End of a Hectic Teaching Term

This week is the final lectures for the winter 2025 semester, and thus ends an academic year with a few distinctive challenges.  

Firstly, this year I have taught more students than I ever have in my 26 year academic career.  Over my 4 courses- one graduate and 3 undergraduate courses- I taught approximately 670 students in the 3 undergraduate courses.  On top of that, teaching assistants have been on strike for the last 4 weeks of this term, which has had a major impact on my large (275 students) 3rd year level lecture course this term. 

I typically go into my final lecture of the year with a sense of proud achievement- that the students and I have completed a unique and challenging intellectual journey together.  Sadly this year ends with confusion and increased student stress, as it is not clear how long the labour dispute will last, and how this will further impact my student's academic work.  

This is the first time I have ever faced anything like this in 26 years of teaching, in 5 different countries and 8 different universities.  I feel for both my students and TAs, and to be honest I myself am exhausted from it all.  

I continue to hope that a fair resolution will be reached shortly, but the damage to the teaching term has already been severe.

Cheers, 

Colin