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# The Pros and Cons of Teaching Back-to-Back Sections
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/pros-cons-teaching-back-to-back-sections/
- Published: 2018-09-11T13:05:51.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-01T20:36:39.000Z
- Description: Honest reflections on teaching a compressed schedule.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Communication, Higher Education, ASU, EdTech, Slack, Speaking, Teaching, WFH

This semester I'm teaching four 50-minute sections of [CIS236: Honors Introduction to Information Systems](https://content.screencast.com/users/ThePhilSimon/folders/Jing/media/691ebabe-688a-4b4b-b799-f3b8c6e26832/00000390.png?ref=philsimon.com) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This is quite the change from previous semesters. In the[ past](https://www.philsimon.com/academia/courses), I taught two consecutive 75-minute sections Monday through Thursday. In this post, I'll describe some of pros and cons of teaching back-to-back sections.

## Pros

My day is compressed. I typically arrive on campus around 9 a.m. for my 9:40 class. I like to walk into each class at least 15 minutes beforehand to [set up my gear](https://t.co/BZif4yUz0T?ref=philsimon.com) and talk to students. I have found that they appreciate it, especially when they need answers to simple questions and they didn't want to use [Slack](https://www.philsimon.com/blog/higher-education/use-slack-inside-classroom/). I then teach my first two sections, grab a quick lunch, hold my formal office hours, teach my last two sections, and head home around 2:50 p.m.

On a strictly personal level, this is very efficient. I largely avoid traffic, but that's hardly the only benefit. Much like a good standup comedian, to some extent I can practice material on my first section. In this way, I can squash bugs that would appear in future lectures. For instance, I can refine a slide, retire a joke that didn't fly, or clarify a point or concept. (It turns out that successful comedians such as Chris Rock routinely do this. For more here, check out [*Little Bets*](https://amzn.to/2NuvBKX?ref=philsimon.com) \[affiliate link\].)

> We professors are just like everyone else: We need to deal with change.

I doubt that I start out at my peak level. I also suspect that I'm at performing at best in my third class. By that point, I know what has worked before and what hasn't. (I'm interested in what [my student-evaluation data](https://www.philsimon.com/academia/studentevaluations) has to say about this at the end of the semester.)

## Cons

CIS236 is a [survey course](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survey%20course?ref=philsimon.com) and, by design, we cover a great deal of material very quickly. It's akin to a 10-lb. bag with 30 pounds worth of, er, stuff. I often joke that it's easier for me to list the topics that we *don't* cover over the course of 14 weeks.

As a result, by the start of the fourth section at 2 p.m., I'm gassed and need a 20-minute power nap when I get home. It reminds me of when I'd teach three- and four-day software classes at Lawson Software. I had to be "on" not only when I addressed the class, but during breaks as well. Attendees asked me rapid-fire questions and students do the same. In short, I didn't have much time to recover and [take a breath](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isekWlmtibM&ref=philsimon.com).

**Tip:** [Oars and Alps Cooling + Cleansing Wipes](https://amzn.to/2Mi8gYu?ref=philsimon.com) provide much-needed refreshment after my second section.

When I lecture, I use PowerPoint slides to communicate knowledge but also to keep me on track. I try hard not [be stiff](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPbg21cSR5Y&ref=philsimon.com) and often improvise *how* I make a point. Doing so helps keep the material fresh. (One of my new students already called me *engaging* and my [early-semester evaluations](https://www.philsimon.com/early-student-evaluations/) were very positive.) At the same time, though, that approach comes with a cost because I'm not a spring chicken anymore. I occasionally forget if I mentioned something in this current section or the one before. #GroundhogDay

[Phil Simon: What CD Sales Teach Us About the Future of WorkIn which I drop a panoply of music references and liken the idea of returning to an office to a nearly obsolete product.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/icon/cropped-newlogo-186.png)Phil Simon![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/thumbnail/255-200-1.png)](https://www.philsimon.com/blog/management/what-cd-sales-future-work/)

## Simon Says: A Compressed Schedule Is No Picnic but It's Manageable.

My current teaching schedule isn't objectively better or worse than its antecedents; it's just different—and professors need to deal with change. I use Tuesdays and Thursdays to grade assignments and exams, prepare materials for future lectures, provide [services](https://www.philsimon.com/services) for my clients, and recover.

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