End of the Semester

Dec 07, 2006 @ 12:38 pm by Dr. Bruce Spitzer

So we’re headed into Finals Week here at Indiana University South Bend and all its accompanying emotional ups and downs.

First, the ups . . .

  • The Winter Break
    Students (and faculty, too!) look forward to a few weeks of “pressure’s off.” Of course, students find themselves catching up on all that’s been put aside for the last several weeks (or months? (laundry? cleaning out those green growing things in the back of the fridge?)), and faculty get a chance to dig into some serious writing that’s been neglected due to the demands of teaching and committee work piled on their plates since late August. It’s a time, though, of setting one’s own schedule and taking advantage of large blocks of uninterrupted time.
  • A Clean Slate
    With the coming new semester, everyone gets a chance to start over . . . old habits developed over the past term can be broken with self-promises of doing things differently next semester. As a faculty member, I always look forward to the start of a new semester and a new group of students (not that I don’t like my soon-to-be former students!).
  • Holiday Celebrations
    There’s a lot to be said for celebrating the holidays, whether you’re a lover of Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukah, or just a fan of celebrating family and those close to you. Building lasting relationships and celebrating those relationships seems to be much keener in our minds and hearts at this time of year. My wife and I will spend time with my family this year in Iowa, and I’m looking forward to that very much.

Of course, there are always some disadvantages to Finals Week . . .

  • Stress . . .
    The media talk a lot about “high stakes testing” in public schools brought about (or made more critical) by No Child Left Behind. At the collegiate level, students find themselves pressured by high stakes testing every semester at this time. Faculty, too, find themselves stressed over grading work quickly so that grades can be submitted in a timely fashion (IU requires final grades within 48 hours of the final), yet grading thoroughly enough to make a competent assessment of students’ knowledge.
  • End of Class
    I’ll admit it. I really like my students. I spent several years in corporate training and didn’t much like it. Why? Training sessions of 1 to 5 days didn’t allow for the types of relationships that are built when I see students over a 15-week semester; I really missed that. Now that classes are coming to an end, I wonder if my students know how much of an impression they’ve made on me? I hope they know how much I enjoy being their teacher, mentor, and guide.

Whether you focus on the ups or dwell on the downs, Finals Week is here . . . keep smiling, and think about Thursday, December 14. Sometime late that afternoon, it’ll all be over.