My nerves are severely frayed and I can sense all of the muscles in my body tense up as I think about what I'm going to write now...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) "Humbleness":
Have you ever heard someone speak a word and do a mental double take? You can make sense of what they said after quickly (or not so quickly) deciphering the mangled portion of what they uttered.
We get what they're trying to say. Sadly, we accept these mispronunciations and move on. After all, our own über-important lives are filled with serious concerns. Why should we bother bruising someone's ego and correct them when we have bigger fish to fry? Am I right?
A word already exists for what you're trying to say here, champ: 'humility'! <For some strange reason, right after I typed it, I read the word as humidity and giggled for a bit.> You cannot take any adjective and add the suffix '-ness' to the end of it and think everything is OK. It's as bad as those folks who think they can convert any English word to Spanish by adding an '-o' at the end. It doesn't work! Understand-o?
If you don't believe me, why not tell me how stupid 'strongness' sounds to you? Perhaps 'teachableness' suits your limited English language needs?
I rest my case.
[Side note: To be fair, I know the word 'humbleness' does actually exist but it isn't commonly used. After all, we do use the word humility more than humbleness. Keep up with modern society, please.]
(2) "At the end of the day, ...":
Ahhhh yes. The hot new saying that everyone seems to be using. It's one of the most overused phrases I have heard in a long time! (It's only rivaled nowadays by 'epic', IMO.) When a person starts every other statement with this phrase, my brain goes to two places (depending on my mood): either the person has nothing of value to share and is trying to sound more interesting or the person genuinely believes the BS that's coming out of their mouths which makes me wonder what the end of their days are like. Well, not really. At the end of the day, they're not that interesting to begin with.
Damn it!!! It's contagious!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OKOKOKOKOKOK....
I'll stop venting now. Do you have any other words or sayings that rub you the wrong way? Do share below in the comments section!!
I hope to hear from you.
Until next time, faithful reader......
P.S. On second thought, those people that add an 'o' to the end of English words are worse. Instead of trying to learn the proper word, they decide that Spanish isn't important enough to make an effort for. In fact, they're devaluing the language and, by proxy and perhaps unintentionally, insulting an entire culture.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Envy (or Why Can't I Keep It Together)
Welcome back,
Sorry to return on such a somber tone but... here goes.
It's at moments like these that I find myself at my most weakest. Not physically but emotionally. When I feel like I'm losing control of my life, I lose control of my emotions and my vulnerabilities seep through the surface...
I cried today... I cried at not having a father. It's not as if he's dead or if I didn't know him while growing up. It's quite the contrary. He's very much alive and he has had an impact on my life. The problem is that the impact was mostly negative. When I became an adult (the magical age of 18 when the law determines you're no longer a minor), I decided to live my life in a way that was opposite to the example he set for me. I credited him with teaching me how to be a man by showing me what NOT to do. But I realize now, many years later, I still have a lot of work to do.
I sit here weeping as I realize that I may have ended up more emotionally stable had he actually died when I was young. Or if only he had decided to leave my mom instead of staying and slowly inflicting the damage he did to me, my mom, and my sister, like a deadly cancer. Instead, I sit here, with tears streaming down my face as I type this, envying those around me who have a father they respect, and love, and can turn to in times of need. I hate them... well, that's not entirely true nor is it fair. I hate that they have the luxury of having a good man, or even just a decent one, at their disposal.
I need someone to turn to. I need to feel safe. I need a rock to lean on. I need the wisdom that only comes with age. I need a father. Just not the one I have.
I don't typically cry. But lately I've found it comes really easily to me. I want to do so much more for those I love but feel handcuffed by my financial circumstances. Although money isn't everything (this isn't a cliché thrown in for effect... it truly isn't) I can't help but look at the situation we're in and recognize that we'd all have a little more piece of mind if we just had a little financial comfort. Instead, we claw and scratch and scrape together what we can to survive. I'm tired of surviving. I just want to live.
I want to enjoy life without wondering if my bills will get paid. Wondering if I'll have an apartment to live in next month. Wondering if I can get through the week. Wondering if I'll have food in the kitchen to cook a meal tonight. Wondering if I'll regain my sanity soon. Wondering what will drive me further down this hole next.
