Any teaching advice or tips?

Moonbear

Some days it sure seems that way.

And, I really do want to know who designed those desks that look like they're only 6" wide, and who decided it was a good idea to buy and install them in classrooms, because they both need to be clubbed repeatedly about the head.

On the topic of survival, one of the grad students just passed his qualifying exam this week. He commented, "At least it's finally over," and I responded, "No, it's just the beginning." He protested that a bit, and I explained further, "That was just the test to prove you're masochistic enough for us to let you keep going." I just had to share that, because the first day teaching can sometimes feel like that too.

Integral

I have scanned the thread and seen some excellent advise and some points that need to addressed.

I believe in your first post you commented that you would not do all of the problems,... That you had a life..

I guess you are not a grad student then?

In all seriousness... Do as many of the problems assigned to the students as you can. Should be easy for you, if they are not, then you REALLY need to do them.

When I ran into a rough spot in solving a problem, I would often take a seat along with the students, and attempt to solve the problem with them as if in a study session. This was a effort to draw them into a problem solving mode. It worked with some, not so well with others.

I did not catch what the class is you will be a TA for.
You did say it is not calculus.

Good luck

Moonbear

Another strategy to get the students interacting more, and to help them really learn, is to have them do some of the problems. If one person doesn't know how to do it, but someone else does, let them teach each other. But, you're still going to have to jump in on the ones that stump everyone, so make sure the hardest problems are ones you can readily solve.

If you're grading, and notice that a lot of people got a particular problem wrong, make sure to dedicate time in the next class going over that one. That is really what they'll want to know so they can understand their mistakes and get it right the next time...especially if the next time is on an exam.

If you notice they're confusing two different things frequently, then go through examples of them side-by-side so they can see where the differences are. That was actually something I was surprised nobody had thought to do before when I was TAing biology...of course that's different than math, but there were always a few organisms that were commonly confused because they looked pretty similar under a microscope, so I just got two slide projectors and put up pictures side-by-side and went through all the differences. I could just see that "aha" moment on a lot of the student's faces when I did this. But, for example, if there are two types of problems that get commonly confused, you might want to work them both out side-by-side on two boards in the room and point out why you solve one in one way, and the other a different way.

tribdog

better yet do both problems at the same time, one with your right hand and one with your left. that'll get the little bastard's attention.

Gokul43201

...like this !

JasonRox

I never mentionned what class I was TAing.

It's Linear Algebra for those that are curious.

I'll be solving plenty of problems, so don't get me wrong. I just don't want to do all of them. Why would I want to solve 4x4 matrices when I've already done them many times before? The only time I will do them is for the ones that are presented in class, but not for the homework. That's just silly.

I practically made my one Solution Manual for the course already. I did so many problems when I took the course that when assignments came around, I already did atleast half of it. I took this course just last year too.

shmoe

Yes!!! This was one of my alternates to staring blankly at them when they had no questions of their own. If they have no questions, I would assume this means they could answer all the problems so I would select students to teach me how to do the problems on the board. It was cruel when their reason for having no questions was not having attempted the homework, but they quickly learned to give the work a try before coming to tutorials. Having them teach each other is a good tactic on it's own too, you can sit in the back and drink while the class teaches itself. You can also sneak out the back quietly in case the student at the board falls victim to one of the many dangers at the front of the room.

The less cruel/creepy alternate when they stared blankly was to have examples ready to go. Usually something not directly from the homework, going on the hopefully assumption they had already completed the homework without trouble.

JasonRox

I thought about this, but I doubt the professor will want this. I'm not sure. I haven't talked to her yet.

I do have a pretty big problem though. I decided that if a student has a question, they have to come up and explain it clearly or as best they can. I'm hearing impaired, so I have no choice in this regard.

I'd like to get the students doing the problems, but we will see. I was actually thinking of making my own problems so that they can't just look at the back of the book for a solution or a very similiar problem in the chapter. This should challenge them more.

Gokul43201

Neat! I wish I could have taught only the curious students.

Gokul43201

That's like the trick James Garfield used to impress people...except he (Garfield) would write in Greek with one hand while writing in Latin with the other.

fourier jr

if you think you know how to do all the problems, try to do them as fast as you can (with no mistakes of course). there's a lady at my old university who teaches the 1st year calculus courses there & she noticed some typos in the key in the back of the edwards/penney book they use so she solved every problem in the sections she was going to cover in the courses she taught. the girl/woman/etc who told me said it took this instructor ~4 1/2hrs. i think if you treat it as 'pulling teeth' it would take much longer than that. i'm a bit rusty with that stuff but i think after a couple problems from each section i'd be 'in a groove' & the rest would be pretty easy. same with linear algebra or any other subject.

re: rum/coke i think canada's 1st prime minister john a macdonald used to drink gin in the house of commons because it looked like water. i don't know if it was to calm his nerves or because he was an alcoholic. maybe a bit of both.

re: girls i can see how they could be a major problem. 28-yr-old grad students probably have godlike rockstar status to most 20-year-old students.

tribdog

I can sort of do that. I write in english with my right hand and in mirror image english with my left.

tribdog

bad idea. the solution or a similar problem's solution is there for a reason. I'm not a teacher, but I think that being able to check the solution is important, and there isn't a better way to learn something than using a similar problem to see how to come up with a solution

Moonbear

I'd suggest you explain your reason for that right up front, so they don't think you're just a big...you can fill in the word there. It'll be good to challenge them to stand up and speak clearly, something too many students don't do well at all, but it'll make it easier if they understand there's a reason that it's really important in your case.

FrogPad

I wish my TA for recitation this semester put in 0.0001% of the effort you seem like you are going to put in.

My TA hands out a quiz, tells us we can leave if we want, and then goes over the homework that is due. He's smart, but doesn't really seem like he gives two craps about the class. He also usually just holds the solution (that he did, or got from the solution manual) with him while he writes fragments of it on the board.

tribdog

I was sort of thinking the same thing. I was thinking it sort of funny and cute to see how important he views the position. It's a common trait, I think, at his age and a good attitude to have, hopefully he can keep it everytme he has a job to do.

Moonbear

I agree, the quality of education is so much better when someone is teaching because they really want to do it and it's something they enjoy; that's not always the case with TAs, some are only doing it to earn a stipend to pay the bills.