Law School Academic Support Blog

Thank You to Kirsha Trychta

Many thanks to Kirsha Trychta for her dedication the last year as a Contributing Editor for the Law School Academic Support Blog! Kirsha's posts have been thoughtful and insightful. She will be missed as a Contributing Editor. Hopefully she will guest blog for us at times so that we may continue to benefit from her wisdom and experience. (Amy Jarmon)

Lines versus Circles

I recently heard a pastor say something to the effect:

"We listen in lines.

But...

We learn in circles.

We grow in circles.

We change in circles."

As I take it, here's the point.  

Whether at a place of worship or at a school (or at any other place of learning), most of us think that we are learning when we are sitting passively, and yet attentively, in an orderly line with others, listening, watching, and taking notes from an expert teacher...as the teacher presents the materials to us.

In contrast, according to the speaker, if you (or me) think that we are learning by just being present in class, by sitting in lines, we are sorely mistaken.  Let me be frank. We are in fact self-deceived.  We are merely listening but not learning; not growing; not changing.  Listening ≠ Learning.

I realize these are strong words (strong medicine).  But, as Dr. John Dunlosky, professor of psychology, suggests, we are all easily tricked into imaging and believing that we are learning when we are merely studying.  https://www.aft.org/periodicals/dunlosky.pdf   There is in fact a big difference between studying and learning.

Let me be direct.

In my own view, learning requires us to live and move in circles. It requires us to move beyond the lines of our classroom environment, to no longer just sit still and silent, but rather to share with others what we are thinking, to loop back through our notes to distill and reshape them using our own words, and to make what we have heard into something personally meaningful to us individually.  In short, it means to act...to act upon what we have heard.

If that sounds difficult, it is. But, it's not impossible...for any of us.  

However, it does mean, as Dr. Dunlosky observes, that we will often feel uncomfortable and uncertain about our learning (indeed, whether we are even learning at all).  That's because learning means that we understand that - as presently situated - we have things to learn, things that we don't yet know, and indeed that we don't really know anything until what we learn becomes part of who we are as human beings. And, that happens in circles not lines. It happens with us daily interacting and acting with and upon the materials.  It happens when we pause and reflect.  It happens when we share and debate with others what we are thinking.  It happens because learning is really in reality a social activity, a social enterprise that helps shape us into who we are as people.

So, as you celebrate this upcoming Labor Day holiday, feel free to step back and think about your past learning. In particular, take time to reflect on how you personally learned something in the past that now sticks with you forever.  Perhaps it was learning to play guitar. Perhaps learning arithmetic.  Perhaps learning to meditate and be mindful.  Whatever it was, the things that you have learned -  really learned - all occurred because you moved beyond the line into creating meaningful circles of relationships with what you heard and watched.   So, take the next step in being a learner by taking charge of your learning journey, and, in the process, you will grow and change. In short, you'll learn. (Scott Johns).

 

 

Overcoming Shyness in the Law School Setting

While many students are mildly uncomfortable with some of the speaking and social interaction involved in law school, for some students the discomfort can be almost paralyzing.  Extreme shyness can make law school seem a Herculean task.  Gripping, gut-wrenching social anxiety can result in students missing class, losing focus because of the fear of being called on, passing on opportunities to engage with professors after class or during office hours, or shutting themselves off from peer learning and networking.

It's not uncommon for a law student to confess to me that s/he is shy.  "Confess" is, indeed, the operative term, because the shy student invariably feels that the shyness is something shameful that should be hidden from others.  But having the courage to disclose something which feels like a defect can be in itself a monumental step towards overcoming the obstacles posed by the shyness.

While students with debilitating social anxiety may benefit from professional help from a licensed counselor, most students can mitigate the effects of shyness by self-help, following these principles:

• Believe in yourself, in your own abilities and your own worth.
• Recognize that overcoming shyness is a skill.
• Experiment.
• Reward yourself for your efforts rather than dwelling on how others react.

Believe in yourself.  We all have different gifts and natural abilities.  Others may be more fluent or quicker to understand in the classroom.  Rejoice for them.  But you have your own gifts that will make you a great lawyer.  Perhaps is is a gift for listening, or for simplifying, or for seeing patterns in a morass of details.  In addition to celebrating the gifts you already have, trust that you can develop new skills, even if they don't reach the level of perfection.  Invoke self-efficacy by believing that you can succeed in meeting the challenges posed by your shyness.  Corny as it may seem, write supportive notes on your mirror or state your aspirations every time you walk through a doorway.  Practice mindfulness or meditation to quiet your inner critic and strengthen your trust in the person you are.

Recognize that overcoming shyness is a skill.  All the skills you are developing in law school take practice to master, and overcoming shyness is no exception.  Recognize that performance is the measure of your success, not how you feel inside.  At the end of the semester, if you can ask a coherent question in class --maybe even with follow-up comments! -- you are succeeding, even if you still get butterflies in your stomach.

