So my first week of teaching is under my belt. I have a Wednesday evening class that is 2.5 hours long and a Thursday morning class that is 1.25 hours long and requires the students to do online sessions as well. I was extremely nervous as I headed to class last night. My Wed. class is very small. I only have 5 students; therefore I only get 5/7 pay. While I'm disappointed about that, I am thankful that they didn't just cancel the class and move everyone into another session. I need the practice!
Last night I arrived on campus about 30 minutes early to make copies and get my self situated in class, including getting the smart classroom computer thingy up and running so that I could use some power point slides and have them look at they syllabus online as well as watch a short video about how not to write a paper. All of this I had set up about 10 minutes before it was time to start. My first student came in and we chit chatted for a bit. Then another student poked her head in and asked for another teacher. I said that I wasn't him and maybe the class was in the opposite room. No, she said, this class is 227 and that's where the schedule says I'm supposed to be. So say okay and look at the schedule. Oh I'm supposed to be in 222 tonight and 227 TOMORROW. Arrrgggg! So my student gets up and goes to the other classroom while i gather my stuff. I arrive in the other classroom where all of my students are waiting for me. I tell them how I got the wrong classroom and try to laugh my stupidity of while feeling very flustered and unsettled now that I have to set up in the new room with the students watching my every move. Sure enough, problems ensue. The computer works but is slow. The overhead projector will not project what is on the computer onto the screen. I go through a few preliminaries and then tell them to take a break so that I can get the computer working. Nobody leaves! So I have to continue to fight with it with everyone watching me. Next I try to call IT. Wrong number posted on the sign on the computer area. Ok. So I call Aaron. Fortunately he knows exactly how to solve my problem. I punch the button he told me. Computer up and running. Ok. So we continue through class. I have powerpoint and a bit of lecture. I have activities for them to do on their own and in groups. As I planned the class I felt like it would definitely take the whole 2.5 hour time slot. It is 6:50. They are doing a writing assignment. After the assignment and some instructions about their homework I have nothing more to make them do. Nada. So I let them go at 7:10. Crap. I really wanted to use the whole time and not set a precedent of getting out early, but I am not going to keep them sitting there for 30 minutes when I have nothing better to blab to them about that the weather. So that is that class. Not too bad but not all I hoped.
Today class went better. I got there a bit late even though I left an hour before class time because traffic was awful. So I walked into class breathing like a chain smoker who'd just run the 50 yard dash. All my students today were pretty much true freshman whereas my other class has mostly adult ed students. I got the computer stuff set up smoothly and was able to keep them busy and working on stuff while I got my stuff done. The lecture was a much better time for me to try and keep their attention and we also had time to do several in class activities. I have 13 in this class. I hope that doesn't mean bad luck like the superstition of not sitting down with 13 at the table for dinner (too much Agatha Christie in that statement).
Anyway, I think I got through without my student feeling like I'm a total dufus and they are toast for passing the class. I am looking forward to getting to know my students better and getting settled into a class routine. I've always found the first class session the most awkward as a student and I'm finding that that hold true for teacher too. At least it does for me.
So there's my first week for those who were curious about how it went. Sink or swim. Sink or swim. :)
Last night I arrived on campus about 30 minutes early to make copies and get my self situated in class, including getting the smart classroom computer thingy up and running so that I could use some power point slides and have them look at they syllabus online as well as watch a short video about how not to write a paper. All of this I had set up about 10 minutes before it was time to start. My first student came in and we chit chatted for a bit. Then another student poked her head in and asked for another teacher. I said that I wasn't him and maybe the class was in the opposite room. No, she said, this class is 227 and that's where the schedule says I'm supposed to be. So say okay and look at the schedule. Oh I'm supposed to be in 222 tonight and 227 TOMORROW. Arrrgggg! So my student gets up and goes to the other classroom while i gather my stuff. I arrive in the other classroom where all of my students are waiting for me. I tell them how I got the wrong classroom and try to laugh my stupidity of while feeling very flustered and unsettled now that I have to set up in the new room with the students watching my every move. Sure enough, problems ensue. The computer works but is slow. The overhead projector will not project what is on the computer onto the screen. I go through a few preliminaries and then tell them to take a break so that I can get the computer working. Nobody leaves! So I have to continue to fight with it with everyone watching me. Next I try to call IT. Wrong number posted on the sign on the computer area. Ok. So I call Aaron. Fortunately he knows exactly how to solve my problem. I punch the button he told me. Computer up and running. Ok. So we continue through class. I have powerpoint and a bit of lecture. I have activities for them to do on their own and in groups. As I planned the class I felt like it would definitely take the whole 2.5 hour time slot. It is 6:50. They are doing a writing assignment. After the assignment and some instructions about their homework I have nothing more to make them do. Nada. So I let them go at 7:10. Crap. I really wanted to use the whole time and not set a precedent of getting out early, but I am not going to keep them sitting there for 30 minutes when I have nothing better to blab to them about that the weather. So that is that class. Not too bad but not all I hoped.
Today class went better. I got there a bit late even though I left an hour before class time because traffic was awful. So I walked into class breathing like a chain smoker who'd just run the 50 yard dash. All my students today were pretty much true freshman whereas my other class has mostly adult ed students. I got the computer stuff set up smoothly and was able to keep them busy and working on stuff while I got my stuff done. The lecture was a much better time for me to try and keep their attention and we also had time to do several in class activities. I have 13 in this class. I hope that doesn't mean bad luck like the superstition of not sitting down with 13 at the table for dinner (too much Agatha Christie in that statement).
Anyway, I think I got through without my student feeling like I'm a total dufus and they are toast for passing the class. I am looking forward to getting to know my students better and getting settled into a class routine. I've always found the first class session the most awkward as a student and I'm finding that that hold true for teacher too. At least it does for me.
So there's my first week for those who were curious about how it went. Sink or swim. Sink or swim. :)
Comments