I want my dad. I need my dad. Shit... at this point, I'll take any dad. But only one will do. And that man doesn't exist. He never did.
Thanks for sticking with me, faithful reader.
Until next time......
Sorry to return on such a somber tone but... here goes.
It's at moments like these that I find myself at my most weakest. Not physically but emotionally. When I feel like I'm losing control of my life, I lose control of my emotions and my vulnerabilities seep through the surface...
I cried today... I cried at not having a father. It's not as if he's dead or if I didn't know him while growing up. It's quite the contrary. He's very much alive and he has had an impact on my life. The problem is that the impact was mostly negative. When I became an adult (the magical age of 18 when the law determines you're no longer a minor), I decided to live my life in a way that was opposite to the example he set for me. I credited him with teaching me how to be a man by showing me what NOT to do. But I realize now, many years later, I still have a lot of work to do.
I sit here weeping as I realize that I may have ended up more emotionally stable had he actually died when I was young. Or if only he had decided to leave my mom instead of staying and slowly inflicting the damage he did to me, my mom, and my sister, like a deadly cancer. Instead, I sit here, with tears streaming down my face as I type this, envying those around me who have a father they respect, and love, and can turn to in times of need. I hate them... well, that's not entirely true nor is it fair. I hate that they have the luxury of having a good man, or even just a decent one, at their disposal.
I need someone to turn to. I need to feel safe. I need a rock to lean on. I need the wisdom that only comes with age. I need a father. Just not the one I have.
I don't typically cry. But lately I've found it comes really easily to me. I want to do so much more for those I love but feel handcuffed by my financial circumstances. Although money isn't everything (this isn't a cliché thrown in for effect... it truly isn't) I can't help but look at the situation we're in and recognize that we'd all have a little more piece of mind if we just had a little financial comfort. Instead, we claw and scratch and scrape together what we can to survive. I'm tired of surviving. I just want to live.
I want to enjoy life without wondering if my bills will get paid. Wondering if I'll have an apartment to live in next month. Wondering if I can get through the week. Wondering if I'll have food in the kitchen to cook a meal tonight. Wondering if I'll regain my sanity soon. Wondering what will drive me further down this hole next.
I want my dad. I need my dad. Shit... at this point, I'll take any dad. But only one will do. And that man doesn't exist. He never did.
Thanks for sticking with me, faithful reader.
Until next time......
Thursday, June 17, 2010
I Ain’t ‘Fraid of No Ghost (or One Semi-Sleepless Night)
Now, bugs, on the other hand… they creep me the fuck out.
I cannot avoid the skin crawling sensation every time I see any type of insect, arachnid, or other bug-like vermin. Even when going to kill said pest, I have to take a moment to muster my courage and approach the creature without reacting in a way that will betray my stance of dominance (according to the hierarchy of the animal kingdom). Once the deed is done I feel a sense of relief but it’s the anxious moments during the standoff that I dread. The waning moments of the insect’s short life versus the nervous tension I have built inside of me creates a moment in time not unlike the high noon showdowns of the Wild West.
What the hell does this have to do with ghosts you ask? Well, unless you want to consider the spirit of the deceased bug… then nothing really. I just needed a catchy title. LOL.
But one night a few weeks ago, I had an encounter with a bug that didn’t end the way I would have liked and it still haunts me even to this day. (You like what I did there? “haunt”… ahem… never mind)
I was lying in bed on a very humid night. I felt something brush across my face and thought it might be a random hair left by my girlfriend on my pillow. I quickly realized it wasn’t a hair and I bolted out of bed to turn on the light. In the few seconds as I moved to the light source, I brushed my face repeatedly as if I had a swarm of bugs on my face as opposed to just one tiny little creature.
