This is something that is making me happy, but which happened yesterday
Yesterday was week 9 of the 11 week semester. Unlike most of the modules, the skills module I teach doesn't have a lesson in week 11. They have to submit their main essay on the Monday of that week, but don't have the Friday seminar, as the purpose of those seminars is primarily to step them into the final essay :p
So, I reminded them, as I was giving them their work assignment for the week, that next week is the last seminar, and I'll be running it as an essay workshop, so bring all notes, laptops if needed etc. And there was a little chorus of 'awwws' from some of the students. One girl said that she loved Fridays and this was one of her favourite classes.
How pleased was I?
Still rather delighted by that.
They seem to have gelled really well as a group, with the research teams I put them into at the start meeting up between classes and doing the study tasks and so on. I'm particularly pleased by that. They're approaching the end of their first semester at university. For many of the students this will be their first time living away from home, in a new town, and most likely an entirely new social group. Giving them a mechanism for linking up with other students and a shared experience (group presentations) can be helpful in the first semester.
It's funny. After last year doing the same module went so well, this time I felt a little less confident with the way things were going. Then it just started to click from around week 5 (from my perspective: they may not have seen that big a difference).