Spring semester begins tomorrow. Early.
I am teaching the same class I taught last semester: PoliSci 399 Interpretation
and Methods. At the same time: 8am. Teaching
the same class twice in a row saves a lot of trouble. There’s no need to prepare new materials from
scratch. I have a baseline of what
worked and what didn’t. I know what to
expect.
But that’s exactly where the problem lies.
I've come to really appreciate the energy that spontaneity
creates in the classroom. The uncertainty,
the unexpected, the unaware – they come so easily when you’re teaching a class
for the first time. For all the prepping
and planning, I often rely on ideas that strike me late at night or driving to
class. I rely on the classroom dynamic,
student participation, questions and reaction.
The recipe for a successful semester is preparation, clear
learning objectives, consistent communication and execution of a plan. But that’s like mixing up crepe batter
without any milk and butter.
I've heard that no one should teach the same class more than
three times: once to learn the course, once to perfect it, and once to bore of
it.
While I refined the course based on my experience last
semester, I’m not thinking about how I can perfect the class. I’m approaching it with a different attitude:
I’m trying to hold open a space for the mysterious and the unknown.
