Upcoming Themes and Deadlines

upcoming themes and deadlines

July 2025: Grading and feedback

Potential topics

Getting students to focus on feedback, not the letter or percentage grade
What recent scholarship has to say about grades (e.g., the effectiveness of “ungrading”)
Strategies for managing large volumes of grading
Providing thoughtful, individualized feedback in large courses
What to do when you just don’t know what to say about student work

August 2025: Preparing to teach (deadline passed)

Potential topics

Crafting an effective syllabus
Redesigning assignments, assessments, and other components of a course you’ve previously taught
Building relationships/rapport early in the term
First-day-of-class activities that set the tone for learning
Preparing to teach a course that’s new, that’s not your favorite, or that’s outside your comfort zone

September 2025: Inclusive teaching (deadline July 28)

Potential topics

What the research says about the connections between inclusive teaching practices and student learning
Responding to the challenge of building inclusive learning environments where, e.g., DEI is under threat
Culturally responsive teaching strategies suitable for a wide range of courses
Strategies for navigating difficult discussions (in class, one on one, etc.)

Please carefully review our submission guidelines if you’re considering writing on an upcoming theme. Note that you needn’t write only about upcoming themes; we always welcome submissions on a wide range of topics. Likewise, if you miss the deadline for a given theme, we will still consider your submission for publication in a subsequent month. Should you have questions about themes or suitable topics, contact The Teaching Professor’s managing editor, Jon Crylen (jon.crylen@magnapubs.com).