I caught sight of the bug flying around and it looked like a cross between a small spider, a fly and a mosquito. It had the long, thin wiry legs of a mosquito or one of those light, 6-legged house spiders and the body of a very small fly. I think had it just been a mosquito, or a small spider, I would have been able to cope with the situation much better. But it was this unique hybrid of a bug that left me disoriented and emotionally rattled. As it flew around my bedroom, I couldn’t help but squirm and squeal like a small child that has come face-to-face with his greatest fear. Eventually, I managed to compose myself long enough to see the bug fly out of my bedroom.
What made this encounter more striking was the realization that I have NEVER had a bug in my apartment in my short time here. I found it strange and was wondering how one made it inside. I’m always careful to close the screen doors on my windows. Maybe it was my girlfriend who has a habit of opening all my blinds (to let in natural light) and open windows (to get some fresh air in my apartment). It couldn’t have been my fault this little fucker was flying around my apartment causing me to lose sleep. It was about 3 in the morning when it landed on my face.
Needless to say, this meant war. I had to kill this bug so I could have piece of mind. I wouldn’t be able to relax and have the adrenaline rush wear off until the deed was done. With vengeance on my mind, I pursued my prey into the living room. I grabbed a Crate & Barrel catalog that I had been meaning to throw out and roll it up as my weapon of choice. I spied the creature as it rested on my off-white walls. Its light brown body contrasted strongly against the wall making it an easy target for my wrath.
I raised my hand, weapon at the ready, and smacked the wall. SWAT!!
As I drew back my hand to view the impending clean-up job on the wall, a wave of dread washed over me. There was no trace of bug innards on my wall. This realization was coupled with an angry fly-by across my line of sight by the offending bug. I was so sure I had hit the little fucker, how did it not die?? I must have made contact since the creature seemed to have some difficulty flying around. This was a great sign and I was out for blood. There was just one problem.
My apartment has hardwood floors. The dark wood made for perfect camouflage for the bug that was now struggling to survive. I didn’t know how hurt it was but I knew at the very least it was stunned. But I wanted it dead. That would be the only way I could go to sleep. I had already wasted about a half hour stalking this little creature and refused to lose any more precious time for sleeping. I decided to be patient. Eventually, it would fly high enough for me to strike the death blow and go to sleep. I sat on my futon waiting for the moment it would reappear.
And reappear it did. The only problem was I wasn’t ready for it. My eyelids were getting heavier and I decided to turn on the TV after 10 minutes of waiting. When I saw the bug again, I was distracted, had put down the C&B catalog, and pretty much had forgotten about the bug. I freaked out as it was now flying close to and landed on my leg. I bolted off the futon trying to gather myself for the next offensive attack on this creature. But just like before it disappeared out of sight.
This went on for another hour or so with some variations in where I sat (on the small couch, at the dining table, on the futon again) and how focused I was (I had a stretch of 15 minutes where I meticulously scanned the floor).
Once the adrenaline wore off and I hadn’t seen the bug for 20 minutes, I decided I wasted enough time trying to kill this thing. I’d try again in the morning but I had lost too much sleep and was more annoyed than anything. I closed the bedroom door (first time I had to do this at this apartment) and went to sleep.
I woke up the next morning and there was no sign of the bug. I also realized very quickly that it was my own fault that any creatures had come into the apartment in the first place. Earlier the previous day, there was rain in the forecast and I had closed all my windows. Because of the high temperature and humidity, the apartment got stuffy very quickly so I reopened some of the windows. I had left the small screen door open on one of the windows.
So, what’s the moral of the story here? If you’re going to something (anything!), be sure to do it right the first time. Whether it’s closing/opening a window, or trying to kill a pesky bedroom invader intent on disrupting your sleep.
Until next time, faithful reader……
I cannot avoid the skin crawling sensation every time I see any type of insect, arachnid, or other bug-like vermin. Even when going to kill said pest, I have to take a moment to muster my courage and approach the creature without reacting in a way that will betray my stance of dominance (according to the hierarchy of the animal kingdom). Once the deed is done I feel a sense of relief but it’s the anxious moments during the standoff that I dread. The waning moments of the insect’s short life versus the nervous tension I have built inside of me creates a moment in time not unlike the high noon showdowns of the Wild West.
