Now that we're done teaching, let's talk about teaching
A Spring 2025 post mortem
Recently, three more copies of A Field Guide to Grad School were shared with prospective and current PhD students in the United States, bringing our total number of newsletter book winners to 115! Recipients included: Siying Li, Kayla Louteiro, and Cora Nicoll. If you are a prospective or current PhD student in the United States and are interested in receiving a copy of A Field Guide to Grad School, be sure to enter the book giveaway linked below. More information on how to do this is at the end of the newsletter.
In May, I wrapped up my third year at Stony Brook University, which means I’ve now taught social media marketing strategy six times (see my earlier post about developing a course on a topic I knew very little about!). This term brought both highs and lows.
On the positive side, I got to connect with fantastic guest speakers like Claire Ayoub (writer/director of Empire Waist) and folks from Stony Brook’s Blood Donor Center. I was also able to co-create a meaningful final group project alongside a Long Island community partner — Island Federal Credit Union — giving students the chance to develop a proposal for a real client. And it was so great to see so many of my students cross the stage at the Convocation for the College of Business, where I served as MC.
On the flip side, I struggled to connect with many students and lost the battle against ChatGPT (to be clear, I encourage my students to use it, but I couldn’t persuade them to accurately document how they did so for assignments). I also wrestled with how to motivate students to prioritize deep learning over performance. These aren’t complaints about my students — higher ed norms are shifting, and students have a lot on their plates. I’m constantly asking myself, “How much is on me? How much is on them?”
So, I wanted to share some of the ways I reflect on my teaching and iterate on my course for next term:
Did we cover what I said we’d cover?
I review the syllabus and compare it to what we actually did. Throughout the term, I make notes on what to tweak next time, both big picture (like legislation around protecting child consumers on social media) and small examples (like Duolingo’s “death of Duo” campaign).
Did students get to apply key concepts?
In-class activities, like creating a customer persona, are planned, but sometimes don’t happen. I look at what we did, what we missed, and where students needed more scaffolding. For example, I realized students needed extra support on content creation for the final project because we hadn’t done enough practice in class (keep in mind, this is not a content creation class!).
How did students interpret the assignments?
If students fell short, was it them…or me? I review assignment performance and note where confusion seemed widespread. It’s crucial that my expectations are clear.
What did students say?
Yes, evaluations are complicated. I do a voluntary midterm evaluation to check in with students, asking them about their experience with and their own investment in the course. Between terms, I dig into final evaluations with humility. I’m not here to turn an in-person class into an asynchronous one (so, although I appreciate the requests to record all lectures, I’m not), but I’m open to adjusting where it makes sense. Students have suggested less random final group assignments, more in-class activities, and more guest speakers — and I can do all these things (and have)! Big shoutout to students who share constructive feedback.
How can I streamline the course?
Teaching isn’t even half my job, so I need to find opportunities to be more efficient and automate. My first run at this course required constant updates (like when Twitter — then still called Twitter — changed some feature the week after I lectured on the platform). Now, I aim for more evergreen content but still stay responsive to emerging topics (like the TikTok ban). I also weave in more psychology of social media, especially around well-being, so students can think critically and ethically about what they do. And I now use AI to help me revise materials, suggest activities, and handle routine emails.
What more do I want to learn?
Teaching is a two-way street. I’m always learning too. Social media marketing requires staying constantly updated, which is both fun and exhausting. Next term, I want to be even more explicit about how to help students craft compelling stories across platforms. I’d love to bring in examples from nonprofits. So, if you’re with one and want to collaborate, let me know!
These are the main questions I ask myself to refine the course, stay clear on goals, and remain responsive to students.
But for now, I’m closing the book on social media marketing strategy until August.
Until next time!
How to reach me: You are always welcome to email me (letstalkgradschool@gmail.com). You can also find me on Bluesky @bskybymidge.
Want to support my #hiddencurriculum efforts? Consider “buying me a coffee” via Ko-fi. All funds will be put back into Marginalia (formerly Let’s Talk Grad School) initiatives (i.e., webinars, buying/mailing books, etc.). Learn more about my efforts here.
Let’s give away some books: Readers located in the United States are eligible to enter the book giveaway to receive a copy of A Field Guide to Grad School by Dr. Jessica Calarco. To do so, complete this survey and note that you only have to complete it once to be entered in all subsequent giveaways! I do hope to expand the reach of the giveaway; however, at the moment, the shipping costs are too great to scale. If you’d like to talk about ways your institution could secure an electronic (or hard) copy, please let me know.
Wishing you all the best!
Margaret