TAs and I can’t control what they do. So I have to work with their strengths which may not complement mine. I also emphasize that we are all human and sometimes, things happen beyond our control. Take right now. I’m teaching a summer course. We were informed earlier this week…

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@tcristastate-edu So true. Your response is a perfect reminder that being an effective educator is to practice a perpetual masterclass in the same durable skills we hope our students develop: critical thinking, adaptability, decision-making, inter and intrapersonal skills, you name it.

Love this, Najia.

I am certainly in the category of The Detailed Itinerary Planners but then abandon nearly all prep in favor of The Free-Spirited Wanderers. I like to plan on my end to be sure I can fulfill my duties as a teacher in each class. But I place student interest and growth above all else. And that means each term is an adventure with my…

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Isabel, your point about every group of students being different really resonated with me. We can have the perfect lesson plan, and then students take us on an entirely different adventure! 😊 That balance between flexibility and staying on course is what makes teaching both challenging and rewarding.

I’m definitely a Detailed Itinerary Planner. I enjoy planning trips because I see travel as more than visiting places, it’s about connecting with people, cultures, and new perspectives. Planning helps me make the most of those opportunities. That mindset carries into my teaching. I carefully design my courses with intention and structure, but I…

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Which vacation persona represents you best, and how does that style sneak into your teaching philosophy or course design? (e.g., Do you design your syllabus like a 5-star resort itinerary, or do you leave room for organic, student-led wandering?)

I think I am in the middle. I don’t put every detail in the syllabus (who is going to read a…

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I would say I am an “<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Off-the-Grid Campers” (minimal distractions, focused on nature and connection). I like to get away and disconnect. No plans. Just enjoying life. My syllabus is more of a “Detailed Itinerary Planner” so students know what to expect. We do have some flexibility built in and…

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This week’s articles are from Inside Higher Ed and focus on how colleges are navigating AI in teaching and learning and supporting students through key transition points. These themes connect closely to ACUE Quick Studies found under the AI for Higher Ed and Holistic Student Support tabs. I hope you enjoy these and have a relaxing weekend.

Happy…

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I meant impact my travel style, but you get it😂

I fall somewhere between a Detailed Itinerary Planner and a Free-Spirited Wanderer: I like to have a plan, be prepared, and biuld in a little extra for peace of mind—whether that means packing an extra outfit for a trip or having a few backup activities ready for class. At the same time, I value flexibility and leave room for improvisation when…

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