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Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · This is *not* your new year, new start The beginning of the calendar year is accompanied by a lot of cultural pressure to reflect on the year just ended and make some big decisions about the year ahead. Reflection and planning are both practices I encourage. However, if you […]
Read More »Welcome to the Library
The Library is an archive of my writing about academic work since launching this website in 2009. The top section contains the most recent additions. If you are new here, scroll down to see a few suggestions for good posts to start with to get a sense of my general approach. The Spotlight section at the bottom highlights a series of posts on a specific topic, and is updated regularly.
Most of my writing is sent to Studio members or my newsletter before appearing here. Since 2020 I’ve been creating audio versions of most new posts. They are embedded here but you can also follow me on Soundcloud if you prefer to listen.
Recent posts
What to do about a stalled book project
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · What to do about a stalled book project Are you *not* writing a book? Maybe it’s your “thesis book”. Maybe it’s something else. You might have a contract for it. You might not have started it, but think you should have by now. You might have a lot of […]
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Spotlight On: Grading Season
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Spotlight On: Grading Season Grading is one of those things that many academics struggle to find meaningful or enjoyable, but is required by your employer. Grading is often constrained by policies you have little influence over and deadlines you don’t control. My work is focused on helping academics find […]
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Introducing: the Academic Writing Studio
The Beginning When I started A Meeting With Your Writing back in September 2011, I didn’t even know if it would work. All I knew was that virtual accountability and community was needed, and that I was prepared to facilitate something that might help. Now, it feels central to everything I do. Participants have told […]
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Hope works better than fear
I have cycled through a few tag lines in my attempt to succinctly capture what it is I do: “Love Your Academic Work” made way for “Transforming Academic Lives“. This latest iteration has the benefit of coming directly from something clients have said about working with me. An opinion piece about climate change reporting reminded me […]
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Juggling 101: Elements of a good plan
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Juggling 101: Elements of a Good Plan A good plan can reduce the stress and overwhelm that you experience when trying to juggle all your different responsibilities. This is why I have developed planning classes for members of the Academic Writing Studio. In this rather long post, I set […]
Read More »Spotlight On: Grading Season
This month’s Spotlight focuses on the dreaded Grading Season, covering both emotional and practical issues.
Click here to explore the whole Spotlight, or if you prefer to listen, you can find a playlist of the posts mentioned over on my Soundcloud.
Although you have been grading and giving feedback on student work throughout the semester, there is a period at the end of semester when you’ve finished teaching but still have a lot of end of semester grading to do. Grading is probably your main activity for a few weeks (or feels like it is).
There is a hard deadline for submitting grades, which puts extra pressure on.
- You may find it hard to motivate yourself to start or difficult to stay focused.
- You may find it hard to limit the time you spend on this task, even acknowledging that other work, like writing or teaching preparation for next semester, is important.
- You are tired at the end of semester but may struggle to limit your working hours to get enough rest.
- You may also have increased pressure to limit your working time due to holidays you celebrate at this time of year.
Explore this Spotlight to get practical tips and emotional support through this busy period before the break.
Follow me on Twitter to see more real-time debates & discussion – and much more.
Enjoy your writing!
