August 23, 2005
Adventures in Teaching
Well, I taught my first class today, a freshman composition course. Unfortunately, I don't have any good anecdotes to relate yet. They all seem pretty bright (even if most of them can't write well) and responsive. I even almost managed to fill the entire 80 minutes, but had to stretch things out a bit. I was planning on more awkward silences when I asked questions, but I seem to have at least three who always want to answer and a handful of other students who are willing to speak up regularly. It's funny sitting in class now that I'm teaching as well; I find myself analyzing the professor's pedagogical techniques and quirks for pointers. They all seem so polished and bursting with information while I have little to say and even less grace when saying it. I hope to have some juicy observational nuggets to relate later in the semester. For now, however, I just need to learn how to teach.
Knowing how much to prepare, and grokking the extent to which you need to account for both student discussion and the speed of your own speech, are things you'll figure out quickly enough. Congrats on getting through the first day!
God, it sounds frightening — nothing as awful as facing a classroomful of intelligent eager beavers. Good luck. Can't wait to read further tales.
Heheh, thanks to both of you. I'll see later today if I've prepared enough this time or not...