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Do you read assigned readings as an instructor before every class?

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

As we approach the next academic year, I'm wondering: do you read all of your assigned texts in advance of each class? And if so, in what level of depth?

I'm in the habit of reading each text very closely. As a junior philosopher, I'm anxious about getting "caught out" in the classroom. But sometimes I read / hear of philosophers doing only 30-60 minutes of prep per class. And surely one can't properly digest 1-2 papers in that time…?

I do, but for classes I've taught many times where I'm using the same readings that I have before, it's usually just a quick refresher. For courses that I'm prepping for the first time, I read everything very carefully before each class in putting lectures together–and given my course load (normally 3/3), this usually takes a full day of prep. But I also know people who do things very differently, prepping all of their lectures before the semester even begins (I don't do this in part because I set aside summer and winter breaks for rest and research).

What does everyone else do?

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9 responses to “Do you read assigned readings as an instructor before every class?”

  1. Multi-tasker

    When I want to refresh my memory on a reading for a class that I have taught before, I have started having Speechify read it to me while I’m at the gym (or whatever), often at >1.5 speed. It’s a nice way to get a quick refresher without devoting too much extra time to sitting down and rereading the whole text.

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  2. Michel

    If I’ve never read it, then yes!
    If I’ve read it but it’s been a while, or have not taught it much, then yes, but I will focus on what I’ve highlighted in the text. Non-highlighted material gets a skim.
    If I’ve taught it a bunch (I can teach the same class 4-5 times a year), then no. In that case, I do no prep at all; I just roll into class and go.

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  3. Michel

    I would just add that it’s very rare to be caught out, especially in lower-level courses. But when you are, it’s okay to say ‘I don’t know; I’ll check and get back to you next class.’

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  4. Daniel Groll

    I’m somewhere between Marcus and the person who prepares everything over the summer. I used to put my syllabi together in the week or two before classes started, quickly going through possible new readings, making selections on the basis of that go-through, and then really reading the material in the day(s) before I had to teach them.
    That led to two kinds of trouble for me. First, there were just too many times where a careful read of a paper revealed that it was not a great choice for the class (too in the weeds, too confusing as it goes on, too boring, too whatever)…but it was too late to do anything about it at that point. The second kind of trouble was just that thinking through a paper so close to teaching it often doesn’t work well (for me) at least.
    So, about 5 years ago, I started using my summers to somewhat casually read through the entirety of anything new I was considering teaching or anything I knew I was going to teach in the coming year. I don’t take detailed notes, though I do carefully mark up the readings and take some broad notes about what is going on.
    The markings and notes help tremendously, of course, when I look at the reading again in the day(s) before a particular class session. But even more than that, the readings have a kind of familiarity when I go back to them that comes from my mind just continuing to chew on them, in ways I don’t even realize, from my summer read-through. (This is one reason I tell my students to read the prompts for papers right when I assign them even if they don’t plan to work on the paper until the following week or two).
    I’m a total convert to this approach. My classes no longer have “Oh shit, why did I assign this?” readings; I no longer have the panic of realizing I assigned an “Oh shit, why did I assign this?” reading a day or two before a class session; and I think my teaching of the material is better than it otherwise would be. It also cuts down tremendously on prep time for me during term time. My summer months are sufficiently open that I find I have time to write (though I’m not a hugely productive scholar!) and to do the reading I want to do.
    When it comes to material I’ve taught many times before: I usually reread it carefully every few years. I’ve been somewhat shocked (and in some cases down right ashamed) on several occasions to realize, upon re-reading something, that I’ve misread (and mistaught) it for years.

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  5. sahpa

    Came here to say what Michel said. Worrying about getting ‘caught out’ tends to go away as you gain more confidence / overcome your expert blindness (= new teachers tend to radically overestimate how much of the reading their students will absorb). And at higher levels where students actually might ask penetrating questions, you can and should shift into a more collaborative mode anyway (‘great question let’s figure it out’).

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  6. Bill V.

    For the first few times I teach something, or after a long gap, I do the readings closely. If it is something I’ve taught often, maybe a skim, or even just a glance at my lecture notes.
    When I was starting out, I would often do 4-6 hours of prep for each class session–that is way too much. Now, even when I am teaching something new to me, I try to keep prep to 1 or 2 hours for every hour of class time.
    I had a grad school professor who recommended doing all your teaching prep the day before so that it is fresh, and so that you cannot give it too much time. Of course, he had a 1-2 load and was almost exclusively teaching things closely related to his research specialty, so YMMV.

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  7. Tim

    I carefully read a paper if I haven’t taught it before. If I have taught it more than 4 times (or so), I rarely re-read before the class. If I taught it only only once or twice, I might re-read.
    I always bring the reading to class though, and I’m quick on my feet. So if a student does press some issue that’s not in my lecture materials, I’m pretty confident that I’ll be able to handle it.

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  8. Mike Titelbaum

    I absolutely understand the insecurity about getting “caught out” and looking unprepared in front of students. But maybe one way to reframe the preparation question is about what’s required to give them the educational experience you’re after. When I prepare a class, I know that I’m going to be covering certain sections of the reading closely so as to ensure particular points are understood. I review those sections carefully in advance, then skim the rest of the reading so I remember generally what’s in there.
    This doesn’t often happen, but occasionally a student (especially in an upper-level class) will ask about the meaning of some section—or even some sentence—I don’t recall. I’m happy to admit I don’t remember, which students find totally acceptable; they don’t expect me to have memorized the whole thing! And honestly if I don’t remember a passage, then most of the class probably doesn’t either. So we turn to that section of the reading (or if I have the technology available I call it up in front of the class) and we figure it out together. A good experience is usually had by all!

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  9. nihil nimus

    @Bill V., I used to do what your prof. recommended, but I found that it made prep time pretty stressful and hurried. I like Robert Boice’s advice in Advice for New Faculty: start early and prepare regularly and briefly. He recommends the 2:1 ratio you recommend, too, but in earlier sessions where things are more relaxed.

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