#but keep in mind we were told the syllabus has changed for the exam TWO HOURS BEFORE THEY STARTED | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

spookysanta · 5 years ago

Text

The TA. - one. (c.e, h.c.)

Summary: she just wants to make a good impression. clearly, she’s made more of an impression on the two of them.

Pairings: Professor!Chris Evans x Black!Reader, student!Henry Cavill x Black!Reader

WARNINGS: swearing

updates will be sporadic because it’s a wip, but here’s part one! enjoy! :)

UNEDITED

****

To Whom it May Concern:

Good morning. My name is Dr. Christopher R. Evans and I’ll be your supervising professor for section D346-0 of Chemistry class for the Fall semester. I’m sending you this e-mail to introduce myself as well as get to know you a bit before classes start next week. Would you be willing to meet me in my office (Franklin Hall, 3210) this Wednesday at around 3 p.m.? I’d like to go over the syllabus as well as your requirements as my TA.

Please let me know if that time works well for you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards,

Dr. Christopher R. Evans, D. Sc.

(310) 555-3984

***

Professor Evans:

Good morning! It’s nice to hear from you. I was in the process of getting your contact information to introduce myself. Thank you for taking me on as your TA, also—I appreciate that you’re giving me a chance. I’ll avail myself on Wednesday to meet with you at 3 p.m., I don’t want to change your schedule on my behalf. I can also provide you with my class schedule if you’d like so that you have my availability when you need to meet with me.

I’m excited to be working with you this semester!.

Best,

(Y/N) (Y/L/N)

***

“Hi, my name’s (Y/N) (Y/L/N). Is Dr. Evans around?” She entered the lecture hall, approaching the podium where another professor was packing up her things. “I’m his new TA.”

“Yes, his office is through that door. Go in, make a left, and it should be the first door on your right.” The professor instructed, “He should be in there.”

“Okay. Thank you, ma’am!” she hurried across the room and pushed through the door, following the professor’s instructions and finding his classroom much easier than she had initially. She knocked on the door to his office. “Dr. Evans?”

“Come in.”

She opened the door slowly. She found him at his desk, typing on a computer. He paused for a moment, looking up toward the doorway with a small smile.

“Hi. You must be (Y/N).” he stood and crossed the small room stalking over to her and offering his hand for her to shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Great to meet you as well, Dr. Evans.” She shook his hand eagerly. This was her first professional job, and well…it’s helpful to have him as her boss.

Mainly to look at, but that’s beside the point.

“Oh, please. You can call me Chris.” He waved her off politely. “It’s just you and I here.”

She cleared her throat. “Okay.”

He made his way back to his seat behind the desk. “Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the chair that sat on the opposite side of the desk.

She sat down tightly with her hands flattened under her thighs—she’s a picker.

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head tightly. “Nothing.”

He noticed that her face read differently than her words were saying. She looked almost uncomfortable, unsettled. “Are you sure?”

“This is just my first TA job so I’m a bit nervous,” She was almost hesitant to tell him the truth. She rushed out, “hopefully that doesn’t compromise my position.”

“Not at all! In fact, I think this is one of the easier classes to TA for, but maybe I’m biased.” He chuckled. “So, with that said, let’s go over your requirements. Hopefully I can put your mind at ease, okay?”

“Okay.” She smiled politely, trying to make herself relax but failing because Dr. Evans—Chris—was quite different that was she thought he would be. He was tall, built, and had the prettiest eyes she’d ever seen.

She’d assumed that he would look like Ebenezer Scrooge from the way her friends said he ran his class. By their record, he was a strict guy—very unwavering with deadlines and course policies, sticks to his syllabus schedule, assigns a ton of work, and has an even stricter attendance policy.

But they also said he was nice, which was hard to come by with professors in this field. They could tell he was a good person deep down and liked what he taught but he was a hard ass.

And by her analyzation, that was true.

His desk was quite neat and polished; it smelled of air freshener in the room; there weren’t any papers scattered about—which she was thankful for, because she cannot work with people who were unorganized—and, most notably, there weren’t any kind of photos hanging up. It was hard for her to determine whether he was a bachelor, or a married father that just kept things private.

Not that it mattered…but she wanted to know.

“So,” he turned one of his monitors to face her so that she could see his screen. “here’s the syllabus. It seems like a lot, but I swear, it isn’t.” he chuckled.

She hummed in response, beginning to read the lengthy document in her head as he spoke.

“Basically, your job will be to help me grade quizzes, labs, exams, and other assignments. You’ll also be required to proctor exams; I have another TA, Henry—he’s a graduate student—that will come in on exam days and proctor with you.”

She thought for a moment. “So, if I may ask, what will you do?”

“Teach the class.”

“Well, I know that. I just meant…it seems like a lot for me to do, and I’ve heard about some professors on campus having their TAs run the class.”

“Oh! Definitely not. Look, you seem great, and I have a feeling we’d get on well, but there’s a specific way I want my material taught so that’s not something you’d have to worry about.” He reassured her, noticing her body begin to relax. “What I will say, is there is a lot of content in my class, but the major graded assignments are few and far between, if that makes you feel better.”

She cocked an eyebrow.

“The class is mostly lab-based. You’ll be grading lab prep work, mostly—then comes the occasional homework or quiz, and exams.”

“Oh, okay. That makes more sense.”

He nodded. “Good.”

He scrolled down further into the document, showing his class policies.

“Now, these, I can’t break on.” He sighed. “I’m sure you’ve heard that I’m a strict guy.”

“What?” she replied incredulously. “No!”

He wanted to laugh. He could tell she was analyzing him, and she had to have heard something about him before the two of them met. “Well, it’s because a lot of the precautions are for the safety of us and the students.”

She scanned a random sentence on the page that read:

Students are required to be fully clothed on lab days—no t-shirts, ripped clothing, or closed-toed shoes.

10 points will be deducted for wearing clothing that does not meet the above dress requirement. More than one violation on the lab dress requirement will result in a deduction from the LAB grade.

Yikes, she thought, he’s not joking around.