Experiment!  Experiment to find techniques that help you feel comfortable in speaking and social interaction.  Just like you may experiment with flow charts, flashcards, and mnemonics to discover how you best understand and remember legal rules, experiment with different techniques to combat your fear of speaking in front of others.  Here are some ideas:

• Visualize yourself speaking clearly and confidently.
• Adopt a confident physical posture like the "Wonder Woman pose." See https://jamesclear.com/body-language-how-to-be-confident for a discussion of the science behind this and to watch Professor Amy Cuddy's influential TED talk on how confident body language can boost confidence and success.
• Take a deep, calming breath before you start speaking.
• Before class, prepare your briefs to answer the question you anticipate the professor asking.
• Write down questions as they come to you and then read them out, rather than trying to formulate a question and speak at the same time.
• Enlist a supportive friend to help you practice in mock classroom settings.
• At presentations or receptions, realize there are probably people who are even more uncomfortable than you.  Seek these people out, strive to put them at their ease, and ask questions to draw them out.
• When others talk with you, believe that they are interested in you and in what you have to say.

Reward yourself for your efforts.  Set goals for steps you can take, and reward yourself based on what you do, not on whether others reacted as you hoped.  For example, "I will raise my hand at least once in every class this week to ask or answer a question."  If you raised your hand, count it as success even if the professor called on another student instead of you.  Likewise, "At this reception I will talk with one person I don't know."  If you introduce yourself and the other person grunts two works and moves over to the refreshment table, you were a success despite the other person's bad manners.  And celebrate your successes!  They merit a gold star on your mirror, some time with a mystery novel, a walk with the dog, or whatever you do to give yourself an "attaboy" or "attagirl."  (Nancy Luebbert)

 

 

 

Syllabus Drafting Tips

This week is what the undergraduate community at my university affectionately calls “syllabus week"--that is, five glorious days where each professor reviews his/her expectations for the course, and does not address any substantive (read, "testable") material.  In law school, however, we all know that classwork actually begins on (or, more likely, even before) the first day of school.  But, in honor of “syllabus week,” I thought it would be helpful to revisit what makes a great syllabus. 

First, include all of the mandatory information, per university or law school policy.  This might include your contact information, statements on diversity and inclusion, weather cancellation policies, and accessibility services.

Next, address frequently asked questions in a FAQs section, including responses to:

What should I do if I’m going to be late or absent?

Do I really need the newest edition of the textbook?

I am petrified about being called on in class.  Any suggestions?

What’s your grading policy on late assignments?   

Is this subject tested on the bar exam?

What supplemental study resource(s) do you recommend for this course?

Where do I go if I’m having difficulty understanding the course material?

When are your office hours?  Do I need an appointment?

How do I enroll in TWEN or register for CALI Lessons (if used in the course)?

Then, set reasonable expectations for reading assignments.   (This is usually the hardest step!) According to the advice I received at the “AALS Workshops for New Law School Teachers” event (a.k.a baby teacher school), law professors should assign no more than 25 pages of reading per class hour.  Most professors, however, can only cover about 15 pages of material per hour when working with first-year students or dense material.  If you’re having trouble figuring out how much material you should cover in a course, consider contacting the textbook’s author or publisher.  Most authors and publishers have several different sample syllabi, depending on credit allocation and number of class meeting times.

Also, take Professor James McGrath's suggestion and incorporate formative assessment activities directly into the syllabus to hold yourself and the students accountable.  For example, perhaps every third class you set aside a few minutes for some multiple-choice questions.  Or, alternatively, you may want to reserve the last two minutes of each class for students to write down their big takeaway from day’s lecture. 

After the substance is on paper, consider revamping the format to include an infographic, like this one:

Source.   

If you're looking for even more suggestions, check out these links:

How To Create an Infographic Syllabus With Piktochart

How to Write a Syllabus Students May Actually Read: Six Quick Tips

Making the Most of the Syllabus

How to Write a Syllabus

Finally, if you don’t teach a course of your own, consider offering to help your colleagues improve their syllabi. While a syllabus can be a very personal thing, you still might be able to offer some “best practices” tips from the academic support community. (Kirsha Trychta) 

Loving Every Student

I am currently listening to Bob Goff’s book Everybody Always, and I began to feel somewhat convicted with my own actions towards my students.  His book encourages people to love everyone always, and that love, instead of criticism or correction, is what individuals need.  Sounds like an uplifting message, which it generally is, until the book hit me hard in the first 7 minutes.

The idea sounds simple and great.  I agree that we should love everyone.  What struck me was when he said he wasn’t doing a good job of loving everyone.  He helped out neighbors, co-workers, friends, and anyone he knew.  Loving those people is easy though.  He realized he was avoiding people that were “hard to understand or looked different than [him].”  Hard to understand people sometimes “creeped” him out, so he avoided them.  However, he soon realized loving them first was most important.  Engaging people different from him was not easy, but that difficulty is why showing them love was important.

After hearing the first 10 minutes, I started thinking about my law students.  I am not “creeped” out by any of them, but some of them are difficult to reach.  Many of us talk about the hardest students to get into our office are the ones who need help the most.  I find that statement to be partially true.  I have many students who need help that show up to my office consistently.  They are the ones that are easiest to help.  They are willing to put in the effort to improve.  I constantly send them additional practice questions, set up meetings, and review their outlines.  Talking to them around campus is easy.  They are the ones it is easy to love.

My concern is I don’t reach out enough to the students who need it that aren’t showing up.  Similar to many of you, my schedule is packed.  I have more meetings and classes than hours in the day.  When students don’t respond to my initial few attempts for practice or feedback, I may not seek them out as much.  They are the ones that Bob would define as difficult to love.  His advice would be to continually seek them.  The difficult to reach students are the ones we can have the biggest impact on.

