1. Take the time to get to know your course again\u2014and ask core questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What do I want my students to take away? Specifically, what do I want them to remember 2<\/em>\u20133 years from now?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What enduring knowledge, awareness, or way of thinking do I want them to still hold? Do my learning goals align with this?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The takeaway:<\/strong>\u00a0Ask yourself what students should gain from your course\u2014both immediately and in the long term. Think beyond just content or information and instead focus on the core mindset shifts you want your students to have. This will allow you to revisit and update your materials through a clearer and more grounded lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n … I went through all my readings and asked myself if what students got from this reading was meaningful now, and if it\u2019ll be meaningful in the future. If the answer was yes, I kept it. If the answer was no, I removed it. I focused on\u00a0keeping the readings timeless<\/a>, and using my class time, which changes every year anyway and can easily be shifted, for opportunities for the timely topics. I carved out space in my teaching plans each week to specifically address current topics I wanted to discuss with my students. By prioritizing this, I invite myself to update the course every year but also yield some of the control to students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The takeaway:<\/strong> Streamline and compartmentalize the parts that need updating over time. This gives you clear boundaries when you look to revamp. Make sure the course elements that won\u2019t<\/em> be updated as often are timeless or offer flexibility for different student needs and goals. Your readings and course content should focus on foundational ideas and frameworks. Use moments in your class that change often, such as live class time, to layer in space for timely topics to emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That moment became a guiding principle: Updating a course doesn\u2019t always mean replacing what\u2019s there. Sometimes it means making space for students to bring the present into conversation with the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The takeaway:<\/strong> This doesn’t mean you should never introduce new material. But there\u2019s no need to always<\/em> be chasing the newest publications, materials, or readings for the sake of relevance\u2014there are other ways to bring in the now. Invite students to bring current contexts to long-standing questions. The invitation to look back in order to look forward is a powerful way of reframing readings and discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Prioritize the timeless, not just the timely<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Reframe what still works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Karina](\"https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/pdakd7vx2wgl\/6P8q93XHtx7zNWC7OSxc4s\/c23a8f25050651416e56dcd0984ca1fe\/KarinaLM_headshot.png\")
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