She found it understandable nonetheless—she imagines it would be difficult to have a completely safe lab in a stuffy room while it’s still hot outside.

And she’s heard that a lot of the laboratories on his side of campus don’t have air conditioning, which was quite unfortunate this time of year.

“The dress policy is the most heavily enforced one.” He shrugged. “I can’t be held liable for students’ recklessness during labs.”

“Has the dress code been an issue previously?” she asked.

“Not for me, but I know it’s been one for the department, so I’m just tryin’ to keep my name off the “injury list”.”

She nodded in understanding.

“I think that’s pretty much it as far as the basics are concerned. I’ll send you a copy of my syllabus and calendar for the semester, as well as your contract.” He turned the monitor to face him again, typing quickly on his keyboard. “Oh! And I should send you Henry’s information, too.”

“Who’s Henry again?”

“Henry is a graduate TA. I’ve had him in my classes for a couple of years, and he’s a great student. I think he worked in the library over the summer, so you may know him.”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

“Well, he’s a great person to know, not just for my class, but for your upper-level math and science classes.” He gushed. Clearly, he really liked having this “Henry” as an assistant.

“Okay, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“Great. And if you have any questions, shoot me an e-mail or a text and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

“Alright.” She replied simply.

He stood, holding out his hand again. “I’m looking forward to working with you this semester, (Y/N).”

She took his hand, this time relishing in the softness of his skin and the firmness in his grip. “I am, too.”

Later that day, after she’d completed the last assignments for her summer math class, she checked her e-mail’s inbox and found two messages from Chris and another from Henry, the godsend of a grad student.

***

From: Dr. Christopher R. Evans, D. Sc.

Miss (Y/L/N)—

I hope this message finds you well.

Attached is my syllabus and class calendar, as well as your contract.

Please read through all of these. Sign the contract when you’re ready and e-mail it back to me at your earliest convenience.

Regards,

Chris

***

From: Dr. Christopher R. Evans, D. Sc

Miss (Y/L/N)—

I meant to send you Henry’s information as well:

Henry W. D. Cavill

Phone: 316-555-2015

E-mail: [email protected]

Please message him at your earliest convenience. Like I said, he’s a great person to know!

Regards,

Chris

She replied a quick “thank you” before continuing through her inbox.

***

From: Henry W. D. Cavill

Hi, (Y/N)! It’s nice to “meet” you, I’m Henry.

Chris has told me that you’re the new undergrad TA! That’s pretty impressive, honestly—you’re one of four undergraduate TAs in the entire Sciences department. Anyway, I just wanted to send you this e-mail to introduce myself and let you know that if you need anything, I’m always available. I worked in the school’s library over the summer so if you need me immediately, that’s usually where I spend my free time nowadays.

I’m excited to work with you this semester! Maybe we could grab coffee and get to know each other better before classes start next week? Let me know.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Best wishes,

Cav

“Cav?” she read aloud in disgust, “What the hell kind of a nickname is “Cav”?” She hoped that he didn’t expect her to call him that because that was stupid.

At any rate, she could tell that he was much more laid back than Chris, which she was bound to enjoy. As nice as Chris was, she could tell that he was a bit…uptight. Henry, on the other hand, seemed more laid back if she used “Cav” as a form of evidence.

She could tell that he was a bookworm, too, because no-one—no-one she knew, at least—stays in the library unless they had to, or just liked reading.

Clearly he was a different breed.

She opened a new message to send a quick reply to his.

To: Henry W.D. Cavill

Hi, Henry.

It’s nice to hear from you as well. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you!

I’m free tomorrow afternoon if you want to meet at The Bistro for coffee.

Let me know if that works for you.

Best,

(Y/N)

There. Sweet and simple.

Don’t be confused, either—she wanted this position. It would open some doors for her down the line, especially if she can get on Chris’ good side like Henry clearly has. She just hated formalities. The emails, the “talk to you soon! ”s, the “hope you’re well! ”s… it was too high-strung for her.

She is, though, determined to start everything on a good foot. So she’ll be polite, she’ll wish them well, whatever—she just wanted to ensure that her success as an undergrad student wouldn’t be hindered or jeopardized by her desire to be casual with who’s really her boss and co-worker.

The next day, she mustered up the courage to throw on clothes and meet Henry at The Bistro, a café in the main square of the campus. She decided to dress nice, not entirely sure who she was meeting and wanting to make a good impression. Because “Cav” seemed like a decent guy, but you never know.

Honestly, she wanted to cancel but she knew that wouldn’t look good.

She stepped through The Bistro’s doors, the cold air practically smacking her in the face. Normally she would despise the cold, especially on a day like this where it wasn’t too hot and not at all humid; but today, she was grateful for the cold air that enwrapped her frame that was dressed in a black blazer and matching slacks.

She sent a message to Henry letting her know that she was there and sat at a table by the window.

Then she waited.

Ten minutes, then twenty, then thirty.

After forty minutes passed, she gathered her tote, phone, and keys, and made her way to the front door.

Before she could get to the door, a figure bumped into her, her body colliding with his hard chest. “Oh, shit, sorry!” the mass of flesh exclaimed, “I’m running late for a meeting and I didn’t watch where I was going.”

Her eyes met his as she took a step back. He was tall. His long brown hair was brushed behind one ear, cheeks flushed and pale, brown eyes wide.

He was cute.

“Wait,” she replied, “are you Henry?”

“Yeah…so?”

“So?” she glared at him. “I’m (Y/N).”

His eyes widened even more, as if that were possible. “Oh! I’m so sorry I’m late. My car broke down and I ended up having to walk here.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But listen, if you’re still free, I’d love to still talk with you.”

She didn’t have anywhere to be, so why not? “Sure.”

He let out a breath. “Thank you.”

The two of them sat down at the table she picked, him slugging his shoulder bag off his body and onto the floor next to him. He folded his hands on the table and looked at her, watching as she fumbled through her bag for her planner and a pen.

“So,” he started, “it’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

“You, too.” She replied, her eyes not looking up.

