You know how sometimes you can’t possibly get out of bed until you’ve had a really deep, thorough morning stretch? What’s the equivalent of the morning stretch when starting a new semester?

Maybe the stretch is a stretch of the imagination. If so, you may want to start your pre-semester prep today by searching out new and exciting teaching and learning tools. For instance, I’ve been working through the tools in Paige Mitchell’s post “Apps for Bloom’s Taxonomy” slowly over the last few weeks, and maybe today I will finally get to the iMindmap tool. I’m also reading John Orlando’s post for Faculty Focus, entitled “Is Praise Undermining Student Motivation?” to challenge myself with a new perspective. Broadening to new horizons could be the cognitive stretch you need today to get you back in the scholarly mode.

It could also be that the new semester stretch is a stretch of our writing muscles. Because let’s face it: over the next few weeks, whether you’re a science major or a creative writing student, you’ll be writing a lot. That’s because, added to your own writing for your own coursework, you’ll be reviewing the writing of/writing to/writing about your students and their progress. In that case, why not sit down to a good old fashioned cleansing free write? Here, Writing Exercises will get you started.

Or maybe the stretch is really a stretch (wait for it…). Too many of my colleagues here (as in too many to count) are already smart enough to have taken up regularly take up body/mind aligning activities like yoga, tai chi, etc. Long term, maybe it’s time to take up a class at the Forge or join in some intramural sports. For now, here’s a beginner’s guide of “10 Yoga Stretches for Your Daily Routine” from AboutHealth.com.

Here’s to a fruitful Winter 2015!