Today was the official first day of Introduction to Psychology, and my new role as a TA. I was nervous for what was to come as my first class of the day ended, and I was on my way to Rose Hall 250. I realized that I was not really worried about not doing my part in the classroom, but more worried about how the students would perceive me. I now know, that I should not worry about that aspect too much, as it will only cause me to worry about things that I should not be too concerned about. As long as I do my part, then I know I have been successful in this new role that I am taking on.
Looking back on the day, there were probably a few mistakes that we as TA’s could have prevented. I believe we were nervous and were not quite sure what was expected of us, but Dr. Gurung made sure that we were on our feet, and ready when he needed us. Although we were informed ahead of time of what Dr. G expected of us, I believe that in the moment, we just got caught up, and forgot what we were there to do. For instance, making sure all the students were given the material that they were needed. The first time we did this, we missed quite a bit of the classroom, but after awhile we understood our role better, and did a much better job of doing what we are there to do, to facilitate learning in the classroom.
As I have been fortunate enough to have a class with Dr. G, I forgot how intriguing his class can be. As I was sitting at the front of the room, I was able to see how many of the students were actually paying attention, and responding to his questions without really having to be “picked on”. This might be because it is the first class of the semester, but I hope to see this become a trend, because I remember how much I learned from Dr G, and I hope they feel the same at the end of the semester.
I now understand why Dr G would like us to set up the room before hand, know how to operate the lights, and catch his cues to hand things out before having to ask, because I can see that it may cause a distraction to some of the students. By allowing himself to focus on the classroom, he is able to flow through his lecture, without causing a distraction, that may last longer than that moment that he has to tell us as TA’s to do something for him. As long as each TA does their part, each lecture should move much more smoothly than the one before it.
Overall, the class flowed very well considering there was a lot to cover. A few issues that I saw was with the attendance sheet. Though it seems pretty self-explanatory, while looking at the sheets, it was apparant that not all the students understood it, so perhaps that should have been explained somewhat. Along those lines, we ran out of attendance sheets, as there were twelve rows but only eight sheets.
I noticed that by waiting until later in the class period to pass out the syllabus, it allows the students to focus on the topic at hand, instead of leafing through the syllabus. Also, the way Dr G interacts with the students keeps them engaged, because he does not just talk about the research that has been done in the past, but also current topics that are interesting to college students.
In my own experiences, when I consider my own classes that I had today as well as yesterday, I realize that since some of them let me out early, I now almost expect the professor to let us out of class early every once and awhile. By actually using the entire class time productively, I believe that the students will not expect Dr. G to let them out of class early any other day. Also, by lecturing a bit on the first day, this allows the students to get a feel for how Dr. G presents his material. Hopefully this will prepare the students for the next class.
The first day marks what is to be expected, of not only the students, but also of Dr Gurung and the TA’s. I believe today’s class left a pretty high mark, but I know the expectations can be exceeded next class!
Thanks Dr. G. I added to the blog. Please let me know if that is more along the lines of what you were looking for.
Good observations and self reflections Becca. You guys did do really well. You also notice that in the big scheme of things there is so much for the students to focus on , on the first day–the large class, me, etc., that (no disrespect intended) they do not focus too much on the TAs. In fact you will see you have a free hand and can operate under their radar for the most part. In fact, even i obsess knowing that they probably have forgotten the things that I think I muffed up. So indeed you will feel more and more empowered as the days go on. It will also be nice once students start talking to you about the course and as you facilatate more conversations with them before and after class and with your Pods.
In addition to your reflections on yourself, make sure you take some time while the day is fresh to be critical of what I did in line with the questions i mentioned (what worked, what did not, how did it relate to the readings, etc.).
Good job again.