More than you think! The average professor-led class is the result of years of research and fine-tuning, and it's not unusual for GSIs to spend up to a year researching and preparing a class for the first time. Most well-thought-out DeCal classes are undertakings on the scale of a major undergraduate research project: preparation should take a lot of the semester beforehand in the research process, and more time than you think the semester of its implementation.
Though the planning process for a class will vary depending on its structure, below are some recommendations to consider.
In the semester prior to launching your course:
- you should allow yourself as many weeks to plan in advance as you'll have of class meetings
- dealing with logistics can be time-consuming--and distract from the core work of polishing core class content--so start early and stay focussed
- consider your class syllabus and core course curriculum akin to a research project: you need time to season your thoughts on the subject's potential, time to find the best source material, and time to reconsider the best way in which to present it—or to draw it out from your students
- once you have found a potential faculty sponsor, you can solicit their feedback for the ongoing development of the class. Some may be amenable to sponsoring your course provided you fill out some underdeveloped aspects of it—something you can only do if you started the sponsor search early enough in the semester
When class is underway:
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most teachers spend at least two hours in prep time outside class for every hour spent inside class, while most teachers working with material for the first time spend three or more hours in prep per every one hour in class