What the hell does this have to do with ghosts you ask? Well, unless you want to consider the spirit of the deceased bug… then nothing really. I just needed a catchy title. LOL.
But one night a few weeks ago, I had an encounter with a bug that didn’t end the way I would have liked and it still haunts me even to this day. (You like what I did there? “haunt”… ahem… never mind)
I was lying in bed on a very humid night. I felt something brush across my face and thought it might be a random hair left by my girlfriend on my pillow. I quickly realized it wasn’t a hair and I bolted out of bed to turn on the light. In the few seconds as I moved to the light source, I brushed my face repeatedly as if I had a swarm of bugs on my face as opposed to just one tiny little creature.
I caught sight of the bug flying around and it looked like a cross between a small spider, a fly and a mosquito. It had the long, thin wiry legs of a mosquito or one of those light, 6-legged house spiders and the body of a very small fly. I think had it just been a mosquito, or a small spider, I would have been able to cope with the situation much better. But it was this unique hybrid of a bug that left me disoriented and emotionally rattled. As it flew around my bedroom, I couldn’t help but squirm and squeal like a small child that has come face-to-face with his greatest fear. Eventually, I managed to compose myself long enough to see the bug fly out of my bedroom.
What made this encounter more striking was the realization that I have NEVER had a bug in my apartment in my short time here. I found it strange and was wondering how one made it inside. I’m always careful to close the screen doors on my windows. Maybe it was my girlfriend who has a habit of opening all my blinds (to let in natural light) and open windows (to get some fresh air in my apartment). It couldn’t have been my fault this little fucker was flying around my apartment causing me to lose sleep. It was about 3 in the morning when it landed on my face.
Needless to say, this meant war. I had to kill this bug so I could have piece of mind. I wouldn’t be able to relax and have the adrenaline rush wear off until the deed was done. With vengeance on my mind, I pursued my prey into the living room. I grabbed a Crate & Barrel catalog that I had been meaning to throw out and roll it up as my weapon of choice. I spied the creature as it rested on my off-white walls. Its light brown body contrasted strongly against the wall making it an easy target for my wrath.
I raised my hand, weapon at the ready, and smacked the wall. SWAT!!
As I drew back my hand to view the impending clean-up job on the wall, a wave of dread washed over me. There was no trace of bug innards on my wall. This realization was coupled with an angry fly-by across my line of sight by the offending bug. I was so sure I had hit the little fucker, how did it not die?? I must have made contact since the creature seemed to have some difficulty flying around. This was a great sign and I was out for blood. There was just one problem.
My apartment has hardwood floors. The dark wood made for perfect camouflage for the bug that was now struggling to survive. I didn’t know how hurt it was but I knew at the very least it was stunned. But I wanted it dead. That would be the only way I could go to sleep. I had already wasted about a half hour stalking this little creature and refused to lose any more precious time for sleeping. I decided to be patient. Eventually, it would fly high enough for me to strike the death blow and go to sleep. I sat on my futon waiting for the moment it would reappear.
And reappear it did. The only problem was I wasn’t ready for it. My eyelids were getting heavier and I decided to turn on the TV after 10 minutes of waiting. When I saw the bug again, I was distracted, had put down the C&B catalog, and pretty much had forgotten about the bug. I freaked out as it was now flying close to and landed on my leg. I bolted off the futon trying to gather myself for the next offensive attack on this creature. But just like before it disappeared out of sight.
This went on for another hour or so with some variations in where I sat (on the small couch, at the dining table, on the futon again) and how focused I was (I had a stretch of 15 minutes where I meticulously scanned the floor).
Once the adrenaline wore off and I hadn’t seen the bug for 20 minutes, I decided I wasted enough time trying to kill this thing. I’d try again in the morning but I had lost too much sleep and was more annoyed than anything. I closed the bedroom door (first time I had to do this at this apartment) and went to sleep.
I woke up the next morning and there was no sign of the bug. I also realized very quickly that it was my own fault that any creatures had come into the apartment in the first place. Earlier the previous day, there was rain in the forecast and I had closed all my windows. Because of the high temperature and humidity, the apartment got stuffy very quickly so I reopened some of the windows. I had left the small screen door open on one of the windows.
