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| As I was preparing to head back to class this week, I was thinking about Marie Kondo. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never read a single one of her books about “tidying up”–as anyone who lives in my house can attest. But I do know that her name is now synonymous with decluttering, with an emphasis on letting go of anything that no longer serves a clear purpose for you or “sparks joy.”
Heading into the academic deluge that is April–post-midterm grade resets, advising, awards, grading, final projects, writing deadlines, committee work, board meeting, senior celebrations–it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the urgency of every single thing that we need to accomplish by the end of the semester. But as you dive back into classes this week, I encourage you to claim some time to think through the coming weeks and assess how the plans you made in January are serving you and your students. In all of your many April plans, is there one thing that you could let go of? One short reading, small quiz, extra problem set, or participation assignment that you could set aside? One class activity you wanted to squeeze in that can wait for another semester? One small assignment you wanted to experiment with but haven’t had time to think through? One key to finishing a semester on a strong and positive note with our students is finding ways to give them and ourselves some grace in the spring chaos. Is there something in your class plans that made great sense in January but now feels like clutter, to you and to them? Maybe this is the semester to let that go. Making a small, clearly explained change to your class plan, intentionally and transparently, in order to create the breathing space everyone needs to finish the big things of the semester, is not an admission of failure or error. It is a message to your students that you are paying attention to the context of April and that you are a trustworthy guide to lead everyone to a successful end of the semester. It is also, just as importantly, a way to make your own April just a little more possible and a little more celebratory. |