“I’m usually the only TA in Chris’ class, so it’s really cool to have someone else around. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to be the only one proctoring an exam in a class of three-hundred people.”

“Three-hundred people?”

“Yeah. Sometimes it’s less, but that’s the average. It’s full of freshmen, too.”

She finally found her planner and a pen in the depths of her bag. “Are freshmen bad?”

He shook his head, “Not really, they’re just…odd.” He shrugged. “Some of them want to learn, some don’t, and you can tell right away. The ones that want to learn don’t want help—it’s always the procrastinators, the slackers, the ones that don’t care that need you.”

“How is that odd?”

“It’s strange to me, honestly. I didn’t really care either way my freshman year. I wanted to learn but I didn’t care enough to actually try.”

“So what changed? Chris made you seem like you were some mythical being.”

He laughed. She’ll admit, she was lost in his smile for a second. The glint in his eyes and the crinkle in his nose made her smile. “A mythical being?” he repeated. “I’m far from mythical. I think he gushes about me because I take over his office hours for him most days.”

That made her laugh. “Well, he seems to be appreciative of having you around. Hopefully I can be helpful.”

“I’m sure you can be,” he waved her off, “he probably told you that his class wasn’t that bad, but he’s totally lying. My first year helping him was rough—too much shit to do, and not enough time for it to get done.”

That sounded more accurate compared to what Chris told her yesterday. “I figured.”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s a great professor, and an awesome mentor to have—but sometimes he downplays stuff. He’ll say it’s “no big deal”, and it’ll be like Armageddon for us.”

She nodded slowly. “Any advice for getting on his good side?”

He chuckled. “If he likes you, you’ll know. And if he likes you, he’ll help you out. He’s not at all unreasonable, either; so just tell him what’s up when you have a problem, or if you’re overwhelmed, and he’ll do what he can to help.”

“That’s not what I heard.” She mumbled.

“Well, his students from last year will say he’s a dick, but—and you can’t tell anyone I told you this—” he leaned in closer, whispering, “he went through a nasty divorce last fall.”

So he isn’t married.

“Oh, wow.”

“Yeah. He wasn’t in the best place, but I’ll admit he’s eased up quite a bit so you should be fine.”

“Okay, cool.”

“Anything else you want to know?”

She thought for a moment. “Not really, no.”

He smiled again, “Alright. Well it was great talking with you, and I’m sorry again for being late.”

She shrugged, “Shit happens.”

“You’re exactly right. The meter maids are probably having a field day giving me tickets.” He stood from the table, putting his bag over his shoulder that was covered in a dark green jacket, brushing his hair behind his ears and away from his face.

She stood shortly after he did. “Good luck with that.”

“Oh, trust me, it wouldn’t be anything new for me to have a ticket by now. I’ve gotten five since May.”

Her eyes widened this time. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. The parking on campus is shit, you get in where you can. Open parking spaces are scarce, especially by Franklin Hall…so sometimes I park on the street.”

Street parking is decal only. By the number of tickets he’d obtained, she deduced that he most likely had no decal. “Hence all the tickets.” She finalized.

“Yeah.”

“Criminal.” She shook her head jokingly.

“Guilty as charged.” He held out his wrists to her as if she was putting him in handcuffs. “See you around, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Then he turned and left, moving quickly down the pavement.

—

Tags (dm to be removed): @lady-x-red @justtwhst @lokisbitch27 @boundtomyfate @cyberdoshee @liquorlaughslove @heroine-of-color

#The Ta #henry cavill x black reader #chris evans x black reader #chris evans x black woman #henry cavill x black woman #the ta fic

83 notes · View notes

wherefunsurvives · 8 years ago

Note

sorry britt i love u: b, d, dorm spam emails, sad react, course website, fb study group, metro, backpack, syllabus

i love you too anon! Okay, here we go:

B: Tell an embarrassing story?Okay so i took Stars this quarter, which is an astronomy/astrophysics core course. i’m not very good at math or science so it was a struggle. i definitely didn’t study as much as i needed to for the midterm and wasn’t sure what material i should look over. The first question was “How old is the sun?” My first instinct was 3 billion. But then i panicked and couldn’t remember how old the universe was. i was afraid the universe was only 3 billion years old and didn’t want to look dumb for saying the sun was older than the universe. i tried to think of other numbers we’d discussed and for some reason my mind was convinced i’d used 10 million years in a homework about the sun. So i put 10 million years old. For those who also don’t know, it turns out the sun is 4.6 billion years old. i absolutely looked like an idiot. And i couldn’t look my TA in the eye after that.

D: worst moment this year (so far)?Mmm there were definitely some rough patches, but i’m going to go with quitting Mock Trial. i was only on the team for the first 2 months of the season and it was my first time doing Mock. i had a lot of fun but it was really hurting my health. Accepting that i can’t do as much as i could in high school, and that my chronic pain has changed me was a really difficult process.

Dorm spam emails: who are your best friends? Some of my closest friends are from high school, which is really nice! At school, i’m really close with 4 girls in my house. We call ourselves the Chambersquad. There are definitely a lot of people on campus i adore who i don’t see as much though!

sad react: what upcoming thing are you dreading?Don’t get me wrong, i love Christmas and New Year’s, but i kind of dread the holidays because things have a tendency to get stressful in my house.

course website: worst professor/TA story? Last spring i had a prof for my SOSC class who told us depression wasn’t a real mental illness and that antidepressants were The Man’s way of making you be a productive member of society again. He did choose not to give us exams which was nice but some of the stuff he said kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

fb study group: what’s your major, and why did you choose it?i’m a psychology major! i really love working with people, and i’ve always been fascinated by what it is that makes people do what they do. What are their stories? How do our early experiences shape who we are? How can we be better to each other?

metro/subway/T/etc. card: favorite trip/vacation? Probably traveling to Amsterdam in high school. Or, although it’s not really a trip, i would definitely say interning in New York this summer was one of the most beloved and magical experiences i have had.

backpack: what’s in your bag? Since i’m on break rn it’s a hodgepodge of stuff, but usually i have my laptop, bullet journal, and pen case. i usually keep a clif bar and water bottle on the side pockets, and some gum and lip balm (highkey obsessed with Glossier’s balmdotcom) in the small front pocket. Sometimes a pair of shorts/shirt if i’m going to the gym!

syllabus: favorite class? A tie between Contemporary Issues in Human Rights and Sociology of Deviant Behavior. Both were incredibly fascinating subjects taught by two of the best profs i have had at UChicago!

