How To Create A New Course From Scratch

In my first semester as an assistant professor, I was told I needed to teach a course that had been taught by the professor that had just retired.

I needed to wrap up my postdoc research, move across the country, and start setting up my new lab, so this course was not at the top of my list.

Also, I assumed the previous professor would share all of his materials with me (I mean he was fully retiring, why not? But alas, I should know better by this stage of life not to assume).

So, once I was officially moved and just a few weeks out from classes starting, I reached out to the professor over email and asked if he would mind sharing his slides and any other material from the class.

He was nice but replied he would “look for the stick drive with that info” and then went silent.

After another round of emails, he finally sent over his first lecture and said he would send the rest ASAP.

But he also let me know he was even more busy in retirement (SERIOUSLY?!), and nothing more ever came.

I opened the first lecture and realized the slides were nothing I could even use.

Staring at the useless slides and knowing nothing more was coming, I realized with horror, yes, full paralyzing horror, that I needed to create this course from scratch, and the first day of class was now one week away.

The course turned out pretty awesome, students loved it, and I still love to teach it.

But you should know that 7 days before class started, I had zero idea what this class was going to look like.

So here is what I did:

1)    Check for a textbook that gives your class at least a skeleton structure

This can be a great strategy as a lot of textbook companies also share slides that go along with each chapter—note that these slides are typically subpar, but they at least give a starting point.

However, this works best for intro classes, which mine was not.

I even called a textbook company in desperation and asked if they had a book for my class I had somehow missed on their website.

They assured me their website was correct and they did not have anything for my more specialized course. Sigh.

2)    Ask any colleagues you have at other universities that are teaching a similar course for their materials

So I didn’t actually do this step for this course, because no one I knew was teaching a similar course.

But I have used this strategy for another course I had to create from scratch and it was a huge help.

Most professors that I am friendly with are the kind of people that enjoy helping other professors out.

I have received syllabi, exams, assignments, and entire sets of lectures from professors upon request.

Likewise, I have also provided it.

So don’t be afraid to ask.

The worst that can happen is they say no (or make up some weird excuse about a stick drive and how busy retirement is).

3)    Look online for publicly posted syllabi for similar courses

This was actually what helped me the most.

I just googled my topic plus the word “syllabus.” Sometimes I would add in a specific university that I respected just to see what happened.

It took some time, but I ended up with several syllabi that I was then able to use as rough templates for my course.

I could see what was common across all of them and get an idea of what sort of assignments were typical.

It was also useful because each syllabus had a different tone and it helped me choose what sort of tone I wanted to use throughout my syllabus.

4)    Make the slides for no more than 2 weeks ahead at a time

Once you have your syllabus, you are ready to start working on your slides.

But don’t do any more than 2 weeks out.

First, it is a bit crazy to try to do anything more while balancing the rest of your academic workload.

But two, there is a good chance you need to make adjustments, so stay flexible and create the material as you go.

5)    revise your slides/syllabus for next time on the early side

The first time you teach a course it is not going to go perfect.

But the only way we figure out what works is by experimenting.

So, keep notes throughout the semester and revise your slides/syllabus for the next time you teach the course.

I recommend making revisions as soon as you learn what does and doesn’t work, or at least at the end of the semester.

If you wait any longer, you will forget the changes you wanted to make.

Trust me, it’s no fun when you start teaching the course the following year and you get to spot that you meant to change but didn’t and you just have to power through it. 

6)    Consider being honest with your students

This is totally a judgement call and go with what feels best for you in the classroom.

But I think one of the best things we can model for our students is vulnerability while also maintaining our authority.

Transparency is also a great way to ward off imposter syndrome.

So, when I did walk into that classroom 7 days later, I let them know that this was my first time teaching this course and there might be a few bumps and I was open to feedback.

But I also let them know that I had years of experience on the topic and that I was excited to share it with them.

Remember that the first day of class sets the tone for the semester, so above all, have fun and get them engaged, and you will rock your new course.