This morning I gave my first lecture ever as a university instructor. I am teaching Political Economy of Development. Today's topic was "What is political economy?" I wrote it yesterday.
Was I nervous? Yes. Nervous, but not anxious I would say. I was not worried about flubbing, or it going extremely poorly. I did not practice it, and felt like it would go just fine. I have always been a decent public speaker, so there was nothing to be afraid of. The nervousness was more about the question of whether I would like it.
The results are in. The lecture went as well as I imagined it would, and I found it quite likable. Even though I am using a lecture format, the students (or at least some of them) seemed very engaged. Also, the lecture I wrote was nearly the perfect length. I really had no idea how long it would be since I did not practice it and have no experience, so I am lucky how spot on it was (I let them out at 10:05am, 13 minutes before class ended, meaning if I write lectures this length I can give them a ten minute break in the middle of class).
In other news, you all will have noticed my new theme, again. I will call it winter dragon. Much less glitzy then the ice dragon theme, more my style I think. let me know what you think!
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Ice Dust
DH and I came in really really early today because I taught my first university class ever at the charming time of 8:30am, and had not yet printed my syllabus. As we took the Hudson exit off of 71 I absentmindedly caught a warning on the radio "winter weather watch... be careful drivers". It was very confusing at the time. The roads were perfectly dry, there was no precipitation what so ever. DH dropped me off, I headed to my building, printed my syllabus, and was preparing to head off to class when I overhead some people talking about how slippery it was. Strange, I thought.
8:05, I had been inside, away from windows for less than a half hour. I head outside to walk to my class, and see that it is indeed precipitating. Very strange precipitation. If I had to call it something, I would call it sleet, but it was not falling like I normally see sleet fall. It was as if someone had scooped out the remnants of ice from the bottom of an ice crushing machine and was slowly sprinkling them over the city - you know, that gross grainy snow-like ice that hangs out in your freezer. A maintenance man was hurriedly spreading salt around the exits of my building. I walked across the salt, and then hit the unsalted sidewalk, which appeared wet with rain, but was actually wet with ice. Slick! Slippery! The weather today is just so odd.
Anyways, my first class meeting was uneventful. Not very many people were there, but its hard to blame them when its an 8:30am class the morning after a huge OSU football game and the weather is terrible for walking in. I handed out the syllabus and talked through it. My first lecture is on Thursday. I should probably get on with writing that... wish me luck!
8:05, I had been inside, away from windows for less than a half hour. I head outside to walk to my class, and see that it is indeed precipitating. Very strange precipitation. If I had to call it something, I would call it sleet, but it was not falling like I normally see sleet fall. It was as if someone had scooped out the remnants of ice from the bottom of an ice crushing machine and was slowly sprinkling them over the city - you know, that gross grainy snow-like ice that hangs out in your freezer. A maintenance man was hurriedly spreading salt around the exits of my building. I walked across the salt, and then hit the unsalted sidewalk, which appeared wet with rain, but was actually wet with ice. Slick! Slippery! The weather today is just so odd.
Anyways, my first class meeting was uneventful. Not very many people were there, but its hard to blame them when its an 8:30am class the morning after a huge OSU football game and the weather is terrible for walking in. I handed out the syllabus and talked through it. My first lecture is on Thursday. I should probably get on with writing that... wish me luck!
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