monoceros blogsWednesday's over and I've completed the two-day teaching sessions. My head is whirling and I'm certainly all psyched up for teaching. (Except that I still have several dozen things to prepare.)
According to studies, my profile has a fair number of things working against me:
1. Female
2. Vertically-challenged a.k.a short
3. Young-looking
4. From a minority group (here in the U.S. anyway)
5. From another country
Juding from that list, I could put "from another planet" and it wouldn't make things much worse.
Well, I'm just going to sweep all that under the mat, and focus on memorizing my students names. No one's waitlisted so far, although the class is full, so I can just think about 18 names. 12 guys, 6 girls. Now, isn't that nice? Let's hope we all get along. Anyone out there know how to pronounce the last name, "Hsieh"? I am pretty sure I'm going to butcher a few names when I do the roll call on Tuesday.
Valuable piece of information gleaned from the sessions: Do NOT wipe the board with horizontal strokes. This makes your butt wiggle. Aim for vertical strokes.
Warning: Grade inflation is a real problem here. As new first year/second year instructors, we are being sent in to the grading trenches, and the director is hollering, "Hold the line!"
Take comfort in these first-day incidents which probably won't happen to you: One graduate student instructor (GSI) was reading the syllabus when he saw a drop of blood on the sheet he was holding. I suppose it can't get much worse than being so nervous that your nose starts to bleed. Another GSI wrote his name on the board, turned round, opened his mouth to speak, and then passed out in front of his waiting students. They fanned around him until he came to. That certainly made his students sympathetic to him for the rest of the term.
Remember this at all times:
As a GSI, you are probably thinking about your class more than anyone else in the world at any point in time. Your students are probably thinking about trying to catch the attention of the guy or girl across the room, rushing for a Greek fraternity, where to get lunch, how to steal a quick nap, and which Seinfeld episodes are being re-run. Keep things in perspective. You will survive life as a GSI.
All the best. You'll do fine.
Can I call you 'Cher? :-P
Posted by: Van Tan at September 2, 2004 2:13 AMi sure that profile plus i've got squeaky voice...
you'll shine. :C) wish i could join in your class!!!
Posted by: tiggie at September 2, 2004 4:39 AMsounds like you did great Vanny!
"Hsieh" = "Xie" .. at least that's how my ABT friend pronounces her own last name :)
Van baby, it would only delight me! Reminds me of my first batch of students at Changkat Changi who called me that all the time.
Tigs, your voice is not squeaky! It's sweet and lilting! I like the hair, by the way! =)
Thanks, Bunny! That really will help me. So your friend has the same last name and it's spelled that away too, huh?
Posted by: V Heng at September 2, 2004 6:50 PMoh boy i meant 'share' -- my typing/brain is terrible these days...
Posted by: tiggie at September 3, 2004 4:36 PMand my fingers pressing the wrong keys too quickly...
you really think my voice isn't squeaky? but it sounded really bad when i heard it on the audio... it sounds 'normal' in my head... but oh boy... i was horrified many years ago. no wonder mummy thought i was pretending to be 'cute'... (depressing)
the hair's no longer messy... need to borrow someone's straighteners... heee
Posted by: tiggie at September 3, 2004 4:41 PMTigs, we all sound bad to our own ears. And especially when it's on audio. =) And you will always be cute to your Mummy, and to us! These straighteners - are they like the ceramic perm things? The opposite of rebonding? Strange that straigheners would make your hair wavy! I'm thinking of growing my hair pretty long and then putting some waves in it. Next year maybe!
Posted by: V Heng at September 3, 2004 9:26 PMDon't worry you'll be fine, I'm sure the students will love you = )
Posted by: irene heng at September 3, 2004 9:27 PMyup they are like ceramic perm thingys originally used for straighening very curly hair... nice thing is it's not going to be permanent if you don't like how you look! hahahha
Posted by: tiggie at September 4, 2004 6:16 AM