I am a very introverted person, had no serious thought about becoming a professor or teaching in the future and did not know what I was getting myself into when emailing you about the course. I only knew that it was a great opportunity and that despite my introversion and social anxiety I was to try my hardest to become part of the team. After the first meeting I knew this class would help and force me to grow – I have yet to be proven wrong. My first day as a teaching assistant (TA) was surprisingly exciting – eye contact still mildly difficult, but helping others flowed naturally. The amount of gratitude received from these students for aiding them in the simplest task was endearingly heart-warming. It was difficult when I came across things I did not know; not because I felt inadequate but because I genuinely wanted to help but couldn’t. The students are great and seeing them understand something makes …show more content…
The quote entailed that everyone is a student and teacher. It further highlighted the attitude a professor I have this semester has as he teaches; an attitude instilled with passion and happiness. In this subject the professor successfully directs his passion onto myself and other students. He displays that there is more to teaching and learning than a required curriculum and tests – it is sharing, guiding, clarifying, providing, assisting, and caring. Caring about, not the subject, but capturing ones’ mind - within this chaotic, highly structured world and allowing it to break free through this “medium” called teaching. Whether it be Statistics, Imperial Russian History, Animal Behavior, or philosophy – showing students that through any of these there is more to a subject than a grade, a topic; there is perspective and knowledge and the ability for ones individuality to grow and gain from
Many people would go as far as to say that a professor’s job is to deliver knowledge to students, and a student’s job is to absorb it, without reservation. Pirsig emphasizes how this relationship can fail through his description of Phaedrus’ time in the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program at the University of Chicago. One student in Phaedrus’ philosophy class questions Aristotle’s views of rhetoric stating that within the text, “‘There are some dubious statements,’” and the professor responds, “‘We are not here to learn what you think…We are here to learn what Aristotle thinks,’” (Pirsig 371). Basically, Pirsig is saying that there is a problem with the conventional professor-student relationship. This is because when a professor begins to feel vulnerable, like in the situation above, the professor transforms into a sovereign leader. When students live under an oppressive regime in the classroom they find themselves incapable to learn on their own terms. I agree that this relationship does need to change, a point that needs emphasizing since so many believe that if the system has operated this long, it can continue to work. I think Phaedrus is mistaken because he overlooks the real reason why the student is struggling with the professor. The issue that this lone student and Phaedrus both experience is that they are confronting the knowledge that the Professor has avowed individually. Instead, to gain more use out of the knowledge John Henry Newman would argue that these students should work with others. This will enable them to, “to adjust together the claims and relations of their subjects of investigation,” (Newman 77). Newman would surely extend this same argument that collaboration must take place between opinions on a certain subject matter, such as Aristotle. The adjustment of claims, which Newman discusses, improves education for the student. Their
He further stated that with all sincerity in themselves and colleagues, public school is now regarded as outmoded and barbarous. This thought, according to him is both observable to students and the teachers alike, but the students inhabit in it for a short period, while the teachers are condemned to it. Pursuant to teachers being condemned, they live and work as intellectual guerrillas strong-minded to stimulate students, ignite their inquisitiveness, and to open their minds, yet reluctant to stay behind in their profession. Together with this, teachers...
The first time that he asked me to print and fax a document for him, he nearly took twice as long to go over every single button on the printer and explain a process that I had done plenty before. However, as time progressed I was able to more thoroughly demonstrate my aptitude as his assistant and he grew more lax in his instructions. I initially thought that he was somewhat arrogant because of his talking down, but I was eventually able to see his perspective on the job and admire his patience and kindness. Yet despite these challenges, this class has also been rewarding because I got to meet many new people and make new friends. Most of the students in the class immediately welcomed me into their lives and were appreciative of my work. In some cases, as soon as certain students and I were done with our homework, we would talk about politics and our lives, further strengthening our bond as compatriots. One student who I assisted asked me to help him craft his essay on a fishing trip to a
Everyone have different views and opinions about the quote, but to me, this quote means if you are a HCC’s student you need to follow their rules. Just like in real life when you respect other people, you will receive the same respect. Also, to get a good grade, it’s important for you to stay focus in all of your classes and know how to manage your time. At this point we are old enough to be responsible for what we should do and should not do. By the end of our HCC journey, we have enough knowledge to take with us to our next goal in achieving our career.