So, what’s the moral of the story here? If you’re going to something (anything!), be sure to do it right the first time. Whether it’s closing/opening a window, or trying to kill a pesky bedroom invader intent on disrupting your sleep.
Until next time, faithful reader……
Monday, June 14, 2010
Test Taking Archetypes (or Profiling My Students)
Tonight, my summer class will be taking their midterm and it reminded me of something I was working on informally several months ago.
As most of you may know by now, I’ve been teaching for about 2 years. In that time, I’ve seen hundreds of students taking my exams. What was interesting to me was observing my students as they trudged through my tests. During one of these boring nights of proctoring, I took note of the different behaviors that I observed among my class. I realized that there are many different types of test takers. In this RaUM entry, I’ve compiled 13 distinct groups of students and will describe each of their habits, nervous tics, or patterns that separate them from other students.
While putting together this list, I tried to think back to my time as an undergrad to recall which type of test taker I was when I was younger. But it’s just too hard to see things from the inside, especially after so many years have passed since I’ve had the nervous energy that came every time I took an exam. There’s simply no way to know how I behaved before while taking any of those tests.
Here are the 13 test taker archetypes:
1) The Yawners – These students either lost sleep studying, panicking about the exam, or simply use yawning as a coping mechanism while taking the test. They can be fairly annoying to others around them, especially when the yawns are more vocal.
2) The Fidgeters – These students suffer from leg shakes and constantly shifting position. It’s as if they cannot get comfortable in their chair while taking the test. Are they sitting on a cactus chair? WTF!!
3) The Peekers – These students have a tendency to look up while thinking of an answer but they use the professor as their primary point of focus. This can get kind of creepy after a half hour of the same thing.
4) The Anti-Peekers – These students use a similar recall technique as ‘The Peekers’ except they look around at anything, and anyone, BUT the professor. They make every effort to NOT have the professor in their line of sight while looking up. These students rouse a great deal of suspicion. I consistently feel the need to keep my eyes on them as I suspect they’re trying to cheat in the most conspicuous way possible.
5) The Eyes Down – These students are the type that will have their head down and noses buried deep in the exam paper. All I see is the top of their head during the entire exam. They will not make their face visible until they finish the exam when they finally lift their head up. Sometimes I wonder if they’re even awake and as I walk by them I listen for snoring.
6) The “Sigh”-ers – These students (like ‘The Yawners’) use a form of exhalation during the exam that can get annoying to those around them if done in excess, which is usually true for those in this group. The sighing isn’t necessarily a sign of frustration or annoyance but can simply be a release of anxiety and nervous energy.
7) The Over-Reviewers – These students are the double-, triple-, quadruple-checkers who feel the constant need to review their answers to be absolutely sure that they have answered everything correctly and avoided any possible mistake. This doesn’t mean they always catch their mistakes but they feel better having reviewed their work repeatedly before handing their exam in. They are also likely to stay for the full duration of the exam (even if they’ve finished early)
8) The ‘Dory’ – Just like the character in Finding Nemo, these students are easily distracted and almost forget the task at hand. It’s a miracle that they even finish the exam!
9) The Over-Confident – Unlike the “Over Reviewers”, this group finish their exam fairly quickly and are so sure of their performance that they don’t give any question/answer a second look while taking the exam. They’re typically among the first to finish any exam.
10) The Head Slappers – The name says it all. Another nervous tic exhibited by students either to release tension or to smack around some brain cells to recall the information they need to answer a question. No bruising or injury has occurred yet in my classes. Though there has been plenty of forehead rubbing after the slaps.
11) The Time Keepers – These students are very aware of the amount of time they have to complete an exam and will pace themselves (whether intentional or not is difficult to gauge) to complete the exam at, or near, the end time. The will use every possible minute (and, at times, second) allotted to complete the exam.
