University of Wisconsin–Madison

Instructor Pre-semester Checklist

New for Fall 2025

Overview

These 7 steps highlight common tasks and good practices for preparing to teach courses at UW-Madison, along with links to resources across campus. Explore the topics that are most relevant to you in whatever order you find helpful.

Teaching with others?

If you’re working with teaching assistants or a larger instructional team, it is important to include them in discussions about many of the topics below. For guidance, please see:

1. Reflect and orient

It’s tempting to jump right into ordering textbooks and polishing a syllabus. Instead, take a breath and reflect. This can provide valuable insights to make your teaching more effective and enjoyable. 

  • Review the course learning outcomes, requisites, and other course information, and reflect on where you hope your students are by the end of the course.
  • If you’ve taught the course before, read through your syllabus and remind yourself of how you have guided students toward course learning outcomes. If this is your first time with the course, see if you can chat with someone who has taught it and seek out some sample syllabi. If you have data related to students’ experiences and outcomes, read through it.
  • Think about what flexibilities you might build into your course to make things easier for students and yourself when unexpected life events occur.
  • List the texts, videos, examples, and data sets that excite you about the course. 
  • Reflect on what successful learning and teaching can look like in this course. Think about how you can share stories with students about what can be challenging and how they can stay engaged. If you’ve taught the course before, read your Student Evaluations of Teaching for what students loved and found challenging.
  • Consider where your students are coming from. What could be motivating students to take the course? What authentic connections might be created between your course and your students’ lives?

2. Select textbooks and other materials

It’s helpful to do this as far in advance as possible – students can often save money if they have more time to shop around.

  • Enter your textbook information in Faculty Center in MyUW (NetID login required). This allows students to see it in Course Search & Enroll.
  • If you want textbooks to be available for students to purchase in one or more local bookstores, contact the bookstores so copies can be ordered.
  • Engage provides access to eTexts and other digital resources, typically at a fraction of the print cost. NOTE: Orders must be placed the semester prior to when the course is offered, during designated ordering periods; see more about ordering through Engage and the upcoming ordering periods.
  • Pressbooks is a campus-supported tool that allows you to create your own course content or use other Open Educational Resources content. 
  • Reserve course materials for students to access at UW–Madison Libraries. These can be books, textbooks, articles, videos, solution sets, and exams. Reserved materials will be shared with students via a reading list as part of the Canvas Library Resources page. Reserve requests can be processed within a few business days but may take longer if we do not currently own the item. Libraries can also help determine if course material is freely available to students online through a library purchase or as a public domain or Creative Commons work, as well as help identify materials available through library-licensed databases.

3. Integrate accessibility and prepare for accommodations

By anticipating and working through the need for accessibility and accommodations, you can support students more efficiently and effectively.

Additional resources:

4. Create or refine your syllabus

With some planning completed, you are now in a good position to (re)design your syllabus to help students learn what to expect and how to succeed in your course.

5. Set up your Canvas course and other learning platforms

With a draft syllabus in hand, set up your course learning platforms including Canvas.

Your Canvas course shell is created automatically, typically about one week after enrollment begins for the semester. It shows up in your Canvas Dashboard.

Additional resources:

6. Create a welcoming environment 

A thoughtful approach to welcoming students will help them be informed, engaged, and more comfortable connecting with you.

  • Create a Module Zero in your Canvas course to introduce students to your course and how it will work. And in there, include a welcome message to help students feel valued and supported.
  • Check the religious observances calendar for the upcoming semester and plan ahead, to the extent possible, to avoid conflicts between holidays and exams or other major course activities.
  • Consider setting up a class email group as an additional means of communication.
  • Get to know your students with a welcome survey.
  • Design a first class meeting in which you invite students to see how your course fits into their educational goals, how to participate in the course, and the ways in which their participation matters to you and their peers. Check out this sample First Week of Class Interview Activity.
  • To the extent that your course size permits, view your class roster to familiarize yourself with students’ names and photos.

Additional resources:

7. Learn about your classroom

You can ensure a smooth first day of class by becoming familiar with your space and its audio-visual equipment (you may need to request an A/V passcode).

  • To view your room assignment, go to the Faculty Center in MyUW (NetID login required).
  • If you are teaching in a General Assignment classroom, you will need a passcode to access audio/visual systems; learn more from Classroom Support & Planning.
  • If you are not teaching in a General Assignment classroom, contact the department that controls the room to learn more about it. Use the following links for support in these areas: for Chamberlin Hall (rooms 2103, 2223, & 2241), contact Steve Narf; for Chemistry Building, contact Rachel Bain; for Engineering campus, contact Engineering Media Services; for Grainger Hall, see the room directory for AV documentation, and for HSLC/CSC/WIMR/MFCB, contact SPMH Classroom and AV Services.
  • If you are teaching in a room you haven’t taught in before, consider stopping by to get a feel for the space and how you will move in it.

Bonus tips

Sign up for the Pre-semester Teaching Institute!

Learn new evidence-based techniques and engage with colleagues as you prepare for the semester. The institute is offered before the start of the semester each fall and spring. Learn more about the Institute.

New to teaching at UW?

Visit CTLM’s resources for instructors new to UW–Madison to learn about support within your school/college and across campus.

Sharing and feedback

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