Last year I was quite excited, but also quite scared, by the fact that two different seminars I was taking were requiring me to do a teaching demo, or to present my homework in the form of a lesson to my peers, rather than as a more traditional presentation. Those were my first experiences as… Read More Time to learn… to teach!
It was my first day of grade six; my final year in elementary school. I was assigned to Miss Betty, who had a reputation for being the meanest teacher. I remember her having us do an assignment right after she took attendance. On the blackboard she wrote, “What is the difference between mean versus strict?”… Read More Strict versus mean
In the lab, nature can throw surprises at you and sometimes you can surprise yourself too. When a student comes to me with a sullen face and tells me they messed up or their results don’t make any sense; the first thing I tell them is that “mistakes happen” (as long as they didn’t burn… Read More Mistakes are OK
I actually said that out loud, in the hallway outside my office once. It was during my first year as a TA and I was excited to grade my very first batch of reports. My neighbour next door, a former TA for the same course I was currently TA’ing at that time, yelled something along… Read More I can’t wait to grade reports!
Being a teacher’s assistant (TA) can be hard work. As a TA you’re a font of knowledge, the solution to their problems and the keeper of their GPA. You’re also figuring out things as you go, putting out fires as they happen (hopefully figuratively!) and generally trying to keep up the aura of authority. So… Read More What can the Undergrads teach you?
This week they start again: “conferences”, which, in the Arts Faculty lingo, refer to smaller classes that give undergraduates the opportunity to discuss course readings and assignments. These conferences are led by teaching assistants, usually graduate students from the relevant faculty, who guide discussions and answer questions. Conferences can be pretty demanding, and how TAs… Read More Styles of teaching: a typology of teaching assistants based on the TV series “Scrubs”
I’ve been extremely fortunate to be a teaching assistant throughout my graduate career, both as a Master’s student and here at McGill where I have been leading introductory zoology (Organisms II) and ecology (St Lawrence Ecosystems) labs. Teaching – working with, supporting, and learning from students – is something I love to do.It’s a big… Read More Teaching: it’s not a paycheck, it’s a responsibility
Being a TA forms an integrated part of my life as a grad student and has been one among my best and most cherished memories at Macdonald Campus. Though some considered doing the same course repeatedly over semesters boring, every semester felt like a completely new and enriching experience for me for a number of… Read More Gradlife: Being a Teaching Assistant (TA) at McGill
The graduate student experience at McGill
The graduate student experience at McGill
The graduate student experience at McGill
Sharing PhD experiences across the University of Warwick and beyond
Welcoming you in to the secrets, techniques and taboos around succeeding in a Research Higher Degree
GradLife McGill 