What’s hard about it is:
(1) working in isolation, and
(2) not making it a system.
I’m guilty of both. And know that for many academics, this is why writing can be challenging.
So, my first suggestion is that you pull colleagues together and you draft your syllabi together. If you’re on my newsletter, I offer online syllabi (and grading!!) sessions. Participants find these enormously helpful because they get sh*t done!
My second suggestion is to make this a system. We do the same thing every semester to get our courses up and running, but we approach it as if we’re doing something new, every. Single. Time.
STOP IT! 🛑
Here’s what you do:
⚓️ Assess what worked/didn’t work from the prior semester;
⚓️ Create your syllabi rubric (you put the same things in every semester in the same order. That’s what I mean);
⚓️ Write down what this means for your upcoming syllabus;
⚓️ Figure out your institution’s schedule;
⚓️ Put that schedule in your syllabus;
⚓️ Create/tweak all assignments;
⚓️ Assign readings/assignments for each week;
⚓️ Upload the contents of your syllabus onto your online platform;
(A) Create the links to hand in your assignments
(B) Create your grading rubrics
(C) Upload your syllabus
(D) Upload readings
I have made this a checklist. I want to share it with you. So sign up for my newsletter AND email me at michelle@michelledionnethompson.com, subject syllabus checklist, and I’ll deliver it to you in your inbox!