maggiehu_uga (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} maggiehu) wrote,@ 2006-05-25 14:45:00 |
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My co-teaching life
I feel very lucky and grateful these days when I co-teach with Gretchen on the class of EDIT2000. The American undergraduate students are not unruly as I thought. All of them are kind and some of them are even very sociable and genial. They smiled at me when I spoke with my tongue-tied English.
When they asked questions, I went there and taught them how to perform on the computer. Sometimes when I just didn't know how to say it in English, I said:"Could you let me show you?" And then they just let me use the mouse and keyboards , and with my fragment sentences to show how to perform the task. Fortunately, those questions were mainly about computer skills and I am quite familiar with most of those problems so that I won't feel awkward for I didn't know the answer. But from yesterday, I decided to try to talk as much as I can when I teach them. One reason is that I think to be a teacher, you must communicate with the students; the other reason is that, I feel that American students usually want to perform the task independently. They don't want to you teach them too much , and they don't want to you make them feel they are not capable and treat them as kids.
To be a teacher, you must make them feel that they could do it by themselves and you'd better not interrupt or intervene their learning too much, although usually it will be much easier for the teacher to just show students all the steps to complete the objective. This is really tricky.
I am also lucky to have such a nice instructor with my internship. She allowed me to add ten extra credits on the portfolio part as an incentive for the students who will take part in my research. I think she is so nice to work with and so kind. She always make me feel that I am not obligated to do anything that I may feel awkward or hard and she gives me a lot of suggestions about the teaching stuff. She makes me feel much more comfortable with my English and all other things.
Another interesting is that, when you work with others, you will find different teacher has some specific emphases when they grade students' works. During the last two weeks, I learned how to grade this class' assignments and I found she is kind of critical on students' typos. That make me feel ashamed on myself, because apparently, I won't be a good student on her class-- I always always make so many typos in my writing works and rely so much on the word checking function... Anyway, I will go to the Park Hall sometime during this summer to seek help from the writing assistance group. Hope it will improve my writing in many aspects.
I just talked about my e-portfolio research for this May session at the beginning of today's class. I made 3 pages of ppt slides and explained briefly what this research is; what are the benefits; what they will do to attend this research and the available time slots. I was so worried that there won't be many people who want to help me when I speak this to them. I told them that they can come and sign on my time schedule if they want to help. And when the class was ending, I was worried once again because it seemed nobody still remembered what I talked at the class' beginning. And I even dared not to repeat it because I was afraid that no one will response to me and that will be awkward! However, an always-smiling girl turned to me and said she want to attend this research. I felt so grateful and happy when she wrote down the time slot she preferred. After this, another girl came and signed. At the last, three boys on this class went to me and signed on my schedule. I feel happy because I already got five people for this research and there will more on tomorrow morning's class and from the doctoral students' first year review! Although some people may say "I don't want to take part in this study" later but it seems still a good start, anyway!
Thanks for all these things going on. Thanks God. I feel I am so lucky and hope I won't make all people who love me and helped me disappointed.
I feel very lucky and grateful these days when I co-teach with Gretchen on the class of EDIT2000. The American undergraduate students are not unruly as I thought. All of them are kind and some of them are even very sociable and genial. They smiled at me when I spoke with my tongue-tied English.
When they asked questions, I went there and taught them how to perform on the computer. Sometimes when I just didn't know how to say it in English, I said:"Could you let me show you?" And then they just let me use the mouse and keyboards , and with my fragment sentences to show how to perform the task. Fortunately, those questions were mainly about computer skills and I am quite familiar with most of those problems so that I won't feel awkward for I didn't know the answer. But from yesterday, I decided to try to talk as much as I can when I teach them. One reason is that I think to be a teacher, you must communicate with the students; the other reason is that, I feel that American students usually want to perform the task independently. They don't want to you teach them too much , and they don't want to you make them feel they are not capable and treat them as kids.
To be a teacher, you must make them feel that they could do it by themselves and you'd better not interrupt or intervene their learning too much, although usually it will be much easier for the teacher to just show students all the steps to complete the objective. This is really tricky.I am also lucky to have such a nice instructor with my internship. She allowed me to add ten extra credits on the portfolio part as an incentive for the students who will take part in my research. I think she is so nice to work with and so kind. She always make me feel that I am not obligated to do anything that I may feel awkward or hard and she gives me a lot of suggestions about the teaching stuff. She makes me feel much more comfortable with my English and all other things.
Another interesting is that, when you work with others, you will find different teacher has some specific emphases when they grade students' works. During the last two weeks, I learned how to grade this class' assignments and I found she is kind of critical on students' typos. That make me feel ashamed on myself
, because apparently, I won't be a good student on her class-- I always always make so many typos in my writing works and rely so much on the word checking function... Anyway, I will go to the Park Hall sometime during this summer to seek help from the writing assistance group. Hope it will improve my writing in many aspects.I just talked about my e-portfolio research for this May session at the beginning of today's class. I made 3 pages of ppt slides and explained briefly what this research is; what are the benefits; what they will do to attend this research and the available time slots. I was so worried that there won't be many people who want to help me when I speak this to them. I told them that they can come and sign on my time schedule if they want to help. And when the class was ending, I was worried once again because it seemed nobody still remembered what I talked at the class' beginning. And I even dared not to repeat it because I was afraid that no one will response to me and that will be awkward! However, an always-smiling girl turned to me and said she want to attend this research. I felt so grateful and happy when she wrote down the time slot she preferred. After this, another girl came and signed. At the last, three boys on this class went to me and signed on my schedule. I feel happy because I already got five people for this research and there will more on tomorrow morning's class and from the doctoral students' first year review! Although some people may say "I don't want to take part in this study" later but it seems still a good start, anyway!
Thanks for all these things going on. Thanks God. I feel I am so lucky and hope I won't make all people who love me and helped me disappointed.
