Procrastination, wrong planning, and short cuts may be a common way for many of us to juggle their own course load and the work as a TA. Hence, today’s activities were directed to learn about the many tools that are available to become a more efficient teacher and/or TA.
While knowing the university policies and copyright laws may prevent me from additional headaches, the strategies introduced for effective time management were more than appreciated. I’m a procrastinator and using a daily time sheet showing me where my time goes may bring me back on track. Although I don’t have a problem starting a conversation with my students and explaining or demonstrating the lab content, I feel most uncomfortable giving a presentation. The tips from Dr. Witherspoon for improving public speaking (I liked the approach Dr. Natalicio is using) and the 2-minute speech given to a few of my peers were helpful; however, I doubt that I will ever become a confident public speaker. If I get too nervous, I forget the words and expressions in English, which is more than embarrassing! The discussion on how to prepare and structure the first day of class had the most practical value for me. As Mrs. Rice said, the tone set during the first day of class will be pretty much the one lingering around for the rest of the semester.
A lot of suggestions were presented ‒ some that I’m already using, others that were new to me. I’m going to reevaluate my approach to teaching as well as my interaction with the students. I have gotten very comfortable with teaching this particular lab. An overhaul won’t hurt, especially since I’m going to teach a different lab this semester. This is a great opportunity to get rid of old ideas and integrate some of the newly learned strategies.
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