4 notes · View notes

humorepoch9-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Tips from students to help improve your teaching (opinion)

The first recommendation of the American Academy’s recent report "The Future of Undergraduate Education" is simple: we should work to improve undergraduate instruction.

But how? In many disciplines, we don’t have rigorous measures of learning, so we cannot easily identify the best practitioners and simply copy what they do. Undergraduate students, however, experience numerous teachers and a lot of instruction, some good and some bad. They are a source of valuable information about what constitutes good practice.

So, at a recent event co-sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Education, the University of Wisconsin at Madison College of Letters and Science, and the American Academy, we asked five undergraduate students at the university to describe instructional practices that they’ve encountered rarely but were especially effective -- and that they think should be more widely shared. Of course, some strategies work in some disciplines better than others, in some kinds of classes better than others and for some instructors better than others. Here’s what the students at the event told us.

Christian Cuevas, a senior majoring in computer science: One strategy that more professors should use, especially in STEM classes but also anytime a complex solution or process needs to be explained, is to explain all the details. While that can result in professors covering information that may seem painfully obvious to them, it saves students confusion. When professors skip over steps of a problem and only focus on those they feel are the most crucial or important, it puts the burden on students to connect the dots in their heads, while still trying to pay attention to the stream of information in the lecture.

Few steps in a solution are obvious to students who have never encountered a similar problem before. Even if some steps are easy to figure out upon reflection, students lack the bandwidth to reflect while also taking notes and ingesting the lecture. Skipping steps risks students leaving the classroom with little understanding and having to put the scattered pieces together on their own.

By covering solutions in their entirety, professors allow their students to focus on absorbing the complex new information in front of them. That frees students to ask questions and leaves them with complete examples in their notes, which can be crucial when they are trying to solve similar problems in their homework or when studying for exams.

Imagine you were trying to bake a cake and you had never done it before. Suppose that the recipe skipped directly from beating the eggs to putting the finished batter in the oven, ignoring all the steps in between. You would fail! The missing steps might be intellectually uninteresting to the master baker, but the novice baker has to learn them. Just as we need to be guided through every detail when baking a cake for the first time, we also need thorough guidance when approaching a difficult calculus or physics problem for the first time.

Alexis Argall (B.A. 2018), a political science and communication and life sciences major: At a large research institution like UW Madison, it is easy to feel like “just another number.” Many professors would like to know their students personally but don’t know how to do it; others seem to share information with students and then forget about them until next class period. Yet a professor in one of my classes used a strategy that others should try.

Participation was worth 30 percent of our grade, and it included a requirement to email the professor weekly with a connection that we had made between something that we’d discussed in class and something outside of it. That connection could come from another course or from our personal lives -- anything that made us stop and remember what we had learned that week. It forced me to think about the material outside of class and helped me find practical applications for what I was learning.

We were not graded rigidly on the content of our emails but rather just that we had made some sort of meaningful connection. Grading them on a submission basis rather than a content basis saved a lot of time for my professor, while still pressing us to process the information.

For my professor, the benefit was learning more about us as “whole people” rather than just students in her class. It gave her a more holistic view of us students, as well as forced us to actively process what we were learning. The requirement made us learn more, and the sense that the professor knew who we were made us want to learn more.

Joe Venuta (B.A. 2018), a philosophy major: One valuable lesson I’ve learned has been how to approach negative feedback. Specifically, I have come to realize the value in engaging with criticism and improving the work on which it is given. And I would not have discovered this without professors whose classes required me to do so.

In many classes, faculty members give comments on assignments in writing along with the final grade. While that kind of feedback can be a tool for improvement, it is too easy for students to brush comments off and simply keep those things in mind for next time rather than consider how they might be addressed. Furthermore, students often see such comments as the instructor’s justification for giving a less than perfect score rather than what it really is: an opportunity to improve that particular assignment.

My professors have used two main strategies for inducing students to process negative feedback. One was to require the submission of a draft in advance. While successful students often work through multiple drafts anyway, submitting a draft for review forces them to consider major weaknesses in their assignment that they may otherwise overlook. In addition, submitting an improved final draft after responding to any criticism can help show students the value and achievability of addressing shortcomings.

Another strategy is through in-person conferences. A back-and-forth discussion requires students to face specific criticisms head-on. It also allows them to become more comfortable with defending their work while staying composed -- a valuable skill in any field. While in-person conferences do require more time from both the student and professor, a conversation lasting even 15 minutes can help.

Personalized criticism from professors is a valuable resource, one that is too rarely used. Whether through multiple drafts or in-person discussions, engaging with negative feedback can benefit students in any area of study.

Kailey Mullane, a sophomore majoring in communication arts and economics: My first thought when I was invited to speak was, “I am not qualified to be giving world-renowned professors technical teaching strategies that will solve all their classroom problems.” But then I thought about what makes classes valuable to me. Numerous factors come into play: material, class size, other students and so on. However, I realized that one simple thing consistently makes classes better: when teachers make the students introduce themselves at the start of each class period in the first few weeks.

Students introducing and saying a little bit about themselves (like majors and hometowns) really changes the dynamic. Knowing a classmate’s name instantly creates a more inviting environment and is the first step in developing a relationship. In those classes, I notice that instead of sitting silently staring at screens, students actually talk to one another before class starts. They talk during class: students are more willing to offer comments, ask questions and disagree with one another. And they talk to each other outside of class, often about the material -- which means there is more outside learning.

Time is precious. But in small classes, introductions take just three to five minutes. Large lectures are more difficult, but TAs can effectively administer that process in discussion sections. Just taking time at the start of each class to have students introduce themselves can have invaluable effects in and beyond the classroom.