12) The Tiny Bladders – These students are the ones who in the middle of the exam ask to go to the bathroom. I personally try to avoid any conflict with the “Tiny Bladders” by telling them they should go right before the exam or hold it until they’re done. Any suspicion of cheating is grounds for a zero on an exam in my classroom this includes going to the bathroom for an extended period of time (I’m not a COMPLETE ogre about the bathroom. I understand that you can’t control the urges to go)
13) The Exasperated – These students are the ones who seem completely lost during every single exam. When they look up, they have a WTF look on their face and you can sense a tinge of desperation as they try to work their way through the exam. I feel bad for them but it’s their way. Usually they’re pleasantly surprised by their success on an exam since they tend to walk out of an exam positive that they failed.
So, faithful reader, which type are you?
Until next time……
As most of you may know by now, I’ve been teaching for about 2 years. In that time, I’ve seen hundreds of students taking my exams. What was interesting to me was observing my students as they trudged through my tests. During one of these boring nights of proctoring, I took note of the different behaviors that I observed among my class. I realized that there are many different types of test takers. In this RaUM entry, I’ve compiled 13 distinct groups of students and will describe each of their habits, nervous tics, or patterns that separate them from other students.
While putting together this list, I tried to think back to my time as an undergrad to recall which type of test taker I was when I was younger. But it’s just too hard to see things from the inside, especially after so many years have passed since I’ve had the nervous energy that came every time I took an exam. There’s simply no way to know how I behaved before while taking any of those tests.
Here are the 13 test taker archetypes:
1) The Yawners – These students either lost sleep studying, panicking about the exam, or simply use yawning as a coping mechanism while taking the test. They can be fairly annoying to others around them, especially when the yawns are more vocal.
2) The Fidgeters – These students suffer from leg shakes and constantly shifting position. It’s as if they cannot get comfortable in their chair while taking the test. Are they sitting on a cactus chair? WTF!!
3) The Peekers – These students have a tendency to look up while thinking of an answer but they use the professor as their primary point of focus. This can get kind of creepy after a half hour of the same thing.
4) The Anti-Peekers – These students use a similar recall technique as ‘The Peekers’ except they look around at anything, and anyone, BUT the professor. They make every effort to NOT have the professor in their line of sight while looking up. These students rouse a great deal of suspicion. I consistently feel the need to keep my eyes on them as I suspect they’re trying to cheat in the most conspicuous way possible.
5) The Eyes Down – These students are the type that will have their head down and noses buried deep in the exam paper. All I see is the top of their head during the entire exam. They will not make their face visible until they finish the exam when they finally lift their head up. Sometimes I wonder if they’re even awake and as I walk by them I listen for snoring.
6) The “Sigh”-ers – These students (like ‘The Yawners’) use a form of exhalation during the exam that can get annoying to those around them if done in excess, which is usually true for those in this group. The sighing isn’t necessarily a sign of frustration or annoyance but can simply be a release of anxiety and nervous energy.
7) The Over-Reviewers – These students are the double-, triple-, quadruple-checkers who feel the constant need to review their answers to be absolutely sure that they have answered everything correctly and avoided any possible mistake. This doesn’t mean they always catch their mistakes but they feel better having reviewed their work repeatedly before handing their exam in. They are also likely to stay for the full duration of the exam (even if they’ve finished early)
8) The ‘Dory’ – Just like the character in Finding Nemo, these students are easily distracted and almost forget the task at hand. It’s a miracle that they even finish the exam!
9) The Over-Confident – Unlike the “Over Reviewers”, this group finish their exam fairly quickly and are so sure of their performance that they don’t give any question/answer a second look while taking the exam. They’re typically among the first to finish any exam.
10) The Head Slappers – The name says it all. Another nervous tic exhibited by students either to release tension or to smack around some brain cells to recall the information they need to answer a question. No bruising or injury has occurred yet in my classes. Though there has been plenty of forehead rubbing after the slaps.
11) The Time Keepers – These students are very aware of the amount of time they have to complete an exam and will pace themselves (whether intentional or not is difficult to gauge) to complete the exam at, or near, the end time. The will use every possible minute (and, at times, second) allotted to complete the exam.
