Tuesday Teaching Talk is a regular feature which, as the name implies, is an opportunity to talk explicitly about teaching (and learning) in the practical and philosophical sense that happens on, you guessed it, Tuesday. Hold on to your hats. The CAST coordinators (yes there are 2 of us) are tasked with supplying TTTs to you. Look for questions, videos, tips, etc. Enjoy!
It’s all downhill from here. This is not to say that it’s getting worse, but rather to say that before we know it, another semester will be in the books.
For part of today’s TTT, look up at the post right above. The second part is a quick story. Here goes.
Since people are possibly reading, I figured I’d share a quick story from yesterday. I walked into my first class of the day energetic, ready to finish the semester on a high note. I was hit with a wall of exhaustion and what smelled like sadness and resignation to be back after the break. Despite my best efforts and worst jokes, I just couldn’t break through the wall. I was also missing about 1/4 of my class. At the end of both of my classes, students nearly knocked each other over getting to the door. I share this not brag about how dull my classes must have been today, but rather to see if anyone else had a similar experience today. I remain optimistic and will chalk today up to post-break shock.
Finally, the last bits are some quick adverts.
1) TIE 2012 is almost upon us. Join us this Friday at 8 a.m. for all the technology you can handle is roughly 5 hours. Registration is from 8-8:45 with an early bird raffle at 8:30 and some welcomes at 8:45. There will be 3 rounds of breakouts (one of which will be done by your CAST coordinators) and several other done by HW faculty. There will be lunch. The registration deadline was yesterday but you can try this link or let me (hwc_CAST@ccc.edu) or Ephrem (erabin@ccc.edu) know you’re coming.
2) Last but not least, in case you missed this great news before the break from the CAST website.
P.S. There’s also that FDW 2012 survey. Click here if you’re not one of the 10 thus far to complete it.
The Harold Lounge 
I absolutely have that experience every year. So now I plan to be the one providing most of the energy on those “back to school” days, even if I’m not much feeling it myself. If you came to see me teach on the Monday after break, you’d be very very likely to see some version of a semi-hyper, mostly lecture format for at least the first half or so of class, one of maybe three or four that I plan for the semester that starts with a kind of pep talk about the last stretch of the course and a preview of the topics and tasks that await…a “once more into the breach” and “we happy few” kind of thing that (hopefully) reminds them of all the work they’ve already put in and the immanent opportunity to make use of it and show their progress (how much of that they get depends on the “emotional weather report” for that particular group) and then gradually transitions into content and questions that everyone can discuss, whether they’re prepared/into it or not. I used to try to have them do things after the break, thinking that the activity would liven them up, but it was almost always painful for everyone.
I don’t blame them for feeling that way–I usually feel exactly the same starting at about 3 o’clock on Sunday until just about the moment I walk into the room.