Chlodagh Walsh, (B.B.A. 2018), a finance, investment and banking major: My first semesters of college were filled with mostly large lecture classes, the "weed out" type that could ruin your GPA or force you to change your major. On the first day of class, professors would outline the predetermined curves and tell us exactly how many students would receive A's, regardless how much we learned. One professor told us that, while we should be able to complete 80 percent of the exams using his lectures, we could not prepare for the more nuanced application of the material that constituted the remaining 20 percent.

The first class in my major was accompanied by a 19-page syllabus that we were tested on. The professor graded us based on our class rank; if you did better than half of the 300-person class, you received a grade of 50 percent. He set the grading practices to mimic the business world that we were set to enter: cutthroat and ultracompetitive. The syllabus stated that if you aced an exam, the professor would take you out to dinner -- as far as I know, he has never had to follow through. Most class participation was involuntary; the professor cold-called students unsystematically, so we shied away from wearing clothing that might draw his attention. I found a good hiding place, just outside his usual line of sight.

I had a different class in the same room a year later. It was another large, entry-level class that was subject to the GPA restrictions of the business school, which sets a maximum average class GPA of 3.0. So I was pretty surprised when the professor said she had hoped to see high test averages. She explained that our test scores were an indication of her teaching; if she were doing her job right, we should score well.

She made me view my GPA as a reflection of not only my effort but also the quality of the instruction I was receiving. The way she framed the class from the beginning emphasized our learning ahead of grades, which I came to understand are not synonymous.

Since many people performed well, the letter grade differentials at the high end reflected the GPA regulations more than student competencies. I can understand the business school may have reasons to regulate govern grading, so I was not frustrated by that. Instead, with the help of the professor, I learned to value the knowledge and skills -- the learning -- that I gained more than whatever direction my GPA moved after finals.

Students admired this professor and volunteered topics to discuss at the onset of each class. She invited us to her office hours and made us welcome when we came. The TAs spoke highly of her in discussion sections. The atmosphere was remarkably different than the lecture style I was used to and reduced the interstudent competition that other large classes encouraged. I wasn’t afraid of being caught off guard and embarrassed by answering a question wrong, so I didn’t need to hide in class or avoid eye contact. The environment made us less afraid of failing and more intellectually ambitious.

I applied this perspective to other classes, regardless of each professor's structure. I was less stressed about exam scores and more concerned about my actual understanding. As a self-identified really good crammer, I had perfected scoring high and learning little for years, but that seemed less attractive now.

Knowing my class standing was less interesting, too: my own learning was what mattered. I have found most students succeed when professors don’t intend to intimidate, reduce the reliance on grades as a measure of success, and identify student learning as the measure of their own success.

*******

One point of publicizing these students’ comments is just to provide good additions to the instructors’ toolbox. Of course, for any suggestion, the instructor has to reflect on whether it will work for them, in their discipline and in their situation. The second point is to encourage administrators and instructors to seek out and disseminate considered student suggestions. Thoughtful students are invaluable resources when we are looking to improve, and their insights are solicited too rarely.

Source: https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2018/09/04/tips-students-help-improve-your-teaching-opinion

0 notes

silveryinkystar · 7 years ago

Text

What if...

I was thinking a bit about this the other day and had an idea concerning Prisoner of Azkaban - what would happen if Sirius was found trying to break into Gryffindor Tower on Halowe’en eve?

So far, this is what I came up with:

Remus goes to the Great Hall for the Entrance Feast but passes the Gryffindor common room corridor and hears someone shouting – his senses are heightened because it was the full moon the day before (there was a full moon on October 30, 1993, I checked)

He thinks it’s a pair of latecomers fighting and carries on until he hears screaming that can only be the Fat Lady’s portrait

He runs to the portrait hole and finds someone puling a knife on her, and shouts at the attacker, but something about the other man seems familiar

He suddenly recognises the voice and calls, “Sirius?”

Sirius turns around, just as startled as Remus.

“What are you doing here?”

“I – I’m a teacher here.”

Sirius nods and starts to say something but Remus raises his wand. “Don’t.”

“It wasn’t me.”

“You were Secret Keeper!”

“No,” Sirius says calmly. “I switched.”

Remus falters then. “Peter?”

Sirius nods. “The Weasley boy’s rat – that’s him.”

“Ron’s rat? But – no. It can’t be.”

Sirius gives him the newspaper cutting. “Got this from Fudge in July. One of his toes is missing.”

“He didn’t cut it off?”

“Right after he blasted the street apart.”

Remus’ eyes are wide, but it’s clear that he believes Sirius. “Just one thing – I heard firsthand reports say that you were standing there, laughing at the chaos. Padfoot, you were innocent – why would you do such a thing?”

Sirius looks sheepish. “He hit me with a tickling charm. I never saw it coming.”

Remus can’t help it – he starts laughing. “A tickling charm? Really?”

The Fat Lady interrupts them. “Are you going to stay here all day? I’ve had seven years of this to deal with before; you’ve got your own office now, Remus, if you want to catch up.”

Remus nods. “You know where the office is, I suppose?”

“I can guess.”

Remus goes to Dumbledore, who summons Fudge and asks for a fair trial by Veritaserum. Sirius agrees to this.

After the evidence is established, they call in Harry and explain that Sirius was actually innocent all the while, and certainly not after him.

Fudge asks to see the rat, and Harry obliges, after getting Ron’s permission.

They try to force him to transform, but he escapes somehow.

But it’s sure that he was Pettigrew.

Sirius cuts his hair after a lot of nagging on Remus’ part

He stays in the school because the Dementors were still at Hogwarts – now protecting him as well and everyone else from Peter

Sirius gets himself registered as an Animagus (“It’s not like Voldemort won’t find out when Wormtail tells him, Moony,”).

He watched Harry’s Quidditch match

The Dementors swarm him, and he reacts quickly, stopping Harry from getting severely injured as he falls

He too is badly shaken, and agrees to go to the Hospital Wing with Harry

Madam Pomfrey manages to get him to eat some chocolate (“Still haven’t changed, have you, Black?”)

