“Life as a TA” : I had labeled this section of blogs at the beginning of this semester, and did not even realize the importance of this to me. It is definitely different to be a TA in a classroom than it is a student. You pick up on so many different things that you would never realize as a student. Not only have I realized certain habits (such as texting, falling asleep, or chatting with your neighbor in class) are very noticeable to professors, but it can have an impact on your learning (well obviously if you are asleep, you wouldn’t be able to pay attention anyway). This has helped me to become a better student in the classroom.
Things I didn’t know about teaching that I know now:
I never realized how some professors use research as the basis of their teaching style (this should have been a “no-brainer”, but now I realize they actually USE the research and not just research it. DUH!) I also better understand why some professors (like Dr G) do not provide notes to students, and why other professors are willing to have handouts available to students.
I also did not realize how much thinking goes into a lecture. Timing, what to say and not to say. These are important to think about not only before the actual lecture, but also during the lecture. Being able to be flexible during a lecture is important, because you never know what you will need to spend more time on in class, as well as what a student may ask that might take up more class time.
This experience as a TA has been very important to me. I always enjoy seeing things from another perspective, because I am then better able to understand the other point of view, and I have definitely gained some eye-opening experiences. 🙂
