Now is when students often get really busy and potentially frazzled by the various projects and assignments they need to manage and accomplish before the end of the quarter. As instructors, we can help our students navigate these waters by sending them simple "heads up" emails/announcements.
I know many of you do this already, but in case this isn't something that you do, I encourage you to give it a try. Adjunct instructor Jennifer Stevens does it regularly and has this to say about its benefit:
"I send a lot of 'heads up' emails for upcoming units, particularly if students have to do something that is outside of the normal types of assignments. For example, in SS140, students have to conduct an interview with a member of the career field they'd like to pursue. I begin emailing the students several weeks in advance and letting them know that this assignment is approaching. If it's useful, I provide a possible timeline to keep them on track. In the interview assignment, I encourage them to complete the interview the week before the analysis is due. This is also nice for longer research papers that might take some students more than one week to complete. I've found this to be extremely helpful in keeping students on track to get their assignments done."
Modeling time management strategies for our students will help them to be able to start to do it successfully on their own too.
Once again, give it a try and let me know if you have questions.
Thanks,
Heather Thomton-Stockman
Online Instructional Specialist
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