The Dementors are then removed immediately because the Ministry was convinced that Peter wouldn’t come running back to Hogwarts to kill Harry

Harry still got anti-Dementor classes because he wanted to be able to fight them off if he ever needed to

Sirius replaces his broken broom with a Firebolt and buys Ron an owl to replace Scabbers

He gets a place down in Hogsmeade so that Remus and Harry and literally anyone else except Snape can visit

It’s Christmas, Ron and Hermione sign up to go home, and Harry asks if he can live with Sirius over the winter because he is a special case in Hogwarts (sacred enchantment, blah blah blah)

Dumbledore hesitates then says yes, that Harry can do so but has to stay at least temporarily with the Dursleys over the summers

Harry is disappointed and Sirius points out that though he isn’t related to Harry by blood, the godfather-godson bond still exists

Dumbledore decided that it might be better for Harry to remain in contact with the Wizarding World now that an active supporter of Voldemort is on the lose

For Christmas Sirius gives Harry the mirror he and James used to use when they were in school

Without all the added stress of the Dementors, Hagrid wins the appeal with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sirius’ help

Buckbeak survives, much to Malfoy’s chagrin

Sometime immediately after the exams, Snape reveals to the students that Remus is a werewolf

No one wants him to go, not even many of the Slytherins, though the pure-bloods are a bit spooked by this information

Sirius personally arrives at Hogwarts and punches Snape in the face

Remus decides that though the students want him to continue, parents would have something to say about his condition and resigns

He takes up a few jobs but none of them are really to his taste and he agrees to move in with Sirius so that they both can take care of Harry

Sirius learns how to make Wolfsbane Potion for Remus from a few of his old friends

They all go for the Quidditch World Cup and all that stuff with the Dark Mark happens, and they immediately send the children to safety while taking care of the Death Eaters

Sirius decides to apply for the DADA post and gets the position

He gets to keep a closer eye on Harry, which is always a bonus

But he’s never partial to his godson (maybe to the Gryffindors in general, but not just to Harry)

When Harry is chosen second Hogwarts champion, both of them have words with Dumbledore and Crouch Sr.

(Also I’d like to mention that in this story it isn’t possible for Crouch Jr. to be a part of the GoF storyline so please accept Igor Karkaroff, the man who was behind all the stuff that happened to Harry in the first tournament)

Aaand Crouch Sr. insists that Harry has to participate

So Harry participates

The difference is that Ron still talks to Harry because he and Sirius both say that he didn’t put his name in the Goblet

As Sirius pointed out, Harry needed neither fame nor riches, and Harry pointed out that he would rather have a quiet life than risk himself to be known as the Champion of the Triwizard Tournament

It’s not until Hermione says that Harry has enough in his life without this over his head that Ron understands this and gets over his jealousy, though

Sirius does not teach the students about Unforgivable Curses with demonstrations, rather he gives them the theory behind the spells and how to resist he Imperius Curse (“Why can’t we resist the other two?” “Well, one’s a torture spell and the other one kills you, so there’s really no hope unless you get in before your opponent uses these but I have to teach you all this anyway”)

He teaches them other spells that should have been taught to them at the Duelling Club in year 2

Also slipping in a few out-of-syllabus spells to help them that he assures he will not include in the exam

He also tutors Harry privately sometimes

Ron tells Harry directly about the dragons

Harry writes to Remus often, and Remus now has a job in Hogsmeade where the owner doesn’t mind that he takes a few days off every month – he works in a bookstore much like Flourish and Blotts.

Sirius visits every day, walking with Professor McGonagall since she also lives in Hogsmeade

Remus is much happier now that he has a more secure job

Sirius doesn’t question Remus’ decision to move out, as long as they’re still neighbours

Fred and George come up to Sirius and give him the Marauder’s Map

Because Harry told them that he was Padfoot (not that he had a choice, they overheard Harry, Ron and Hermione talking about James, Sirius, Remus and Peter)

Sirius smiles and thanks them, and also gives them a few pointers on how to make another one of their own, if they wanted to

After Harry returns from the maze, Remus joins him and Sirius as they all discuss the day’s events

Remus says that he’s willing to go undercover and start recruiting others for the Order

Sirius finishes his teaching year and resigns too, fulfilling the jinx yet again

Dumbledore agrees reluctantly that it would be safer for him to stay with Sirius this year as well, and the upcoming years

The Weasleys and Hermione come over on Harry’s birthday and stay in Hogsmeade till school starts

No Dementors attack them that summer

Umbridge, however, is still sent to teach DADA

Sirius and Remus are still doing undercover missions for the Order

Remus hasn’t resigned from the job yet, though, so Sirius does some of his shifts and doesn’t mind – they can always contact each other easily and Harry if they needed to

Harry and Sirius carry around the mirrors at all times and talk to each other at least three times a day

They know that messages are being intercepted so they don’t send many letters to each other, if they do they’re usually about Harry’s studies, or some tips to help Harry with something he finds difficult

The DA is formed because Umbridge is terrible and they want to learn more spells

Harry tries and fails to learn Occlumency (Sirius teaches him)

Harry is banned from Hogsmeade trips after the interview he gave for the Quibbler

But he still gets to play Quidditch

When he gets the vision of Sirius in the Department of Mysteries, he panics because of what happened to Mr. Weasley

Ron and Hermione point out that he could talk to him through the mirror

Sirius responds from his house and Harry doesn’t go to the Department of Mysteries

Voldemort attempts a break-in and fails due to security measures, and is seen by the Ministry

An alert is sent out and Umbridge is sacked

The DA is disbanded, but Harry learns a few spells from the Half-Blood Prince’s book

Maybe they’re helpful (like muffliato) or maybe they’re not (like levicorpus)

However, he goes to Sirius and asks about the spells, and Sirius forbis him from practicing all of them (“I’ll compile a list, if you like, Harry!”)

