Teaching Time Blocks for Faculty

A new semester means it’s time for a refresh of my semester teaching time blocks. I like to block out time for the big 3: teaching, service, scholarship, and the extra 1 (my business).

This week I’ve been working on prepping my courses. I’m trying to build courses that support student learning and remain manageable to me in terms of weekly preparation and grading time so they fit within my schedule.

I thought I’d share concepts that I’m keeping in mind as I design my courses so they can fit into my time blocks.

8 Course Design Principles I’m using this semester:

  1. Flipped learning (affiliate link) allows for the most direct support of students when/where they need it.
  2. Routines support students and instructor.
  3. Students should have a range of ways to engage with the material and demonstrate their learning.
  4. Feedback loops are key for learning (Grading for Growth; affiliate link).
  5. Feedback loops do not need to be limited to instructor feedback/grading.
  6. Not everything needs to be graded/evaluated for accuracy.
  7. Avoid overlapping major grading obligations.
  8. We’re on the same team.

Of course the hard part is trying to live up to those ideals when the rubber hits the road. I’m using this week to set myself up for success the rest of the term.

Early Semester Preparation makes for smooth running of my semester.

At the start of each semester I follow the plan I’ve introduced in my Semester Start Up Plan.

Here’s how I’m allocating my teaching time blocks this term.

Scholarship = 14 hours (35%)
Service & Admin = 6 hours (15%)
Teaching = 15 hours (37.5%; 6 hours in class, 9 hours for related tasks)
Miscellaneous Buffer = 5 hours (12.5%)

Total = 100%

From my past tracking data (affiliate link) I know that I’ve regularly spent more than 20 hours per week on teaching related tasks in previous semesters.

This means that I’ve got to get serious work done before the semester begins if I want to fit teaching into the time blocked 15 hours per week this semester.

So, I’m spending about 26 hours this week getting everything laid out for my 2 courses

Here’s what I’m going to finish up by the end of my prep week this week so the rest of the semester I can fit my teaching tasks into their teaching time blocks:

  1. Consecutive Interpreting (about 9 students)
    1. Finalize syllabus (1 hour)
    2. Load all of the weekly interpretation submission areas (3 hours)
    3. Set weekly self-reflection instructions and submission areas (2 – 3 hours)
    4. Create weekly assignment for the reading/video preparation (7 hours)
  2. Linguistics (about 18 students; I’ve taught a few times)
    1. Finalize Syllabus for Linguistics (1 hour)
    2. Create daily prep assignment instructions and post to the LMS (6 hours)
    3. Create instructions for unit projects (4 of them) (4 hours)

Course Design for Student & My Success

Consecutive interpreting

Student Weekly Routine (~ 5 hours per week + class time):

  1. Submit responses to prep-work assignments on Mondays before class; graded as complete/incomplete. (~45 minutes)
  2. Independently prepare for, interpret, and self-assess (guided think-aloud-protocol; TAP) 3 interpretations per week. Due dates Monday (before class), Wednesday (before class), and Fridays. These are marked as complete or incomplete. (~3 hours)
  3. Monday and Wednesday in class collaboratively interpret (i.e., texts that were interpreted for prep or other text with similar topics/structures). (class time = 6 hrs)
  4. Submit a guided self-reflection about one of the 3 interpretations for my review (due Fridays). I will review their reflection, and watch up to 5 minutes of their interpretation to provide feedback. With a global mark (Beginning, Developing, Competent, Accomplished). (~1 hour)

My Weekly Obligations (max 6 hrs/week)

  1. Mark preparation and weekly interpretations as complete/incomplete (~1 hour per week).
  2. Provide feedback and mark weekly interpretation + reflection (~4 hours per week).
  3. Send weekly announcement with reminders and links to key assignments (~30 mins)

Linguistics

Student Weekly Routine (~5 hours per week + class time)

  1. Submit responses to prep-work assignments on Mondays and Wednesdays; graded as complete/incomplete. (~2.5 hours)
  2. Monday and Wednesday practice applying linguistic concepts to language samples. (class time = 6 hours)
  3. Add content, samples, and explanations to the Unit project to demonstrate learning of the Unit’s Learning Targets (~1.5 hours)
  4. Revise previous content based on feedback (~1 hour)

My Weekly Obligations (max 3 hrs/week)

  1. Mark preparation as complete/incomplete (~30 mins per week).
  2. Provide feedback on Unit Project progress (~2 hours per week).
  3. Send weekly announcement with reminders and links to key assignments (~30 mins).

Teaching Time Block Calendar

Here’s what my calendar for this semester looks like. I’ve pre-determined, based on the mental bandwidth required, when I or students need information, and my time blocks to allocate my weekly obligations among these teaching time blocks.

Weekly Teaching Time Blocks

Here’s how I’m dividing up my weekly obligations.

Monday (1.5 hrs)

Thursday (4 hours)

Friday (2 hrs)

Other Obligations

Most of my other work does not have the same type of routine and structure as teaching; so, my daily tasks vary somewhat. However, I do schedule specific tasks for each block during my weekly planning each week.

While this structured approach helps me stay on track most weeks, we all know that some weeks throw us curveballs. That’s exactly why I’ve built in buffer time and why I rely on other productivity strategies when things get hectic. You can read more about my emergency tactics here. The key is having systems in place that can flex when needed while keeping us anchored to our core priorities. By front-loading my course prep and maintaining clear weekly routines, I can better navigate both the predictable busy periods and the unexpected challenges that each semester brings.

Set up your Own Semester Time Blocks

Last year I hosted a Semester Start up Challenge, you can grab the semester start up plan here.

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