Why You Need a "Notes to Self" Document For Your Courses

Turning a 16-Week Course into a Summer Course

In this episode of the Prof Talk Pod, Becky Achen and Katie Metz discuss how to compress a 14–16 week course into shorter summer, J-term, or mini-mester formats (as short as six weeks) without sacrificing rigor. They compare different institutional summer structures, note challenges like overlapping spring wrap-up and summer prep, and emphasize the faster pace of grading, communication, and content coverage. They share strategies such as streamlining assignments, making some activities optional, setting clear expectations for time commitment and success, planning modules further in advance, and introducing major projects in week one. They also address limits on teamwork and attendance due to scheduling, time zones, and socioeconomic factors, urging instructors to be flexible and “let it go” where needed while still meeting learning outcomes. 00:00 Show Welcome 00:30 Why Summer Courses 01:49 Summer Schedules 06:03 Rigor And Format Shifts 08:52 Streamlining Workload 11:55 Synchronous Routine Tips 16:30 Grading And Response Pace 19:03 Flexibility And Attendance 29:05 Teamwork And Projects Fast 32:30 Let It Go

How To Decide When to Use AI in Your Work

In this episode of The Prof Talk Pod, host Becky Achen reflects on an in-class ethical debate about students using AI to generate a podcast script and publish it as their own, which leads to a discussion of nuance and “gray areas” in AI use. She shares how her thinking has evolved since exploring ChatGPT in late 2022, shifting from simple “buckets” of acceptable use to a more intentional approach based on when her voice, effort, and authenticity matter. Becky explains where she chooses to write herself (e.g., student emails, nomination letters, newsletter drafts, podcast outlines) versus where AI can support efficiency (e.g., editing, YouTube descriptions, improving assignment design). She maintains hard lines against using AI for grading and for her research writing, and encourages listeners to reflect on their own boundaries and be transparent with students.

Why You Need a "Notes to Self" Document For Your Courses

In this solo episode of the Prof Talk Pod, I share a simple end-of-semester practice to help instructors improve courses the next time they teach them: keep a running “notes to self” document for each class. It can be easy to forget what didn’t work, especially when end-of-term grading fatigue sets in. Spending 10 minutes now to record what worked, what didn’t, and what needs changing and setting calendar reminders to review the file before planning can help improve courses the next time around. She also suggests adding course eval comments and using AI tools to organize feedback. These documents increase in value when multiple faculty teach the same course.

Are you burning out?

In this episode of the Prof Talk Pod, we talk about faculty burnout, using the World Health Organization definition and reflecting on how chronic workplace stress shows up in teaching. We discuss the emotional labor of being “on” in class, the added mental load of supporting students’ mental health (especially in freshmen and sophomore courses), and how student issues often bleed into academic life and after-hours time. Becky and Katie emphasize setting communication boundaries that fit individual work styles, including clear email-response expectations and modeling professional behavior for students. We share warning signs of burnout like wanting to cancel class, disengagement, and disrupted sleep.

Ways to Improve Course Evaluation Response Rates and Get Meaningful Feedback

In this episode of the Prof Talk Pod, we discuss how to increase student participation in end-of-semester course evaluations and how to make the feedback more useful. We cover how moving evaluations online lowered response rates and created challenges for improving courses and for promotion or reappointment decisions, and discuss research on bias and the limits of using numerical scores as a primary performance metric. We talk about the value of qualitative, learning-focused feedback, recommend explaining to students why evaluations matter and how past feedback has shaped course design, and suggest adding targeted questions when allowed. Have ideas, questions, or feedback? Email us at becky@theengagedprofessor.com