When Dumbledore and Harry return to Hogwarts Sirius calls them over and says that the Dark Mark had appeared over the school, and that he had only stayed there for this reason

He gives them brooms and they fly to Hogwarts, where Dumbledore falls off the Astronomy Tower as he had intended

After the battle in the hospital wing Sirius is the one to tell Remus to get a move on and ask Tonks out

Remus’ protests are simply ignored (“You like her, and she likes you. Why aren’t you doing something about it?” “It’s not that simple, Sirius.” “Sometimes it is.”)

When Remus and Tonks get married he is best man

After Bill and Fleur’s wedding they go into hiding in Grimauld Place

Sirius is, once again, Secret Keeper

Harry, Ron and Hermione stay with them and plan their Ministry break-in

Everything goes smoothly till Teddy is born and Harry is named godfather

After this they break into the Ministry and get the locket

They rescue Mr. Ollivander and Griphook and Luna from the basement of Malfoy Manor

Then they decide to break into Gringotts with Griphook’s help

They steal the cup and lose the sword

They next time they see Sirius is on May 2nd, 1998

Remus and Tonks survive, and so do Sirius and Fred, thanks to Remus’ quick wandwork

Harry goes to the Forest after taking a look at Snape’s memories and the arc goes on more or less the same until Voldemort dies for the final time

Also, he only sees his parents from the Resurrection Stone

Harry’s kids are named Arthur James, Lily Luna and Oberon Hunter

HINNY’S FIRST CHILD IS NAMED AFTER BOTH THEIR FATHERS BECAUSE SIRIUS ISN’T DEAD YET AND WON’T BE FOR A LONG TIME

Lily’s name is perfect and I don’t want to change it

ALBUS SEVERUS WHO? SIRIUS IS NAMING HARRY’S LAST CHILD AND YOU KNOW THAT HE’LL FOLLOW THE TRADITION AND NAME HIM AFTER SOME STAR (Oberon Hunter, after two constellations)

#harry potter #hp fic #just a small idea I had #sirius black #remus lupin #sil speaks

0 notes

itsjayyyy · 7 years ago

Text

August 22, 2018 4:56 pm

Today in class we started to get into chapter one, since syllabus day has passed. Of course, we still went slowly, covering biology terms that everyone knew from 9th grade. I wrote down everything she said, even though some of it was basic vocabulary that I would never need to study (like the definiton of an atom). I feel that it’s best to do that, that way when you look back, even if you already know it, you can prepare to see it on an exam, it puts you in the right frame of mind.

This class today reminded me of my favorite word in the english language: “organelle.” I think it sounds cute and fancy, and its definition is cute too: the tiny organs inside of a cell that work together, just for that one cell. I was talking to heather about it today, and she legitimately did not remember that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell! Unbelievable.

This class has also reminded me of two former biology teachers that I disliked. The first was my 9th grade bio teacher, Mrs. Dawkins, who stated that she didn’t believe in evolution (but you’re a biology teacher!!!!!), and also that she believed it was okay to beat your children. She and I had a passionate argument about it for an entire class period one day. Obviously, neither of us changed the others’ opinion. The other teacher that I didn’t like was Ms. McLoughlin, or however the hell it was spelled. I don’t know, she was my 4th or 5th grade science teacher. When covering plants, I told her how my mother talks to her plants to help them grow, and she called her crazy. Imagine a grown adult telling a child that her mother was crazy because she cares for living beings. And for the record, talking to plants provides them with carbon dioxide, which they need for respiration.

My current bio professor talked about what all organisms have in common, such as having DNA as genetic code, and one example she used was homeostasis, being able to sense the environment and react to it. She mentioned plants, too, saying they could sense the environment and feel things. I like her a lot. She has a thick indian accent and is kind of short, and you can tell she really cares about us as students. I feel like that’s what my grandmother would have been like, if she were alive. I feel kind of sad that I only had one conversation with her over the phone when I was like seven or so. She probably couldn’t even understand what I was saying, since I used to talk to fast and didn’t quite have a good pronunciation due to my jaw placement. I wish I had gotten to know her better, but we never had a mutual language, or easy access to communication, plus I was only a kid when she passed.

One of my other classes, composition is filling me with dread. Yeah I like writing, but when I have to show someone else I get nervous. Our first major assignment is a 1,200 word essay about o u r s e l v e s. These people ain’t need to know SHIT about me. One thousand and two hundred words. That’s as long as the longest paper I’ve ever written, and the professor said it as if it were so casual. And at the end of the course, we have to prepare a video essay. Literally throwing up rn. The reason I’m writing this right now is so I can get back into the swing of writing, since this entire course is about “learning about yourself as a writer,” which I guess is better than over-analyzing Elizabeth Bishop’s “The Map.” By the way, in class today I tried looking up the meaning of that stupid poem but the essay of the meaning was written in such pretentious language that I still don’t understand it.

My gov’t professor is lowkey on crack. He’s just so eccentric, all over the place. At one point he told us about how he was in college for law, and then he had a professor he really liked, and the professor told him he should become a teacher too, so he did. He said when he told his mother, she cried in the bathroom for 12 hours and that is literally my parents with me. He’s very much a comedian.

The new coffee shop on campus has opened, and it’s so fancy. Kinda sucks tho, because in the last few days I’ve realized how much I love just a plain cup of coffee, considering it has about 10 times as much caffeine as a latte. I feel like if I go to this “indie, experimental coffee shop” for just a plain cup of coffee, I’ll be judged. I tried their affogato root beer float, which is root beer, vanilla ice cream, and a shot of espresso on top, and it was actually pretty good (and $7, yikes). I want to try this one drink next, it was espresso with lemonade and sparkling water shaken together. Sounds gross, I’m in.

Today on the way to comp, I bumped into Antoine. We didn’t talk much, just a “hey how’s it going” and then we kept walking. I didn’t tell him I switched majors. Heather was telling me monday how she wanted to hit up anjlie and see how she’s doing and if she wanted to hang, but I don’t think she should. Julia transferred to our college over the summer and we met up once or twice, but honestly? I don’t really see julia as a friend. We knew each other in high school, but we were really only ever friends because we had classes together. We never made a strong bond. I just don’t really want to keep up with her because of that, whereas heather and I have a much closer bond and we have things we can talk about. I feel like that’s probably how anjlie feels about me and heather; we were friends of convenience in high school, but in college there’s no bond. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, that’s just how life is. Now that I’ve felt that with julia, I know how anjlie feels, and I’m not gonna bother her unless she wants to hang.