We all have a huge impact in our students’ lives.  We help many struggling students.  The question we may need to ask is are we having an impact on students who are difficult to reach?  Would one more email get the student in our office?  Could a simple hello or wave in the hall make a difference?  Continually seeking out students who aren’t showing up makes a difference.  They may not show up until the summer before the bar exam or may never show up, but reaching out to show support may be all they need to continue on their journey because they feel our love.

(Steven Foster)

Starting Your Academics Off Right

Most law schools have either completed a week of classes or are about to begin classes. Getting organized at the beginning of the semester makes a huge difference in feeling organized throughout the semester. Here are three tasks that can help you get a jump start for your semester:

• Read each course syllabus carefully and highlight important information:
  • Learning outcomes
  • Required or recommended books and materials
  • Attendance and participation policies
  • Grading policies
  • Assignment, exam, or paper information
  • Bonus points for participation, attendance at outside lectures, etc.
  • Use of laptops, recorders, etc.
  • Other information relevant to success in the course
• Note on your calendar any important deadlines and due dates given in the syllabus:
  • quizzes
  • midterms
  • paper drafts
  • projects
  • assigned group work
  • reflection papers
  • court observations
  • additional workshop attendance
• Begin your quest to be an expert on your professor’s course:
  • how the class is organized or structured
  • what participation method is used: volunteers, random, seat assignment, panels
  • what teaching methods are most commonly used
  • what questions are asked about most assignments
  • what buzzwords or phrases are commonly used
  • whether policy arguments are emphasized
  • whether spin-off hypos are used
  • whether pop quizzes are given
  • other patterns relevant to this particular professor

Paying attention to the syllabus, flagging all the deadlines, and sussing out your professor's teaching will give you a foundation for learning from the early days. Best wishes for a successful semester! (Amy Jarmon)

It's That Time of Year Again: Beloit's Mindset List for Freshmen

Every fall for a number of years, Beloit College has published a list for incoming freshmen as to what their life experiences have been. Many of the things that their professors remember as part of the culture and history of our everyday lives are beyond the ken of the new freshmen. It is a good reminder as to why law students may look at us blankly when we use examples containing cultural references they are unaware of from their own experiences. To read the Inside Higher Ed post on this year's list for the Class of 2022 freshmen, go to the following: 2018 Beloit List. To see lists for prior classes of entering freshmen who are now our own students, you can go to this link: Prior Lists for Entering Freshmen. (Amy Jarmon)

Save the Dates for Three Conferences

OCTOBER 12, 2018:

Save the date! I will be hosting a “Midwestern Academic Success and Bar Preparation” conference on Friday, October 12, 2018 at Loyola University of Chicago, 25 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL , 60611. This is a direct steal (with her permission) of Kris Franklin’s New York/East Coast conference that happens in April. My plan is that there will be an agenda, but it will primarily be an informal opportunity to discuss issues of importance to us.

The only concrete agenda item thus far is Nancy Vincent,  Director of Administration of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar, who will be joining us to discuss Illinois using the UBE.

I’m open to other suggested agenda items or presentations. If you would like to present something, workshop an idea, or just have ideas of things you would like to see discussed, please let me know.

The conference will run from roughly 9am until 4 or 5pm. If you plan on coming into the city Thursday evening, please let me know, and I will make sure you receive the Loyola rate at a nearby hotel. In addition, if enough people would like to, I will coordinate a group dinner and/or fun tour Thursday night.

The conference will not have any associated cost (aside from personal travel expenses), I just need an RSVP by October 4^th. In addition, if you would like to present or workshop something, please let me know by September 15^th.  More concrete details will be forthcoming as I continue to plan.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Kind Regards,

Melissa

Melissa A. Hale

Director of Academic Success and Bar Programs

Loyola University Chicago School of Law

P: 312-915-7605

E: [email protected] 

NOVEMBER 2, 2018:

7TH Annual West Coast Consortium of Academic Support Professionals Conference at The University of San Diego. One-day conference kicking off with an informal get-together on Thursday night and concluding with a formal gathering on Friday evening. Call for proposals and registration information in the coming weeks.

Kevin Sherrill

Director of Academic Success and Bar Programs

University of San Diego School of Law

Warren Hall Room 206

5998 Alcalá Park

San Diego, CA 92110-2492

(619) 260-6876

law.sandiego.edu

 

JUNE 3-5, 2019:

As you get back into the routine of school, I wanted to flag a date for your calendar next summer.  On June 3-5, 2019, the Institute for Law Teaching and Learning will be hosting our summer conference here at Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, KS. 

The theme – “Teaching Today’s Law Students” – is intentionally broad and is designed to encompass a wide variety of topics – neuroscientific approaches to effective teaching, generational research about current law students, effective use of technology in the classroom, teaching first-generation college students, classroom behavior in the current political climate, academic approaches to less prepared students, fostering qualities such as growth mindset, resilience, and emotional intelligence in students, or techniques for providing effective formative feedback to students.

In addition to presentations by law professors from around the world—a Call for Proposals will be coming soon!—the Institute will provide several plenary sessions throughout the c

Emily Grant

Associate Professor of Law

Co-Director, Institute for Law Teaching and Learning

Washburn University School of Law

1700 SW College Ave.

Topeka, KS  66621

(785) 670-1677

[email protected]

Visiting Assistant Professor of Academic Success Position at Chapman

VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law (the “Law School”) has an immediate opening for a Visiting Assistant Professor of Academic Success for a one-year term covering Academic Year 2018-2019.

