It's Crunch Time By: Terry Givens & Kerry Ann Rockquemore The end of the semester must be near because nearly all the new faculty members I met last week were holding their breath, trying to keep their heads above water, and praying for the end of the semester! The feelings of exhaustion and frustration I heard repeatedly were both intense and predictable. As a result, let's focus on some concrete ways to deal with Common New Faculty Mistake #15: Failing to Recognize and Adjust to the Rhythms of the Semester. Each semester has a natural energetic rhythm. We share our students' high energy at the beginning, it flattens out during the middle (as reality sinks in), and the end of the semester finds most of us dragging from some combination of disappointment, frustration, exhaustion, and/or departmental drama. Read More |