| | So summer has turned out to be way busier than I'd previously expected.
I emerged, thankfully unscathed, from a harrowing quarter of a difficult core course, and was expecting a relaxed but busy lab-bound summer ... then suddenly, within a four-day notice, I found myself standing in front of 17 students as the TA of an animal genetics lab.
I've always enjoyed teaching. I wanted to be a teacher when I was a kid. When I was younger, I acquired a whiteboard and invented classroom lessons for my cousins. I thoroughly enjoyed explaining chemistry in colorful terms to my high school classmates. Whenever I come across a very good teacher or professor, I find myself subconsciously taking mental notes. Especially now, most of all, I am always delighted to help anyone in genetics and biology.
But I wasn't exactly thrilled to take up the Teaching Assistant position initially. Semi-excited, yes, but slightly freaking out also, and definitely not thrilled. Because I was thinking: what if I totally suck at explaining things to people in complete English? I realized that although I spoke English fluently, I'd never really taught anyone that didn't speak Malay, and that I'd always used my most comfortable mode of verbal communication: Malay + English mix. Also, I generally suck at public speaking, so I was so afraid of getting tongue-tied in the middle of class and spontaneously imploding.
But all is good so far :). Thankfully, I was only nervous during my first pre-lab lecture (and apparently, the two observant students sitting right in front noticed lol); now, I am perfectly able to crack stupid jokes and be myself in front of class. Obviously, TAing is a drag and takes up so much time, but it's really not that bad. Most of all, I'm just thankful that my students are a nice bunch. And I'm super thankful that the instructor is very helpful and encouraging.
My duties as a TA for this class include:
- Giving a pre-lab lecture, explaining what they would be doing in that particular day's lab. This is the most instructor-like part, because it involves me standing in front of a whiteboard, waving a black marker around and, when the opportunity arises, cracking stupid jokes. To a small extent, it is also fun because I get to draw pretty diagrams and figures on the board :D.
- Giving out a pre-lab quiz. Just a one-question quiz to make sure they read their lab protocols beforehand, but I spend a considerable amount of time agonizing over them because I want to make sure I don't ask questions that make me a douchebag TA (and of course, also to make sure I ask good and useful questions).
- Walking around the lab or sitting at my special TA bench for 3.5 hours -- answering questions, repeating myself, preventing disaster. Sometimes funny things come up (see below).
- Setting up prior to each class and cleaning up after. This one sucks ass, and is never fun.
Sometimes, funny things come up. Which adds a little cheer to the draggy lab classes. For example, today, a student was given a pair of new vinyl gloves because she always got mysterious holes in the regular nitrile gloves provided. The vinyl gloves were thin with a yellowish tinge and a crinkly texture. This conversation took place:
Me: So how do you like your new gloves?
Student: They're ok so far. I find them a little weird. They kinda remind me of condoms in some way ... like, even the cuff ...
*giggles from around*
Me: Oh my God! You're right. That's why I thought they were kinda familiar.
*more giggles*
Me: I mean, not familiar familiar, but you know ...
*more giggles*
Me: O-kay, I should just stop talking ... *promptly walks away*
Hahaha.
Anyhoo, I'm hoping everything would continue going well. After tomorrow, I would be officially halfway through the class :D. When I'm actually done, perhaps I'll even feel nostalgic. Maybe I should take a pic with the class, and be like "OMG my first TA class!" but they'll probably think that's stupid lol.
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| | Posted 7/8/2009 12:11 AM - 34 Views - 4 eProps - 5 comments
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