The Visiting Assistant Professor of Academic Success will have the responsibility of working with the Executive Director of Bar Preparation and Academic Achievement (“Executive Director”) to provide a holistic, comprehensive program of academic support and bar preparation that encompasses law students’ entire academic experience at the Law School, from Orientation through the Bar Exam.

Specifically, this responsibility includes the following duties:

1. In conjunction with the Executive Director, conduct classes outlining the Academic Support Program and Case Briefing during Orientation;
2. Conduct and present four (4) 1L Workshops in the first six (6) weeks of the 1L academic year covering the following topics: (1) Class Preparation and Participation, including further work on Case Briefing; (2) Time Management; (3) Outlining; and (4) Introduction to Essay Writing;
3. Conduct essay workshops in each of the three Tracks so as to cover essay writing in all substantive 1L classes both first and second semesters;
4. Select, in conjunction with doctrinal and LRW professors, teaching assistants (called Academic Fellows) for all 1L classes and LRW sections, and for selected upper-level courses, not later than July 10 of each year, and coordinate the rooms and times for each Academic Fellow to conduct weekly review sessions and office hours;
5. Supervise Academic Fellows as follows: (a) Conduct a training session prior to Orientation in each Academic Year; (b) Develop a rubric for evaluating Academic Fellows; (c) Observe their review sessions, using the rubric; (d) Supervise time sheets; and (e) provide feedback to Academic Fellows for improvement;
6. Require Academic Fellows to create assignments to improve student writing and issue-spotting, and revise and approve such assignments;
7. Work with students to: help students problem solve issues regarding legal analysis, stress and time management, class preparation and participation, and exam preparation and performance; diagnose writing and analysis problems affecting academic performance by identifying the misunderstanding or habit that causes the student to engage in ineffective writing or analysis; and prescribe solutions that identify what steps the students can take to improve academic performance;
8. Meet regularly with students who are at-risk, on probation, or otherwise are having academic difficulty, require written assignments of them, and provide thorough written feedback on such practice exams in terms of both structure and substance (copies of which feedback should be retained to develop data on student challenges for reporting to the faculty);
9. Develop a culture among 1L students and 2L students of regularly writing practice exams before taking actual exams, and supplying such practice exams and thorough written feedback on such practice exams in terms of both structure and substance;
10. Teach courses assigned by the Executive Director and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, including, without limitation, the courses entitled, “Legal Writing Skills” and “Legal Analysis Workshop”; and
11. Assist the Executive Director with the Bar Preparation Program as he or she directs.

Applicants should send a CV and grading sample showing comments directly to to Prof. Mario Mainero by email at the following contact:

Prof. Mario Mainero

Professor of Academic Achievement and

Executive Director of Bar Preparation and Academic Achievement

Chapman University

Fowler School of Law

(714) 628-2518

[email protected]

The Remedy for the Over-Driven Programmatic Life - Take 5 to Pause and Reflect!

Last week, I received some of the best advice ever about how to run an academic support program from one of my law school colleagues (as I ran around the campus in obvious haste - from office to office...and....email to email....and....meeting to meeting).  

Short and sweet, it went something like this:  

"Remember, there are no emergencies in academics."  

At first, I wasn't quite sure what I heard.  No emergencies?  Really?  Of course, with every rule comes an exception.  But, the principle holds true.  

There really are no (or at least very few and far between) emergencies in academics.  

With her words freshly choreographed in my mind (and now fortunately taking grip of my frantic heart), I took the first pause of a very long day thus far to take in and reflect on the truth of what she said.  

There are no emergencies in academics.  None.  Zilch.  Nada.  

That led me to an uplifting and engaging conversation with her, a conversation that broke through the feverish pace of my day to restore in my spirit a much needed sense of peace and perspective.

As we talked further, I realized that I had been living an emergency life.  It was only the beginning of a new academic year but I already felt like I was way behind on everything that I needed to do.  Then, it came to me.  

Living an emergency life is not really living at all.  

Indeed, it is no life at all.  That's because as human beings living is about breathing and listening and pondering and reflecting and interacting with others.  It means stepping back from the push of the daily grind and seemingly every-pressing minutiae of tasks to comprehend the big picture perspective.  That we only truly live in community with others.  That life is social.  That being human means realizing that none of us - particularly me - can do it all.

A few years back, I recall listening to a NASA engineer talking about the engineer's work back in the 1960's when assigned to the Apollo moon missions.  It was the space age.  As the engineer related, he was commuting from Orlando to Cape Kennedy Spaceport for the big launch of a moon rocket.  But, he was running late. So, he did what most of us do when we are running late, whether walking or biking or driving. He sped.  To his astonishment, a state trooper pulled him over for speeding.  In response to the question as to why all the haste, the engineer said simply that he was needed for the space launch later that very day.  The officer thought a moment and then just asked him one question: "Sir, if you crash in a fiery crash on your way to the space launch, will NASA still launch the moon rocket?  If so, I'll let you on your way."  The engineer couldn't lie.  His answer was brief: "NASA will launch."  You see, the engineer wasn't really needed after all.  So, the officer handed him a speeding  ticket.

Perhaps you are like me, moving from one emergency to another emergency, with my vocabulary littered with sayings such as "I need to do this today" or "I've got to do this now" or "The program won't work unless I get this done now."  Let me be frank, to myself and to you, the words "necessary" and "needed" are overplayed.  Few things are necessary or needed.  Indeed, as Professor Nancy Luebbert from the University of Idaho suggested in her blog yesterday, the really only needful thing is not to do a thing...but to rather be a person.  Now, that's something to treasure; a life well-lived with others - person to person and people to people.  More to the point with respect to the nature of this blog, that's the better way to live academic support.  So, make a great day of it by taking "5" to pause and reflect upon this truism:  There really are no emergencies in academics.  (Scott Johns).  

