Maintaining enthusiasm is a lot like keeping the fire going in a fireplace: you’ve got to fan the flames, add more logs, and keep things burning!

It’s Week 9 (of 10) on the quarter system here at Stanford, which means that final projects are well underway for students and the instructors are anticipating the onslaught of final grading. There’s always a palpable nervous energy in the hallways during this time with students and instructors alike are rushing around to tie up the lingering loose ends of final projects.

If you work in instructional design or faculty development, however, the end-of-the-quarter time can feel oddly quiet. I know that my busiest time of the quarter is actually at the beginning of the term (or even the in-between-term moments) when instructors are eager to get their courses set up and are enthusiastic about fresh ideas. Throughout the quarter too, I’m supporting instructors with everything from activity re-design, to tool research, to assessment. But now that the term is over, I find that my work often pivots to thinking ahead to the next term, to reflecting on the challenges of the term prior and how to respond to those challenges in the term ahead. I actually love the end of the quarter for this reason: it’s an opportunity to re-think and re-develop with the promise of a new set of courses ahead.

Yet my enthusiasm for the quarter ahead does not always align with how instructors are feeling: tired and stressed. Indeed, I find that if I start to have a conversation with instructors about changes for the winter quarter, I see their eyes widen ever-so-slightly as they back away… slowly. That’s when I realize I’ve got to pump the brakes a little and calm down. In other words, I have to make sure I don’t stress people out!

By the time instructors come out from under the labor of the prior quarter, the new quarter is suddenly upon us, and it never feels like any of us has the opportunity to make any substantive changes to a course. As someone who also has taught a lot on the quarter system, I totally get that the core work of teaching the class itself, without even considering any substantive innovation or change, is already a lot of work, and the quarter system moves very quickly (we get 10 weeks to teach, folks! That’s it!). When would we even consider trying to change things up substantively or respond to any of the opportunities for reflection?

Sure, there are still plenty of kinds of interventions possible when supporting an instructor in the middle of the term. Small changes, like, mixing up a particular activity or integrating a particular learning tool to respond to a particular question or problem are useful ways to make some small changes with a dramatic impact on the class.

But, when it comes to anticipating the turn to winter quarter on the quarter system (or spring semester on semesters), are there ways we can avoid burnout and think in a clear-eyed way about substantive change without falling into total burn-out territory? How do we maintain enthusiasm for course design without feeling the burn-out of the year’s second term?

• Create low-stakes, easy-to-access professional development opportunities for the start of the new term. I have long been a proponent of virtual faculty development options (With apologies for the self-promotion, but it truly takes another article to tackle what virtual faculty professional development is and why it is valuable!). As we look ahead to the new term and transition from the end-of-term, I’m planning a series of webinars for next quarter that will be short (30 minutes) interventions into quick topics involving teaching with technology. I’ve had success with webinars in the past, and keeping them frequent and short at the start of next quarter will, I hope, net a few more participants and re-stoke some enthusiasm for new ideas.
• Pick just ONE pertinent resource to share and send a brief reminder to instructors about just that ONE resource. Next week, I plan to share a link to just one resource I’ve created for our instructors with the reminder that it’s there. Nothing more. Nothing less. I’m often tempted to send long lists of resources I’ve generated (or articles I’ve read), but I know that long e-mails so rarely get read. So, a quick note with just a “nudge” in the direction of online resources (or a handout) that have already been created can fan the course planning flames again, and hopefully, generate some excitement!
• Make it clear that you’re available to talk – but don’t push it. My office on-campus is a cubicle in the corner of a big floor plan. It’s not always obvious when I am in the office or at my desk and, at any random moment of the day, I may be over in another office or at a meeting on a different part of campus. I don’t always know how accessible I appear to be, so I try to communicate in a variety of ways – through e-mail messages and through face-to-face interactions – that I can consult with folks whenever they want, whether that’s in-person or over the phone. Rarely do many take me up on the offer, but I think instructors feel grateful for knowing that someone is there if they find themselves in a moment of wanting someone to be responsive to particular ideas or needs.
• Write your ideas down! Instructional design and faculty development work is often designed in response to others’ needs. Yet when no one is turning to you for help, it can be hard to feel like your enthusiasm is being received at the right moment. I’ve found that just writing down whatever’s on my mind and publishing it is a good idea while I’m feeling fresh. Then, whenever the faculty I’m working with are ready to talk, I can point them to what I’ve written as a starting point and allow a conversation to emerge from there. It never hurts to at least record reflections, observations, and ideas even if they’re not going to be immediately implemented or be responsive to the immediate faculty needs.

There’s no getting rid of the stress of the end of a term, but there are ways we can continue to generate ideas and build community in the meantime. As long as we remain attentive to everyone’s energies, we can find the best opportunities to make a difference.