New Year Thoughts & Tips

[smccormack]

Every educator – no matter the age of their students – should revisit their first day plan before the start of each new school year as it sets the tone for the entire semester. Our students change, our disciplines change and, even if returning to the classroom in September feels like putting on a comfy cardigan, we should approach the start of the semester as a time ripe with new potential and opportunity. Here are some tips for a smooth start to the semester:

Syllabus 

Before you even meet your students, you need to refresh the syllabus -- and I don't mean simply changing due dates! It is especially important to check in with your department chair or administrative support staff to ensure that any new requirements set forth by your college or changes in federal law are addressed in your syllabus. ADA accessibility for documents like course syllabi is one area that has changed with updated software. Also, check for outdated web links. My college, for example, moved the web host for student requests to borrow a laptop for the semester. A test-run through the syllabus’s hyperlinks can catch such problems before they cause confusion for students. 

Office Hours

If possible, post your current office hours before the first week of classes. At my college students schedule appointments through Starfish (a student/faculty support software) and we are expected to physically post our office hours as well. Students are understandably frustrated when they arrive at a faculty member’s office only to find hours listed for the previous semester or a “to be announced” sign. Do your best to post the information in an obvious location and keep it up to date. I include my email address on the office hours information sheet with a note about contacting me outside of regularly scheduled hours.

Respond to Emails

Some students will email faculty with questions before the semester starts. I’ve found the best way to handle common questions with relatively little work on my part is to have an autoreply set for the two weeks before school starts with a general message that includes:

• Date that online course materials will be available
• Bookstore information
• A note about requests for “early” access to course materials (Sorry, no!) 
• Date that office hours begin

Think about First Day Introduction

Give some thought to what you want students to know about yourself and your discipline. Even at Year 25 of teaching college students I still get super nervous before my first class meetings. A single card of bulleted notes helps to keep me on track and to make sure I provide the same details to each group of students through those busy first meetings.

Finally, engaging students in an informal conversation about how studying history will help them in any academic/career path on the first day is also a great way to underscore the importance of our field. Check out Patryk J. Babiracki’s recent piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education, “A Plan to Rebuild History’s Brand” (12 August 2025) for some timely suggestions.

I would love to hear from historians and other teaching faculty: what topics are on your mind for the 2025-26 school year? Please share!