- Travel
- Writing
- Civil Rights (queer issues, gender issues, really any inequalities that exist)
- Family
- Trust
- Being true to oneself/following your heart
Friday, January 30, 2009
My Passions
I have several passions that I hold close to my heart and will continue to fight for and care about. Some of these you may not consider passions, but I think it depends on one's definition of passions and to me these are what I care about most (in no particular order):
Trials and Tribulations of Teaching College Students
I am a teaching assistant.
I assist professors, don't have to pay for graduate school and get a small (barely enough to live on) stipend, while swearing my life to the institution I work for and promising to not get another job.
What this really means is that I do anything and everything that the professor does not see as worthy of their time (e.g., grading papers, leading 4 discussion sections in one day, getting to know the students, meeting with them, addressing their concerns, grading all assignments, dealing with absences, plus much more). I realize I am already coming off as complaining, and I don't intend that at all. I have just gotten out of a rough discussion section and still have two more to teach before I am "free" for my weekend. I am glad that I have been chosen as a TA (mainly because of the costs associated with graduate school), but also it is a great learning experience. For the most part I love getting to know my students and getting to hear their thoughts, ideas, dreams. It was not long ago that I was sitting where they are (in an undergraduate classroom, with a TA leading my discussion section).
I actually am the same age as a few of my students and only slightly older than the rest, which I don't think is a problem most of the time (as long as I still have authority and respect). I don't necessarily agree that with age should automatically come respect, and for the most part I don't think that it does. But sometimes I do think that age plays a role and that some of my students wouldn't act as they do, or say what they do if there was an older (male) professor leading the class. To garner respect and authority I do try to dress professionally and lead discussion in an objective, authoritative way (this can be hard at times). I lay out rules and expectations and try not to budge (unless there are certain situations that it is necessary, which invariably there always are).
But even with my careful planning of class, the discussion, their assignments, my expectations, my grading, the way I conduct myself, my attire, my mannerisms, and trying to keep my personal life far from discussion I still come across difficulties in teaching and being taken seriously. I know that I will never do everything perfectly and that I am definitely making mistakes (in every single discussion section that I teach/lead), but it does not make me feel at ease about myself or my teaching.
I just got out of a discussion section that left me feeling like a failure, and with the students thinking poorly of me. Though I often try to pretend that I do not care what they think of me, I don't know if anyone can honestly say they don't care at all what other people (especially people they see three days a week for an entire semester--many for a whole year--and who they are grading/evaluating) think of them. My intention is not to be friends with my students or to get all of them to "like" me. Not in the least bit. I simply want their respect and to be able to lead discussions in a way that they get the most out of it. I want all of their voices to be heard and I want them to feel as if they can say what they want without being embarrassed or without judgment. I want them to learn and to enjoy learning and to be excited and interested in the material we are talking about. I know that these are lofty goals (and that most likely not every single student will have these feelings about the classes I teach), but I don't think that should make me not reach for them. I just need some help, some guidance on how to make these things happen. What can I do to attain these goals and allow my students to get the most out of the discussions I teach?
I assist professors, don't have to pay for graduate school and get a small (barely enough to live on) stipend, while swearing my life to the institution I work for and promising to not get another job.
What this really means is that I do anything and everything that the professor does not see as worthy of their time (e.g., grading papers, leading 4 discussion sections in one day, getting to know the students, meeting with them, addressing their concerns, grading all assignments, dealing with absences, plus much more). I realize I am already coming off as complaining, and I don't intend that at all. I have just gotten out of a rough discussion section and still have two more to teach before I am "free" for my weekend. I am glad that I have been chosen as a TA (mainly because of the costs associated with graduate school), but also it is a great learning experience. For the most part I love getting to know my students and getting to hear their thoughts, ideas, dreams. It was not long ago that I was sitting where they are (in an undergraduate classroom, with a TA leading my discussion section).
I actually am the same age as a few of my students and only slightly older than the rest, which I don't think is a problem most of the time (as long as I still have authority and respect). I don't necessarily agree that with age should automatically come respect, and for the most part I don't think that it does. But sometimes I do think that age plays a role and that some of my students wouldn't act as they do, or say what they do if there was an older (male) professor leading the class. To garner respect and authority I do try to dress professionally and lead discussion in an objective, authoritative way (this can be hard at times). I lay out rules and expectations and try not to budge (unless there are certain situations that it is necessary, which invariably there always are).
But even with my careful planning of class, the discussion, their assignments, my expectations, my grading, the way I conduct myself, my attire, my mannerisms, and trying to keep my personal life far from discussion I still come across difficulties in teaching and being taken seriously. I know that I will never do everything perfectly and that I am definitely making mistakes (in every single discussion section that I teach/lead), but it does not make me feel at ease about myself or my teaching.
I just got out of a discussion section that left me feeling like a failure, and with the students thinking poorly of me. Though I often try to pretend that I do not care what they think of me, I don't know if anyone can honestly say they don't care at all what other people (especially people they see three days a week for an entire semester--many for a whole year--and who they are grading/evaluating) think of them. My intention is not to be friends with my students or to get all of them to "like" me. Not in the least bit. I simply want their respect and to be able to lead discussions in a way that they get the most out of it. I want all of their voices to be heard and I want them to feel as if they can say what they want without being embarrassed or without judgment. I want them to learn and to enjoy learning and to be excited and interested in the material we are talking about. I know that these are lofty goals (and that most likely not every single student will have these feelings about the classes I teach), but I don't think that should make me not reach for them. I just need some help, some guidance on how to make these things happen. What can I do to attain these goals and allow my students to get the most out of the discussions I teach?
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Blogging ethics?!
What are the ethics that blogs should follow? Should they be the same as "traditional" media? How does credibility affect the way blogs are read, understood, commented on, thought of as a "real" form of media or news?
What is truth? What role does objectivity play in reporting? How about in blogging?
I know these are all difficult issues and questions. And there may not be right or wrong answers. Everything in this world is not black and white; there are shades of gray (I believe in almost all instances).
What is truth? What role does objectivity play in reporting? How about in blogging?
I know these are all difficult issues and questions. And there may not be right or wrong answers. Everything in this world is not black and white; there are shades of gray (I believe in almost all instances).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
