September 19, 2003
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I learned today that squirrels make really really really good brakes. For your bike.
Ick.
The story behind that is probably just what you are thinking. Skippy the squirrel did survive said encounter, but I'm not sure in how good of shape. He scampered away...AFTER I DISENTANGLED HIM FROM MY BIKE. Like, not a little entangled, like, he got sucked inbetween my bike frame, my back tire and my brakes. Or at least his head did...so he was dangling, upside-down, by his rounded little arse. He never made a sound...and he left behind a LOT of fur....So I fear he might die. I also noticed that his foot looked all squashedy...but I don't know if Skippy's always have flat feet or not? No blood though!
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My day was in general like being hit by a bike. Information overload...and I finally got my text book and lab manual for the class that I start TAing for IN 6 days. jeezus!
I have two 3 hour lab sections to teach. Each has 24 students in it. One of those 24 is a bio major...the rest are business majors and the like...people who have to be there. None of them will want to learn a damn thing. All I heard today was how I'm supposed to take them and make them get excited and interested in science.
Now. There is a problem with this. I adore science, I really do. But only certain areas. I find some parts as ungodly boring as most people - i.e. the acaraolgy guy...he studies ticks and mites (though, I will admit, hearing him describe the best ways to eliminate mites from your mattress was very useful...he says VACUUM your mattress and get rid of 55% of dust mites, and then FLIP it, and get rid of 75%...using both together, he claims you can eliminate 95% or so from your sleeping area, so hey, you allergy sufferers! find yourself an acarologist).
Rrrrr. How to motivate them when I find what they are going to study boring? Also, HOW HOW HOW to remember names? I hated it when profs couldn't remember mine, so my goal is to learn all 48. I will have pictures (in theory at least)...but I don't know how well that will work...Any good tips?
I'm thinking of stupid icebreakers...so that they are not bumps on a log students all that first day...I am personally leaning towards, " Tell me about your pets. (I can remember fluffy and all her kittens, just not the person)." or "Tell me why you don't want to be here." or else "Tell me your ...." well, I had one and I have now forgotten it.
Does anyone have any that they really liked in school? Or that they've used and really found worked well?
Any advice on how to NOT freak out in front of 24 students?
Comments (3)
oh no! you hit a squirrel! that's awful! here's to hoping it's ok.
advice on not flipping out in front of students: just be patient and keep reminding yourself that it's not you they dislike, it's the course. endearing yourself to them by sarcastic comments about how you're not super enthused with the subject matter helps as well. "i know you're not crazy about learning about blank-blank-blank, but let's focus on it a minute to get those grades." my favorite ta was my dino one who didn't really care that we were less than thrilled about dinos, but as long as we showed up and participated somewhat, she appreciated it and said so.
best idea for icebreaker that i had was always one that made them move. harder to remember who they are when they're moving, but it keeps them awake. always helpful.
good luck, baby - you'll be fine!
Assigned seating until you get their names right? Bleagh. I'm horrible with names, too. You could possibly have everyone write down something unusual about themselves on one side of a small sheet of paper, and put their name on the other... and then put all the papers together, have everyone draw one and find the person it belongs to. Once they find the person it belongs to, they have to take the picture of that person (this way you get your pictures, assuming you're using a digital camera) and write the number of the picture on the paper with the name and description (so you can match said picture to the person). A bit convoluted, perhaps, but it might be fun. And I have no idea where that idea came from, I just made it up ... so it may be totally ridiculous, in which case... well, just ... ignore it ! LOL!
Damn. I am ALLLLWAYS so worried that I might hit an animal in my car. I haven't yet (KNOCKS ON WOOD) but duuuude. If I did, I would SO cry.
Let's see. Icebreakers... Pets are cool but not everybody HAS a pet. Someone asked a class of mine one time "What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?" Don't know why that has stuck in my head, except that I am pretty much an ice cream SLUT, so narrowing it down to ONE FLAVOR was sort of a crisis. HEH.
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