What would it look like to plan a course completely from scratch, calling upon the values I’ve discovered the past 13 years in higher ed? Firstly, I need to truly identify those values. On the surface, I feel like I know what some of them are: a commitment to active learning, de-emphasizing the standard exam, content flexibility, and making the course relevant to students’ lives. Have I honed in on all of values I want to? Have I left some out? What more would I like to fold in?

Secondly, I want to ask: Do I really implement these in my classes? Some days I rely on lecture. Some semesters, I find big exams creeping back in. Do I run group projects effectively? Am I really doing what I think I’m doing?

During this Module, I want to hone my values and set the next steps toward actualizing these in my classes. My SIDI Astronomy course is the perfect test subject. This is the first semester I’ve ever taught this course, and everything about it currently feels like a disaster: I haven’t connected with the students in this class, I lecture too much, I’m finding it very stressful to plan, and very few students are meeting the expectations I’ve outlined.

I’d like a chance to start again. And since I will teach the course again this spring, I do have that chance. This is an opportunity to rethink my approach, my content, my expectations, and my values. There are still 11 weeks of the semester that I can redirect the ship, but more importantly, course corrections now can foster a new beginning next semester.