12) The Tiny Bladders – These students are the ones who in the middle of the exam ask to go to the bathroom. I personally try to avoid any conflict with the “Tiny Bladders” by telling them they should go right before the exam or hold it until they’re done. Any suspicion of cheating is grounds for a zero on an exam in my classroom this includes going to the bathroom for an extended period of time (I’m not a COMPLETE ogre about the bathroom. I understand that you can’t control the urges to go)
13) The Exasperated – These students are the ones who seem completely lost during every single exam. When they look up, they have a WTF look on their face and you can sense a tinge of desperation as they try to work their way through the exam. I feel bad for them but it’s their way. Usually they’re pleasantly surprised by their success on an exam since they tend to walk out of an exam positive that they failed.
So, faithful reader, which type are you?
Until next time……
Thursday, March 18, 2010
High Praise (or The Day I Earned My Teaching Stripes)
[NOTE: This entry was almost complete as of Feb 5, 2010. It's been cleaned up a little bit but as to not mislead you, my fellow RaUMer, I have decided to not post-date it back to early February. I hope it was worth the wait.]
This Spring 2010 semester at QC, I'm co-teaching a stats class for the first time ever. I still have my own stats class which I teach in the evening. A week before the start of the Spring semester, I was offered the opportunity to take over 2 lab sections for a massive lecture class taught by Joanne Miller. It took a little bit of luck and a right-place/right-time convergence of circumstances to get me in the office of the chair of the Sociology department. It turns out the original instructor, who I went to grad school with, had decided to quit her teaching gig when she was offered a full time job at a market research firm. This left Prof. Miller without a lab instructor for 2 of her sections. The chair offered me the chance to take over the lab sections and get a little extra compensation for agreeing to it on such short notice.
Dr. Miller is the head stats instructor for the department and though she has been away for personal reasons (medical leave) for the better part of last two years, she's back in full force. I've actually worked for her before but not in this capacity. She teaches in a large lecture hall on Tuesdays to over 150 students. On Thursdays, the class gets split up into sections of approximately 20 students to do lab work which requires them to perform data analysis using real data collected from U.S. residents.
On my first meeting with the second lab class of the day, Prof Miller stopped by unexpectedly. She had some things she wanted to discuss with me but she took advantage of her time in the classroom to see me in action. I was nervous because although I've worked with her before I was never a peer. I took the same approach during this unofficial observation as I've done during my previous two observations, I focused on the material I was covering that day and tried to figure out how I can get my students to learn.
After class, as she approached me, I expected to get some constructive criticism on how I could have taught the class better. I was looking forward to getting her feedback since she has decades of experience and has, perhaps, "seen it all". Instead, I received, what I can only classify as, the greatest professional compliment I had ever gotten in my life. Dr. Miller told me that I taught my lesson just as she would... only better. (Her ACTUAL words!!)
She told me that she liked: (1) how I got the class to participate throughout the lab lesson; (2) how I managed to ask questions and get different students to respond; (3) how I had a poker face when students gave me their answers so as to not make students feel bad if they got the question wrong and to not provide clues to others on how to correct their mistakes (if, in fact, there were any); (4) that I provided the students with a very relaxed atmosphere and even she felt at ease immediately after sitting down for a few minutes; and (5) the game show gimmick where I wanted everyone to participate by raising their hands to answer some questions. She indicated that she may not be able to get away with some what I did during my lesson because of our age difference (she's significantly older than I am) but that she would adopt some of my techniques in the classroom for her classes in the future.
My jaw must have dropped!! I could not believe what she had just told me! I was waiting for the comments to be balanced out by some factors I could correct or improve upon. The only thing she did criticize was the lack of time I had towards the end of the lesson (At one point, she assisted me and took over for a few minutes while I was troubleshooting some computer issues with a handful of students in an effort to get everyone on the same page).
The only reason I was behind on time to begin with was because I had a late start having to hustle over from a building across campus and I had to familiarize myself with the new equipment in a computer lab room I never used before. I had no legitimate excuse. I should have taken the time to visit those lab rooms before the semester started but I was burnt out from the Winter class I had taught.
