Month: May 2009

Sorry for the late post, I did my reflection right away but I did not have internet access until tonight!

I know that when I am nervous I talk fast.  I am aware of it but yet, every time, I talk fast!  I even wrote on my paper to relax and smile and slow down!  I really liked how you said to think of it as a conversation.  That really made sense and helped me.  If you think of lecturing as a conversation it will help you relax and make it easier for students to feel comfortable approaching you.  It’s not like you are talking down to them or acting as if you are a know-it-all (even if you are!).

I am not used to presenting slides with so little information on them….so I spoke too quickly for them to take notes both because of nerves and because I wasn’t used to being the only source of the information.  After the student in the front row asked me to go back a slide, I felt I slowed down and relaxed a little more.

I did notice I had some nervous “ums” in there as well.

I also was a little concerned about my body language.  I felt that my hands were ok but I didn’t really realize that I was crossing and uncrossing my feet until after.

I didn’t use the mic and I’m glad I didn’t.  I think I would have felt more self-conscious hearing my voice over the speakers. It seemed like everyone could hear me and I didn’t feel like I was straining to project myself at all.  However, if I was talking for over an hour I would probably need to use a mic.

I am glad that I didn’t have too much individual clicking on my slides.  I think it’s distracting to click every line on the slide and I think that I would forget to do so some of the time.  I think animation and timing is beneficial for emphasis of a point.  That seems to be the only time that Dr. Gurung uses it….like when he was talking about the study on if men or women would have a one night stand.

I definitely felt more relaxed after the clip and as I talked to the class.  I think that in the future, I would start with an activity or something more interactive so that I would relax more and remind myself that I’m only having a conversation. 

I know that it is definitely more stressful and nerve-wracking for me to talk to college age individuals than high-school or younger.  I know that with time and practice I will feel more confident doing these types of things and I will be able to figure out what works best for me.

The picture explains it all! I mean, just look at the class… they are concentrating, there is no goofing around. I have held the attention and have installed content into the craniums of college students. How cool is that??

I had spent a bit of time preparing my lecture, making notes, finding videos, and stats to include in my presentation. It is funny to be in the middle of creating a learning guide and while doing so, you begin to think, “how is this going to be contained? How am I going to fill up this time with so little content? I need to add more and I need to bring this material to life.” I can remember sitting at my desk and thinking how many times and different ways I would screw-up during my lecture on Thursday. Needless to say, all those voices of doubt, all that time waffling over the length of my lecture, and all that time preparing to be presentable for a lecture – that time will not be something the students will see but they will see my lecture. The will only know my lecture.

Wow, I was nervous for nothing. My heart beat more during Josh’s lecture than it did during my lecture. Once I was up and going, I was surprised at how calm I felt, and how I anticipated staring at my print-out more than I did during my lecture. I was surprised how calm I remained after finding one slide to have been missed, and even TAs can be taught new things – thank you miss for the suggestion of using the overhead! Bet no one wants to see my writing again! That’s okay I like to talk more anyway.

I felt so comfortable walking around the front of the room. Pacing in between thoughts and ideas of what I was going to say next to the class. I seem to think clearer when I can see the room at different angles and eyeballs following my pace. It is reassuring to see the students watching you teach and it is rewarding to entice the students into the content. Although they rocked the phobia challenge, the biological preparedness was a different step that was tip-toed around before I brought the class to the target. However, I feel as if their thoughts and ideas about the reason why we are not phobic of things that kill us, you really can see their train of thought. It was tough not hearing what you wanted from the students but it was refreshing to hear answers that you weren’t looking for.

I have learned that hearing 250 + people laugh is greater than making 2 people laugh. I never knew laughter could sound so beautiful and it is so encouraging to hear such a comforting sound during a lecture.

I have learned that I become way too nervous; too much stress to experience and too much sweat over something that I had a handle on.

While preparing for a lecture, keep in mind that you WILL have plenty to say and plenty to teach!

I never really enjoyed abnormal psychology. I never really knew much about it and the best way to learn this material is through teaching and baring best interest for the students to learn this material – That was my motivation to learn the material and like the content I taught.

Once you are on a roll with lecturing, it is easy to fill the time gap and you want to continue the conversation longer when you have to turn the floor to another TA.

It doesn’t take much effort to find a YouTube video that can explain a disorder in less time and with less lecturing. Those videos were great tools to use to show a disorder that is hard to explain. Media can be good.

One thing that I noticed and wish I could have changed was making the time to say, “Is there a question out there in the audience?” I am hoping that I was doing a fine job lecturing that no one needed the time to ask a question. However, that is not something I would want to assume for next time.

I cannot wait for Trudi to experience the thrill of teaching!

I think I pulled the “suicide” slide off considerably well, I could have talked about the gender differences slide, but I felt a little rushed in the end.  When I had everyone pass their cards down, it was hard for me to focus and talk over everyone.  I was focused and calm when I went up there, but the shuffling and commotion, as well as the time crunch made me feel a little uneasy.  I shouldn’t have let that affect me, but I wasn’t mentally prepared for it.  I learned that there’s many distractions (especially at the end of class) that professors consistently have to talk over.  Like my experience, I’m sure there are times when you felt that no one was listening to what you were saying.  It was a little frustrating, but all in all, it went well.  Compared to last semester, I was more prepared this semester, but the outcome was completely different.  I think thats the way teaching is…one big experiment.  Sometimes, it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s being conscious of your surroundings and being able to identify the moment when successes (or failures) occurred, so that you can replicate them (or not) in the future.