Including final exam week, there are only six weeks left of this semester! Sometimes it is hard to believe 11 weeks have gone by so quickly (at other times, I am sure it has not felt speedy at all!). Unfortunately, what will definitely go by quickly is Winter Break. As we are are all looking forward to the cooler temps and downtime that comes with Winter Break, if we finish Fall strong, we can take full advantage of the pending three week reprieve!

For all faculty, we have plenty to work on as the semester-end nears: finals, projects, grading, speeches, presentations, and of course, dealing with the pleas for mercy. Finish strong so you can keep your break a break!

For all the PAR mentors, finish strong by checking in on your mentees a couple of times between now and the end of the semester. PAR mentor relationships are mentee-driven, but sometimes it is hard to ask for help (especially when some might feel like they are already asking for too much).

For probationary faculty, you too need to finish strong as you continue to work on your IDP. Remember (not that you could forget!), the IDP is an on-going project that you should be working on throughout the academic year. Keep your break as a break; continue working on your IDP now to be done with the entries for this semester by December 16.

As a reminder, the initial draft of the IDP should be looking good by the time we head off to break–evaluations, observations, and any professional growth and service from the Fall semester should all have specific details about the activity and thoughtful reflection about the value of the activity already completed. If you have all of this done before heading off to break, then you can rest and relax comfortably knowing that you are ready to “submit” the first draft of the IDP to your PAR Team by the deadline (end of Friday of Spring accountability week–1/13/17). Finish strong!

“Still image from Finish Strong – “Finish It” by Faith Church”