This semester I really feel like I’m gonna do well. I started using my planner again, and I’m gonna keep on top of everything. And I’m semi-in my major, so I actually care about stuff. Like, today we literally were just going over the building blocks of life but it made me so happy. Like yeah, this is what life is made of. We’re all just a pile of organelles trying to work together to keep us functioning.

0 notes

edarabia · 8 years ago

Link

UAE: As I wait for her at a cafe in the city, I begin to paint a picture (in my head) of her. Thick glasses, a stern expression, and a highbrow demeanour - I am certain I'll be able to identify Maarit Rossi. Little do I know that I will be failing this exam! For when the Finnish Math teacher walks up to me and engulfs me in a warm hug, I learn how wrong I've been about Math teachers (and the subject, as well) all this while. "Don't worry, I too had been teaching Math 'wrong' my entire life," smiles Rossi, "I am often mistaken for a nurse!" Yes, that's the kind of warmth she exudes. A Math teacher for more than 30 years and a principal for 15, Rossi was in Dubai as one of the judges for the recently concluded Global Teacher Prize Competition 2017. In 2016, she was one of the top ten finalists in the competition. Over a cup of coffee, Rossi makes me fall in love with Math. Surprisingly, by the end of the evening I hear myself saying these words, 'I'd love to revisit the subject.' "I spent the first 10 years of my career teaching (Math) like other teachers - just like I was taught. Then, I went to Leeds University and it hit me - the children were not liking or learning Math because we were not teaching them well." This was in the 1990s. Leeds University is known for its constructive teaching and learning methods, "Which basically means that a student has to build an understanding for the subject oneself. Learning isn't about repeating what the teachers say. It is important for the children to use their brain (act, research, question, debate) to solve the problems - when we are active in our own learning, we learn better." Also, she lays emphasis on working in a group. "Children should be encouraged to work together, rather than merely sit in rows in a classroom." In 2004, Rossi along with two other Finnish teachers developed a fresh curriculum and tested it in the classes - and noticed a change. "But, it was not implemented. The professor, who was guiding us, told us that we were way ahead of our time." However, it only strengthened their spirits. A Fulbright Program took her to the US, where she was encouraged to translate the study material in English, and well, she didn't have to look back post-that. This autumn, Finland's syllabus has introduced the theory of constructive learning, "Now is my time." As for Rossi, she always knew she'd be studying Math. "I love Math so much." I can't help, but tell her that she is one of the very few people (in the world), who would have mouthed these words - which, she is confident is going to change over the next few years. Her second love is children. She may have officially retired (in 2015), but her schedule can put any busy working professional to shame. What keeps her going? "The fascinated expression on the faces of the children." Now, she takes fewer lessons for children and is mostly occupied teaching the teachers in Africa, China, Turkey, Poland, Finland, Bulgaria, Singapore, and of course the UAE, amongst other countries. Soon, she'd take up lessons for corporates as well, as part of leadership courses. During her short stay in Dubai, she along with the world's top 10 Math teachers worked on creating material to integrate global citizenship with the subject. She conducted three workshops with teachers in the UAE. "The teachers were having so much fun, they were laughing - it was music to my ears and that's how classrooms can look like." She has also released a web course for teachers at inspirationalmath.com. "Everyone is waking up and accepting that not all is right with Math and the situation needs to change. Unfortunately, Math is one subject that has not been developed - no one has touched it. We've been stuck with one model of teaching for decades. Foremost, the teachers have to start thinking differently." In Finland, every year, the schools come up with a big theme, which integrates all the subjects. The teaching process should answer the question - what kind of skills do the children need in future? "Problem solving, co-operation, and management, amongst others. Math can teach a child all of these." Next, she puts me in a spot, asking me to share 'how much' is a square metre? "Have you ever seen how large or small it is?" Hmm. I have solved the problems. Now, picture this. In her classroom, she hands over a metre long stick to the kids - followed by showing them what a cubic metre or say a square metre actually measures up to. "They have never seen a cubic metre!" Interestingly, the next time, they'd read a piece on a certain million cubic metre of mud that has been dug from the sea, they'd know exactly how much is being spoken about (that's integration of Math with environment for you). The same goes for litres, kilos, etc. "Such lessons open up their mind. They would be able to look at a parking lot and estimate its size in square metres." Her last words on the subject - "We can't burden the children with rules and steps. When life doesn't follow steps - then, why should teaching a subject?" Now, that answer deserves full marks.

Math Q&A

Does she have a favourite mathematician? No, I have favourite theories, instead." The one thing that we don't know about Math teachers? They have the best jokes! She loves. Geometry As a child, she didn't like. Linear Algebra Good teacher vs. bad. There's no good or bad Math teacher, just like there is no good or bad Math student. Just as with any skill or subject, an individual will learn and teach better. Yes, a Math teacher can be boring or fun.

Are we scared of Math?

"Because the Math we are teaching in schools is just letters and numbers - with no connection to real lives of children or even adults. It has nothing to do with us using hands, working in groups or learning about society." True, all of us (kids) did spend days wondering why were we asked to memorise the value of pi or the Pythagoras Theorem. © Khaleej Times

#Education #Events #UAE #Dubai #Abu Dhabi #Edarabia

0 notes

jobs-in-dubai-uae · 8 years ago

Link

Math Q&A

Are we scared of Math?

#Jobs #Vacancies #Careers #Tips #Edarabia #Education #Dubai #UAE #Abu Dhabi #Middle East #Sharjah #Re

0 notes

jobs-in-dubai-uae · 8 years ago

Link

Math Q&A

Are we scared of Math?

#Jobs #Careers #Vacancies #Dubai #UAE #Abu Dhabi #Middle East

0 notes