In this solo episode of The Prof Talk Pod, Becky Achen explains how she uses AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to revise assignments that aren’t working. She outlines her process: diagnose what’s failing using student work, feedback, and reflection; document course context and constraints; prompt AI for ideas (often in multiple models); combine and refine suggestions; and then have the models critique clarity, missing details, and likely student questions. She then uses AI to help draft a rubric in her established style and revises for her own voice and course resources, while disclosing AI use. She shares an example converting a graduate crisis communication case study paper into a PR agency-style slide deck and presentation with a six-month image repair strategy and day-one response.

00:00 Show Introduction

00:28 Why Revise Assignments

02:23 Diagnose What Fails

06:14 Prompting AI for Ideas

08:41 Combine and Rewrite

09:24 Clarity Checks and Rubrics

14:31 Disclose AI Use

15:02 Case Study Makeover

20:57 Guiding Student AI Use

22:18 Wrap Up

In this episode of the Prof Talk Pod, Becky Achen and Katie Metz revisit scaffolding as a core teaching strategy, focusing on how to build students toward learning outcomes by providing more support early and gradually increasing autonomy. They discuss a workshop framing scaffolding alongside AI use, emphasizing what students must master independently versus where AI can serve as a thought partner, while noting equity differences between paid and free tools. Katie shares her federal tax course design using short pre-class videos, low-stakes checkpoints, in-class practice problems, team activities, and module conclusions that combine terminology checks with application cases. Becky shares redesigning a marketing course from exams to three scaffolded unit assessments that progress from recognizing concepts in daily life to applying target audience ideas to analyzing and improving strategy. They emphasize formative repetition, reflection, and “see it before you do it.”

In this summer episode of the Prof Talk Pod, Becky Achen and Katie discuss practical ways faculty can use the summer to rejuvenate while still setting themselves up for a manageable fall. They talk about the realities of 9-, 10-, and 12-month contracts, the lack of PTO for many faculty, and why it can be appropriate to truly step away from email and teaching tasks when classes slow down. They emphasize balancing self-care with research and service expectations by clarifying departmental norms, setting realistic and concrete research goals, and planning ahead for course prep that may change year to year. They also suggest summer professional development (like AI courses), reading a teaching-related “pool book,” exploring campus resources, spending time outdoors, and building habits that reduce stress and burnout once the semester begins.

In this episode of the Prof Talk Pod, Becky Achen and Katie Metz discuss how to compress a 14–16 week course into shorter summer, J-term, or mini-mester formats (as short as six weeks) without sacrificing rigor. They compare different institutional summer structures, note challenges like overlapping spring wrap-up and summer prep, and emphasize the faster pace of grading, communication, and content coverage. They share strategies such as streamlining assignments, making some activities optional, setting clear expectations for time commitment and success, planning modules further in advance, and introducing major projects in week one. They also address limits on teamwork and attendance due to scheduling, time zones, and socioeconomic factors, urging instructors to be flexible and “let it go” where needed while still meeting learning outcomes.

00:00 Show Welcome

00:30 Why Summer Courses

01:49 Summer Schedules

06:03 Rigor And Format Shifts

08:52 Streamlining Workload

11:55 Synchronous Routine Tips

16:30 Grading And Response Pace

19:03 Flexibility And Attendance

29:05 Teamwork And Projects Fast

32:30 Let It Go

In this episode of The Prof Talk Pod, host Becky Achen reflects on an in-class ethical debate about students using AI to generate a podcast script and publish it as their own, which leads to a discussion of nuance and “gray areas” in AI use. She shares how her thinking has evolved since exploring ChatGPT in late 2022, shifting from simple “buckets” of acceptable use to a more intentional approach based on when her voice, effort, and authenticity matter. Becky explains where she chooses to write herself (e.g., student emails, nomination letters, newsletter drafts, podcast outlines) versus where AI can support efficiency (e.g., editing, YouTube descriptions, improving assignment design). She maintains hard lines against using AI for grading and for her research writing, and encourages listeners to reflect on their own boundaries and be transparent with students.

In this solo episode of the Prof Talk Pod, I share a simple end-of-semester practice to help instructors improve courses the next time they teach them: keep a running “notes to self” document for each class. It can be easy to forget what didn’t work, especially when end-of-term grading fatigue sets in. Spending 10 minutes now to record what worked, what didn’t, and what needs changing and setting calendar reminders to review the file before planning can help improve courses the next time around. She also suggests adding course eval comments and using AI tools to organize feedback. These documents increase in value when multiple faculty teach the same course.

In this episode of the Prof Talk Pod, we talk about faculty burnout, using the World Health Organization definition and reflecting on how chronic workplace stress shows up in teaching. We discuss the emotional labor of being “on” in class, the added mental load of supporting students’ mental health (especially in freshmen and sophomore courses), and how student issues often bleed into academic life and after-hours time. Becky and Katie emphasize setting communication boundaries that fit individual work styles, including clear email-response expectations and modeling professional behavior for students. We share warning signs of burnout like wanting to cancel class, disengagement, and disrupted sleep.

In this episode of the Prof Talk Pod, we discuss how to increase student participation in end-of-semester course evaluations and how to make the feedback more useful. We cover how moving evaluations online lowered response rates and created challenges for improving courses and for promotion or reappointment decisions, and discuss research on bias and the limits of using numerical scores as a primary performance metric. We talk about the value of qualitative, learning-focused feedback, recommend explaining to students why evaluations matter and how past feedback has shaped course design, and suggest adding targeted questions when allowed.

Have ideas, questions, or feedback? Email us at becky@theengagedprofessor.com