The ASPer as "Parson"

When I was growing up, the Random House Unabridged Dictionary held the place of honor in our home.  Lying resplendent on a huge dictionary stand, it invited a curious child to spend hours poring over exotic new words and exclaiming over the origin of familiar words.  Even many decades later, it is a treat to cap off a pleasant evening by perusing my dictionary to contemplate words and their etymology.

Thus is was that, several years ago, I learned that "parson" -- that lovely and rather antiquated term for a Protestant minister -- derived from the Middle English persone for "person."  Intrigued, I did a little digging.  Not surprisingly, some explanations for why a minister / priest / vicar / curate / rector (choose your favorite term) would be referred to as a "person" were lengthy, theological, and dull.  But I stumbled across one article that resonated with me.  The parson's calling, this interpretation suggested, was indeed to just be -- a person.  In a society where people were defined by pedigree, social rank, and how they made a living, the parson's role was to be a person to everyone in the parish, high or low, rich or poor.  Performing rites like baptism, weddings, and funerals was really just a way of being a person in relationship with others -- welcoming the birth of a child, celebrating the ties of love and family, and mourning with the bereaved.  The hallmarks of a parson, this article concluded, were listening much, grounding advice in the individual's particular circumstances, and always treating others as individuals worthy of respect.

I long ago lost this article about the parson as a professional "person," but it influenced and still guides the way I approach the profession of academic support.  I believe our highest and best calling as ASPers is to be a "parson" -- that is, to give primary emphasis to being a person in relationship to our students.  As ASPers, we have the training, education, and experience to help our students succeed.  But as Steven Foster pointed out last week, we can share our expertise best if we establish a relationship with our students first.

Moreover, we are often most effective when, by deep listening, we give students leave to follow their own best instincts rather than trudging along doing what they have convinced themselves they "should" do.  I think, for example, of the times struggling students have confided they are having trouble concentrating because a loved one is dying several hundred miles away.  Sometimes the best response is, "Don't you want to go home to be with your family?  I can help arrange things with your professors."  Given permission to honor their responsibilities as human beings, when they return to school they are then ready to concentrate and learn.

Listening much, grounding advice in the individual's particular circumstances, and always treating others as individuals worthy of respect are the hallmarks of an academic support professional -- the "parson" of the law school.  (Nancy Luebbert)

Back to School Snapshots for Law School

Scrolling through social media the last 2 weeks has been a blast.  Friends from across the country are taking awesome back to school pictures and posting them.  Some are even comparing previous years’ pictures to show everyone growing up.  Joy, excitement, and nerves can be seen on all the kids’ faces.  The pictures document the beginning of another awesome year. 

Taking a current “snapshot” and looking back is great to gain perspective for students and faculty.  As a student, consider what you thought of law school last year at this time, and if you are a 3L, what you thought about law school before it started.  You may not feel good looking in the future at the bar exam and searching for employment.  However, consider your legal analysis skills now compared to a year ago.  Are you better?  Most likely yes, and that is the goal.  Try to get a little better every day.  The cumulative impact over a year makes a huge difference.

Academic Support Professionals should do the same thing.  The harder bar exam and law school budgets deficits make looking in the future daunting.  However, most of you are performing better and offering more to your students than before.  Consider your program this year compared to last year.  Is it more robust?  Will it attempt to reach more students?  My guess is of course it will.  If you worked in ASP 5 or more years, compare your program now to over 5 years ago.  Is it better?  Of course it is.  Small adjustments and programs over time will help more students.

Pastor Steven Furtick has a great quote about the problems of social media.  He says we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.  We will always lose that comparison.  Law schools have a similar trap.

Students and professors make illogical comparisons.  Students compare grades, study habits, jobs, and extra-curricular activities with what other students say (or post online).  They then worry about not doing enough in each area even though no student is perfect in all the areas.  Class ranks perpetuate this phenomenon, and the rise of social media probably causes even more comparisons.

Academic Support Professors do the same thing.  We go to conferences and see great ideas and programs.  We then think our program isn’t as good because we don’t do everything.  Many of us construct a mythical program in our heads with all the good ideas, and then, we wish we could be that mythical program.  Good news, just because someone has a great idea doesn’t mean everything they do is perfect.  They also may not be doing other programs you are doing.  Everyone and every school is different.  Do what is best for your program and your students.

The mythical student or mythical ASP program doesn’t exist.  We will always lose the comparison with perfection.  The goal is to continue to get better.  Take your back to school snapshot and find the growth from last year.  Ask yourself, “am I better today than yesterday, last month, and last year?”  The answer is most likely yes, so keep up the progress and have a great year!

(Steven Foster)

Start Out Fall Semester Right with Wellness and Balance

It is very easy with the excitement and busyness of a new semester to develop some bad habits or lose some good ones. First-year students especially are likely to feel pulled in a million directions by the new experiences and expectations of law school. Not only do 1Ls need to learn new study strategies, but they often need to cope with a new city, first apartment, and increased responsibilities for daily chores. 2Ls and 3Ls may have gotten out of the study-life routine over the summer while they slid into a 9 to 5 summer clerkship routine of evenings and weekends off.