Receiving that feedback from Dr. Miller made me feel like I had 'arrived' as an educator. I have such a passion for what I do in the classroom and was floored by her praise. I hope that, as I continue teaching, I can maintain the high standards I've set for myself and can bring out the best in my 'kids' from week to week, semester to semester.
It'll be nearly impossible for anyone to get me off this cloud. I am truly feeling a rush of excitement and accomplishment after this first week of the Spring 2010 semester.
Someone pinch me because life CAN'T be this good.... or can it? =)
Until next time, faithful reader......
This Spring 2010 semester at QC, I'm co-teaching a stats class for the first time ever. I still have my own stats class which I teach in the evening. A week before the start of the Spring semester, I was offered the opportunity to take over 2 lab sections for a massive lecture class taught by Joanne Miller. It took a little bit of luck and a right-place/right-time convergence of circumstances to get me in the office of the chair of the Sociology department. It turns out the original instructor, who I went to grad school with, had decided to quit her teaching gig when she was offered a full time job at a market research firm. This left Prof. Miller without a lab instructor for 2 of her sections. The chair offered me the chance to take over the lab sections and get a little extra compensation for agreeing to it on such short notice.
Dr. Miller is the head stats instructor for the department and though she has been away for personal reasons (medical leave) for the better part of last two years, she's back in full force. I've actually worked for her before but not in this capacity. She teaches in a large lecture hall on Tuesdays to over 150 students. On Thursdays, the class gets split up into sections of approximately 20 students to do lab work which requires them to perform data analysis using real data collected from U.S. residents.
On my first meeting with the second lab class of the day, Prof Miller stopped by unexpectedly. She had some things she wanted to discuss with me but she took advantage of her time in the classroom to see me in action. I was nervous because although I've worked with her before I was never a peer. I took the same approach during this unofficial observation as I've done during my previous two observations, I focused on the material I was covering that day and tried to figure out how I can get my students to learn.
After class, as she approached me, I expected to get some constructive criticism on how I could have taught the class better. I was looking forward to getting her feedback since she has decades of experience and has, perhaps, "seen it all". Instead, I received, what I can only classify as, the greatest professional compliment I had ever gotten in my life. Dr. Miller told me that I taught my lesson just as she would... only better. (Her ACTUAL words!!)
She told me that she liked: (1) how I got the class to participate throughout the lab lesson; (2) how I managed to ask questions and get different students to respond; (3) how I had a poker face when students gave me their answers so as to not make students feel bad if they got the question wrong and to not provide clues to others on how to correct their mistakes (if, in fact, there were any); (4) that I provided the students with a very relaxed atmosphere and even she felt at ease immediately after sitting down for a few minutes; and (5) the game show gimmick where I wanted everyone to participate by raising their hands to answer some questions. She indicated that she may not be able to get away with some what I did during my lesson because of our age difference (she's significantly older than I am) but that she would adopt some of my techniques in the classroom for her classes in the future.
My jaw must have dropped!! I could not believe what she had just told me! I was waiting for the comments to be balanced out by some factors I could correct or improve upon. The only thing she did criticize was the lack of time I had towards the end of the lesson (At one point, she assisted me and took over for a few minutes while I was troubleshooting some computer issues with a handful of students in an effort to get everyone on the same page).
The only reason I was behind on time to begin with was because I had a late start having to hustle over from a building across campus and I had to familiarize myself with the new equipment in a computer lab room I never used before. I had no legitimate excuse. I should have taken the time to visit those lab rooms before the semester started but I was burnt out from the Winter class I had taught.
Receiving that feedback from Dr. Miller made me feel like I had 'arrived' as an educator. I have such a passion for what I do in the classroom and was floored by her praise. I hope that, as I continue teaching, I can maintain the high standards I've set for myself and can bring out the best in my 'kids' from week to week, semester to semester.
It'll be nearly impossible for anyone to get me off this cloud. I am truly feeling a rush of excitement and accomplishment after this first week of the Spring 2010 semester.
Someone pinch me because life CAN'T be this good.... or can it? =)
Until next time, faithful reader......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)