Time can quickly slip away during the second half of the semester. Suddenly Prep Week arrives (December 4-9: review UNO’s Prep Week Policy here), and then it is Finals Week (December 10-15).
Help students prepare for the end of the semester by reminding them to:
Review expectations, grading rubrics, and final project deadlines and check Canvas for outstanding tasks they need to complete.
Meet with an advisor, if they have not already done so, to enroll in the J-Session or spring classes.
Although it is tempting to rush through course content to “get it all in” before the semester ends, consider slowing your instructional pace and prompting students to reflect on the purpose and value of what they are learning. As an expert in your field – there is no one better suited to help them with this.
Before the end of the semester, draw students’ attention back to course objectives and provide concrete connections between the objectives and aspects of their daily lives, future careers, or society’s persistent problems. You might also ask them, “What topic did you hope we’d cover in this class that we haven’t yet addressed?” You can use this information to:
Consider a “just-in-time” class during the final week of the semester and devote it to covering one or two of the topics the students identified.
Suggest content students might access outside of class.
Help students identify other courses that address these topics and encourage them to enroll.
Inform future iterations of your course.
Don’t lose instructional time due to inclement weather. Check out these mid- and late-semester suggestions that will help you maintain engagement if classes are canceled.
Encourage students to care for themselves as the semester ends and through the winter break. Let them know that the Mav Food Pantry has shelf-stable and perishable holiday-themed items available in addition to their normal offerings (see Maverick Food Pantry for the adjusted holiday schedules).
Share this one-stop webpage with your students. It outlines how to: