Your Career: How to end the semester with a flourish instead of a fizzle

Treat the last day of class as a celebration, a ritual, and a meaningful farewell. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. Treat the last day of class as a celebration, a ritual, and a meaningful farewell The last day of class carries outsize importance in your students’ recollection and perception of your course, serving as a sort of outro for its motifs and themes. But too often, given the inevitable whirlwind of spring chaos as graduation looms, you end your courses with a frantic scramble, a jarring halt, or an uninspiring sputter. None of those, unfortunately, are psychologically satisfying or pedagogically effective. What if, instead, you brought some focused intention to the final day of class and turned it into a synthesis and celebration of everything students have learned? This doesn’t have to involve a lot of prep work. Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning: - If you started the semester with a list of course learning goals on your syllabus, why not end it by finding ways to revisit, and thus reinforce, those goals. In a small course, you might lead a discussion asking students to describe their biggest challenges and successes in meeting the goals. In a large class, you could show slides of the goals and ask students to rate their progress toward each in a live poll. - In smaller-size classes, you might go around the room and ask students to share, in a sentence, one thing they’ve learned from a classmate this semester. In larger groups, this can be shortened to a single word or phrase acknowledging a classmate. This brief activity always has a big payoff — it helps students feel recognized for their contributions, and it marks the end of this particular journey. Continue reading: “[7 Ideas to Perk Up Your Last Day of Class]( by Kristi Rudenga Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. How are Campus Protests Affecting the End of Your Term? The Chronicle’s teaching reporters want to hear how you’re navigating the final weeks of the semester in light of student protests over the Israel-Hamas war. Share your experiences on [this Google form](. ADVERTISEMENT SPECIAL OFFER FOR NEW SUBSCRIBERS Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for as low as $59. Take advantage of our limited- time savings event and get unlimited access to essential reporting, data, and analysis. Upcoming Workshop [The Chronicle's Administrative Leadership Institute | May 2024] [Join us in May]( for a virtual professional development program designed for administrative staff leaders. This workshop series will help participants better understand the complexities of collaboration within and between teams, and help them drive institutional initiatives. [Reserve your spot today!]( LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [You Don’t Have to Mull the Retirement Question Alone]( By G. Anne Bogat, Kathleen McCartney, and Rena Repetti [STORY IMAGE]( Three professors share lessons learned from joining a support group to “workshop” the decision on when to retire. SPONSOR CONTENT | Microsoft [Elevated Learning with AI]( SKILLS FOR A CHANGING LABOR MARKET [Building Tomorrow’s Work Force]( By Scott Carlson [STORY IMAGE]( Introduction SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS [The Future of Advising]( By Beth McMurtrie and Beckie Supiano [STORY IMAGE]( Strategies to support student success. FREE-SPEECH DILEMMA [Why Encampments Scare College Presidents]( By David Jesse [STORY IMAGE]( In ordering demonstrators to disperse, leaders are motivated by concerns about safety, legal risk, and perception. But sending in the police can backfire. CAMPUS ACTIVISM [‘These Terms Are Just Absurd’: How One University Disciplined Professors Accused of Assisting an Encampment]( By Kate Hidalgo Bellows [STORY IMAGE]( No contact with colleagues. No representing the institution. Six faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis have been placed on leave with detailed restrictions. GEOPOLITICAL CASUALTIES [Winning a Fulbright Was a High Honor for Russians. Now It Could Jeopardize Scholars Who Go Home.]( By Karin Fischer [STORY IMAGE]( Some fellowship recipients find themselves in limbo after Moscow levels accusations at academic exchange. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Athletics Advantage - The Chronicle Store]( [The Athletics Advantage]( For tuition-driven institutions, sports are often a key recruiting tool. [Order this report]( for insights on how small colleges are using athletics to drive student enrollment, engagement, and retention. What we’re reading Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - In The Wall Street Journal, [a look at]( “the case for slow productivity at work,” and [a review]( of Cal Newport’s new book on how to “work better, not busier.” - [Advice]( in Harvard Business Review on “how to make your workday work for your mental health.” - In Roxane Gay’s latest [Work Friend]( column in The New York Times, she explores the ethics of applying for an opening at a competitor when your own employer seems to be circling the drain. MORE CAREER RESOURCES [The Strategic Value of Libraries]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: May 9, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET. As higher ed faces more challenges, how can libraries play a greater role in student success and in other strategic goals? Join us for an expert-led forum. With Support From the University of South Florida. [Register here.]( [AI and Personalized Learning]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: May 8, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET. AI can foster learning by helping students move at their own pace and in their own way. Join us to discuss how to support faculty experiments that avoid AI pitfalls. With Support From VitalSource. [Register here.]( DATA [How Much Has Noninstructional-Employee Pay Changed Over Time?]( [STORY IMAGE]( A sector-by-sector look at changes in average annual pay for workers in noninstructional jobs from 2012-13 to 2022-23. POLITICS AND RACE [DEI Legislation Tracker]( By Chronicle Staff [STORY IMAGE]( Legislators, mostly Republicans, want to get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion offices; end anti-bias trainings; and banish diversity statements. JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Instructional Professor (Open Rank) in Biochemistry]( University of Chicago [Metadata Strategies Librarian]( Arizona State University Libraries [E-Resources Metadata Librarian Acquisitions & Metadata. Collections Services & Analysis]( Arizona State University Libraries [Search other jobs.]( CAREER RESOURCES [May article collection about moving into administration ] [Read the May collection]( for insights on moving into administration. Find out what you need to know before starting a senior position, the rewards of being in administration, and more! NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. 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