It does not take long for the workload to become a bit overwhelming, and for life-law-school balance to get out of whack. Students start burning the proverbial candle at both ends. Before long, late nights, junk food, and caffeine jitters seem unavoidable. A downward spiral begins: stress, fatigue, lack of motivation, sadness, and more.

By implementing some simple steps for wellness and study-life balance at the beginning of the semester, law students can avoid that overwhelmed feeling and the downward spiral. Consider these steps as "preventative medicine" for law students:

• Set up a weekly routine with blocks of time marked off for study tasks for each course (class prep, outlines, review, practice questions, other assignments) as well as for life's tasks (laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, errands). If you are married or have children, life tasks may include family dinners, bedtime stories, and other tasks. By having repetitive blocks already scheduled to cover all of these tasks, you see where you will get things done.
• Enter 7-8 hours of sleep per night into your schedule blocks. Proper sleep combats fatigue, stress, depression, and lack of motivation. Proper sleep increases focus, concentration, productivity, retention/recall, and mental agility.
• Enter blocks into your schedule for meals. Proper nutrition combats fatigue, stress, depression, hypoglycemia, and more. Proper nutrition supports brain function. Planned meal times aid digestion and relaxation.
• Enter blocks into your schedule for exercise. Exercise not only has physical benefits, but it does wonders for combating stress. You only need 30 minutes 5 times a week to get the boost.
• Enter blocks into that weekly routine for "down time" when you have permission to relax fully because you have already completed the other tasks for the week in the scheduled blocks. Most law students want the most down time Friday and Saturday nights, but it varies with lifestyle. Knowing you will have time off provides greater motivation to get things done to enjoy guilt-free time off. Scheduled down time also allows spouses and children to plan fun activities with you.
• Complete meal prep on the weekends as much as possible. You will save time during the week while avoiding the temptations of junk food. Cook a main entree that will last several nights in a crockpot. Cut up raw fruit and vegetables for healthy snacks during the week. Make sandwiches ahead in single-serve containers to grab and go. Portion out nuts, raisins, trail mix for energy snack packs.
• Group errands together by location. Grocery shop when the store is less crowded. Spread laundry or cleaning over several different days or weeks (Saturday clothes laundry and Sunday sheets and towels laundry; dust one Saturday and vacuum the next Saturday).
• Use a "to do" list to prioritize the tasks for the time blocks you have in your schedule for the day. The class prep for Contracts block translates to "read pages 28-41 and complete problems 5-7" on your daily list. You know exactly what tasks need completion and lower your stress as you cross tasks off your list.
• Take small breaks throughout the day to practice relaxation, meditation, or mindfulness. These mini-breaks can rejuvenate your body and mind.

If you take control over these basic areas of your life, law school falls into place and allows you balance. You do not have to fall victim to the often-heard rant that "law school does not allow time for anything else." (Amy Jarmon)

 

Contamination of Student Assessment

An interesting post on Inside Higher Ed by Jay Sterling Silver (St. Thomas Law) arguing that professors who factor class attendance, participation in/preparation for class, and extra credit in their grading are not being fair to students in this age of outcomes assessment. The link to the post is below. (Amy Jarmon) 

http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2018/08/09/why-faculty-shouldnt-factor-class-attendance-and-participation-final-grades-opinion?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=a8bec80f35-WNU_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-a8bec80f35-199669309&mc_cid=a8bec80f35&mc_eid=978859a4ca

 

Thank You to Goldie Pritchard

Many thanks to Goldie Pritchard for her dedication the last two years as a Contributing Editor for the Law School Academic Support Blog! Goldie's posts have been thoughtful and insightful. She will be missed as a Contributing Editor. Hopefully she will guest blog for us at times so that we may continue to benefit from her wisdom and experience. (Amy Jarmon)

Call for AALS Hot Topics Presenters

The AALS Student Services Executive Committee is excited to continue a tradition spearheaded in 2017-2018 by Executive Committee member Trent Kennedy of Georgetown Law. We are seeking presenters for the 2019 Hot Topics in Law Student Services program at the AALS annual conference. The 2019 AALS conference will take place from January 2 through January 6 in New Orleans, LA, with Student Services programming occurring on Saturday, January 6. The Hot Topics session is expected to be the final session of the day-long Student Services programming.

The desired proposals would be short, dynamic talks about developing issues in law student services. As stated in last year’s call for presenters, insightful new voices emerge each year and not every would-be topic lends itself to a traditional panel discussion. The Hot Topics session is an opportunity for interested scholars and professionals to inject a new idea or practical innovation into the national conversation. Ideally, talks will address a developing issue in law student services (e.g., program assessment, marketing to millennial students, responding to significant off-campus events, the intersection of law student services and national or local politics, etc.), craft a clear take-away message for the audience, and fit a timeline between five and ten minutes. Use of an Ignite, PechaKucha, or similar presentation structure is strongly encouraged but not required.

Interested individuals or small teams should submit a proposal of no more than 800 words to Darren Nealy at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>  and Melissa Berry at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . Strong preference will be given to proposals received by September 7, 2018. Proposals should address the content of the talk, the amount of time needed for the presentation, and the speaker's qualifications for addressing the proposed topic in such a brief period of time. The AALS President’s theme for the Annual Meeting is Building Bridges <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fam.aals.org%2Fbuilding-bridges%2F&data=02%7C01%7Camy.jarmon%40ttu.edu%7Cb92f0767a889463ed87308d5fe49b9e1%7C178a51bf8b2049ffb65556245d5c173c%7C0%7C0%7C636694515011155849&sdata=vmqZ5fWIpcywwxkMhgH76U6Qa12%2BefMo8dV%2F%2FJ3EeX4%3D&reserved=0> .