Essentially students were afraid that the professor would irrevocably confirm their academic inadequacy.” She was speaking upon professors who have an “I am better than everyone” attitude. Students feel as if they cannot reach out for help because they will feel unintelligent. Students fear they are not meeting with the teachers wants for turning in assignments and as if their work is not good enough, feeling almost too embarrassed to submit assignments. They feel looked down upon by professors and are scared to speak up or ask questions about assignments. So instead they fall between the cracks and struggle their way through college. I was able to relate to that statement because there have been moments in college where I have had a fear to ask a teacher questions. A fear that they will tell me “I explained that topic in class already.” or “Were you not paying attention during the lecture?” I have heard teachers answer students with those exact words therefore I never wanted to ask questions about anything if I really did not understand the material. That alone can make a student feel as if they do not want to be a bother to the professor. A students own fear is what continuously inhibits them from college
As the time approached, my attitude toward student-teaching was one of confidence and in some ways overconfidence. I believed that I was equipped with all of the tools necessary to be a superior teacher. Little did I know what truly goes on behind the scenes of a teacher. Between grading papers, attending meetings, and preparing lessons, I would often feel overwhelmed. Still, student teaching would prove to be much more valuable than I anticipated. It would teach me to appreciate the wisdom of mentors and experienced teachers, value or being organized and prepared, and lastly the resilience of students.
My semester as a Teaching Assistant was one of my outstanding accomplishments. This was a new position open for the first time to undergraduates; and the professors’ selection was based on overall performance where I exhibited a prodigious work ethic. The professors felt I was dependable and hardworking since they observed that I paid attention, took notes, asked questions, and satisfactorily completed papers and exams. These actions plus completion of extra credit work such as participating in a study observing red wolves in the wild for a weekend, showed that I excelled to be the best and that I wanted to learn everything they were teaching. A panel of professors reviewed my application with the final decision being made by the incoming professor, who had limited eyesight. The professor could read papers up close, but having a Teaching Assistant enabled her to effectively be the professor. I ensured suitable
The reason why he says that is because most often having a teacher not take a lot of interest in what they are teaching or not having the inspiration in wanting to get students excited for learning. What he means by this is that the education system is not letting students discover what they enjoy doing and instead focusing on the important subjects such as math, English and science to name a few.
He talked about how to be a true scholar that has the right dutys that comes with being one. Which must also have great knowledge of nature. He says that books can be very helpful since they are keeping the age old ideas alive, which are the best for studying ideas and accomplishments of past people. I also find it interesting because he does not want scholars to follow the rules but go by their own and be a thinking man. Which is pretty different from what we are told today I think.
Every student is going to be different, and I will without a doubt have more than a few extroverts in my classes. Which is something that I will have to consider when making lesson plans. Besides that the most influential part of this course was the Faubion observations. Although I do not want to teach elementary school level classes I learned a lot through them. Espessially during my second observation where I learned about IEP’s, and how schools implement them. I realized that I will have to manage a classroom where not every student is going to want to learn, but it is going to be my job to make them want to. I also realized that when a student starts lashing out it is not necessarily because they do not like you, but rather that they are either going through something, or their ability to handle stress, frustration, and emotions could be
...thy adult, it is common for all the faculty members at a school to share a similar perspective on what constitutes a well-educated student. However, like the doctors at the medical center, the teachers in a “quality” school may well differ on which specific aspects of the shared vision they are most motivated to pursue at any point in time.
"The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as every child should be instilled with the wish to learn."
... generally accepted that a teacher’s main role is to facilitate learning rather than to be the source of all knowledge” (p.2).
“Education means enabling the mind to find out that ultimate truth which emancipates us from the bondage of dust and gives us the wealth of not things but of inner light , not of power but of love, making this truth its even and giving expression to it.”