Teaching my first class

[Bragi]

I literally just found out that I am teaching my first class this fall (and the semester begins in two weeks).

It's "sophomore" level and the introduction to the discipline I work for (basically international relations).

Just tooting my own horn.

[Zavon]

I taught a seminar in memory and cognition course for two years. It was a senior level course for psychology and neuroscience majors.

Tip #1: You will be nervous, and you will feel like a fraud. Its natural, everyone feels that way. The best way to combat it is to rehearse your lecture a minimum of two to three times in its entirety.

Tip #2: They won't give a shit. Some people take this personally at first. Don't. They will gaze off into space and yawn. It can't be helped.

Tip #3: Make sure to stop and ask, frequently, does that make sense. It may seem silly, but its best to be explicit. Establish on the first day, that they must be honest with you at all times when you ask that sacred question.

Have fun!l

[Norska]

good luck! i was never more than a TA, so I got to sit in on tests and grade hundreds of papers while never teaching a thing.

Twas the suck.

[Bragi]

Thanks guys!

@Norksa, this is also my first semester to TA.

My university seems to favor the "fuck it" approach to everything.

I've been an advisor for the past two years and have done around 60 or so orientations in that time, so I'm not going in completely cold.

[Dumah]

You finally have a practical use for that jacket with elbow pads from that pic like seven years ago. And once you've worn through the pads on that one from ramming interns and impressionable students, Norska could FedEx you his!

In all srsns, congrats man. Yet another chalk up to the 'Combs-is-getting-old theory.

[Boxy Brown]

I'd love to take a few classes with Professor Bragi.