In reviewing proposals, the Committee will consider the overall quality of the program, including whether:

* The proposal is well written and thoughtfully constructed;

* The program is likely to be of interest to attendees;

* The program content lends itself to follow-up and ongoing conversation throughout the year;

* There is a diversity of presenters, including diversity of schools, viewpoints, and identity characteristics across the full Student Services program;

* The program connects to the AALS President’s theme of Building Bridges (NOTE: Not a requirement.); and

* The proposed topic is “hot” and provides insights about an otherwise under-discussed area of thought or practice.

Please direct any questions to Darren Nealy at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>  or Melissa Berry at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> .

I Am Signing Off, Thank You!

      As I hope you gathered from the title, this will be my last post as a contributing editor to the Law School Academic Support Blog.  In one of my earlier posts, I suggested that it was helpful to “meet students where they are” by learning a new task and carefully considering the steps and the emotions you feel throughout the process.  It is always good to challenge yourself.  In another post, I also suggested that adopting a “grateful posture/attitude” can reframe how one might approach challenging situations.  I am taking all of my advice and thought this would be an ideal time to transition to other things and attempt new challenges.  I am excited about anticipated future opportunities but equally sad to leave this blog. 

      This blog has been a constant in my life for almost two years and I am very grateful for the weekly reflective opportunity it has afforded me. I hope to continue to reflect and keep things in perspective even if it is in a different form. Writing was a great way to explore student concerns and challenges at various points of their law school career and to explore, in more depth, various aspects of what I do as an academic support and bar educator. As academic support professionals, we talk about reflection and capturing things in writing but what does that mean for us? I believe I wrote a post about this as well. Where, when, and how do we replenish our energy and what do we do to stay sane? How do we manage the endless to-do lists? I hope that you were able to relate to the various entries and that your students were able to beneficially step away with something tangible.

• I am thankful for all of the students who inspired various posts. You make me awesome.

• I am thankful for all of my academic support colleagues who sent me positive notes, particularly when I addressed semi-controversial topics and diversity issues. You affirmed me!

• I am thankful for all of my students and other students who read and continue to read various posts that apply to them. I am glad you used all of your resources.

• I am thankful for “Texas Bar Today” for selecting and including a few of my posts on their Top Ten list.

• I am thankful for my colleagues who posted a few of my posts on websites and blogs they use to support students in law school and as they prepared for the bar exam.

• I am thankful for all of the critics for making me think and for providing me with additional information to reference.

• I am thankful for the editor of the Law School Academic Support Blog for the opportunity.

• I am thankful for the contributing editors for their positive words and “shout-outs”. Your posts challenged me to be creative and taught me a lot.

     I look forward to becoming a reader again. In the future, I hope that you will see an occasional guest post from me. Have a wonderful academic year and bye for now. (Goldie Pritchard)

 

Transfer Student Orientation

Most (if not all) law schools offer an orientation program to their incoming first-year class.  But, only a few schools offer a specially tailored orientation program for transfer students and visiting students.  Over the last few years, I've noticed that our transfer students were missing certain critical announcements and failing to take full advantage of the the school's resources.  So, this year we decided to join the growing minority and offered a program for those students who were joining our law school community after their first-year of law school.

We started by inviting all of the transfer and visiting students to a catered luncheon, hosted by two 3L students who transferred into our school last year.  After the newcomers had a chance to meet each other, and ask questions of the current 3L transfers, everyone headed into a conference room to discuss topics of particular interest to upper-level transfer students.  The academic dean and registrar spent roughly 45 minutes reviewing all of our school's upper-level academic requirements to ensure that each student had a comprehensive plan geared toward an on-time graduation.  The rest of the agenda included short (i.e. 5-10 minutes) presentations by the various assistant deans and directors, and covered:

• applying for merit scholarships and other financial aid funding as upper-level students;
• maintaining academic integrity and professional responsibility;
• navigating the already in-progress fall semester on campus interviews;
• taking advantage of academic support resources, especially bar exam preparation;
• trying out for co-curricular opportunities, such as Law Review, Moot Court, and Trial Advocacy;
• participating in student life, including wellness and student organizations;
• registering for Lexis, Westlaw, and TWEN; and
• resolving other logistical concerns, such as parking passes and the bookstore.

Each presenter introduced themselves, briefly outlined the services available at their office, and then provided the students with a handout that they could review on their own.  The goal was to keep the entire event, including the luncheon, under 3 hours, while also ensuring that the transfer students became familiar with their new community's procedures and personnel.  Despite the tight timetable, we consciously set aside a few minutes at the end of the discussion for students to raise additional topics that they wanted to explore, before concluding with an optional tour of the law school building.  (Kirsha Trychta)

Reconnecting with Students

Visions of beaches and long hours interning are winding down.  Some students have fun stories from study abroad or travel during the summer.  Others experienced an epiphany during a summer clerkship.  Unless your students took summer school, that means we didn’t interact with them on a regular basis the last 3 months.  Summer is fresh on their minds, while our advice from last year is ancient history.  Now is the time to reconnect.

Recent memories tend to be the strongest.  The problem with our students’ most recent experiences may be advice from well-meaning attorneys that may not be the best educational strategy.  Students look up to attorneys since they are practicing, so we should combat that advice as soon as possible.

I believe the best way to overcome the ill-informed advice is start early meeting with students.  However, getting students into the office is always difficult.  Many times, the best way to encourage those meetings will be to reestablish our relationship with students in their domain.

I have not found widespread success just emailing students to have them come in.  Some definitely come in for help, but many tell me they will setup a meeting when they need it, which is always too late in the semester.  I have significantly more success when I walk through the café where they study.  Talk to students about the summer, classes, and anything else going on.  I suggest they come in and then I follow up with the email.  The relationship and connection tends to encourage more students to come in earlier. 

Every school will be different for connecting with students.  We have a café where students study and eat.  It is easy to walk through there to talk to students.  Many of our study rooms have glass fronts, so I can walk through the building talking to students in their study rooms.  I attended student organization meetings in the past to reconnect with students.  My normal goal isn’t to set a meeting on the spot.  The goal is to continue to build a relationship that leads to more interaction.

Summer myths abound.  Now is a good time to start connecting with students to dispel the shortcuts they think they found over the summer.

(Steven Foster)

Can Older Non-Traditional Students Fit In? Absolutely!

Most of our law schools are seeing more non-traditional students arriving in our first-year classes. For many law schools, non-traditional students are still in a minority within the classroom when only a full-time program is available.

Those who are in their late 20's or early 30's tell me that they "feel different" and worry whether they have forgotten how to study and whether they will be accepted by those straight out of undergraduate education. And, because they have had jobs through which they were recognized for leadership and competence, they often state they feel a bit incompetent initially as they grapple with different law school study strategies. They may also have spouses and children to consider as they balance law school and life which makes their experience different from most younger students.

But even with these differences, many of the non-traditional students in these age groups will not "stand out" to their classmates as particularly older once they don the casual law student dress. They will blend pretty seamlessly into the whole. (And even when they show up with children in tow, many law students who are missing their own younger siblings, nieces, and nephews will delight at the chance to babysit while mom/dad goes to class or attends a meeting.)

The over-40 non-traditional students are the ones who most often have conversations with me about whether they will "fit in" and whether they will be "outsiders" among their much younger classmates. Today it is not unusual for law students to start in their 40's, 50's, or 60's after first careers. Most of them look older physically - they have earned those wrinkles or gray hairs. Even donning casual garb will not hide the fact that they are older. Their concerns about remembering how to study and feelings of initial incompetence are usually double or triple compared to their non-traditional colleagues in their 20's and 30's. After all, most of these older students have been out of a classroom for 20 years or more and were the supervisors and managers who "knew how to do it all" in past careers.

The good news is that older non-traditional students do fit in and are welcomed by members of their first-year class. Older non-traditional students often remark that "it is all about attitude." Here are some tips for transitioning from older non-traditional students with whom I have worked:

• Make the first move to be friendly. Law students who are much younger may not know how to start the conversation because they see you as more accomplished and worldly.
• Be humble about your accomplishments. You have garnered lots of accolades, titles, and professional recognition in your prior non-law life. Unless you are put on the spot with a pointed question, understatement is probably best initially to put others at ease.
• Use your experience to be a role model for collegiality, not competition. Be supportive, encouraging, and helpful when you can. Ask for help when you need it. Let others know that you consider yourself one of their colleagues and value collegiality.
• Participate in class with relevant examples from your experiences when those comments can add to the discussion or move the class forward. Be careful not to gratuitously tout your expeiences, however.
• Volunteer in class when others do not, but do not become the "crutch" allowing your fellow students not to prepare because they know you will always be prepared. You may indeed know the answers most days, but they need to be challenged to participate as well.
• Join law school organizations and participate in some of the events of your 1L class. You may have less free time because of family commitments, but devote some time to law school life outside the classroom.
• Your main cadre of friends may be other older non-traditional students, but stay open to friendships with a variety of students. Law school organizations, study groups, and other opportunities will be available to expand your friendships.
• Realize that, depending on your actual age, you may become a "big brother/sister, mom/dad" figure for some of your classmates. That is actually a compliment. Your experience and advice are being recognized. You may be just the mentor that someone younger needs.
• Be yourself. If jeans and a T-shirt are not your style, dress as you are comfortable - even if it is dressier than your colleagues. If loud parties are not your thing, avoid them and join in at other times. If family outings are your relaxation, ask others to meet your family and join in the fun.
• Be sensitive to your law school's etiquette. Some professors call everyone "Mr" and "Ms" and want to be addressed as "Professor" no matter the student's age category. Other professors use first names freely with older students (or all students). Let the professor/administrator indicate the desired form of address to avoid an unintentional faux pas.
• Be patient with yourself as you master legal study. Do not compare yourself to "quick, young minds" or lament "I wish I did this years ago." You are learning a new language, a new way to think, a new way to write, and a new way to be tested. You are reviving academic skills that might be rusty and learning new study strategies.

Law school over-40 can be a wonderful ride. Many legal concepts link to your practical life experiences: apartment leases, real estate purchases, car loans, employment contracts, income tax returns, drafting wills, and more. You challenge yourself to new ways of seeing the world around you. You discover specialty legal areas and possible legal career paths you never knew existed. You have a break of sorts between careers. You meet classmates who will be life-long friends and professional colleagues. (Amy Jarmon)