WHat it's like to be observed
This semester as a returning TA, one assignment was to observe and be observed by another TA. I honestly do not have a strong impression of being observed. I remember being aware that there was a person in the room who was observing what I was doing, and that might have affected how I acted during that class. One aspect of being a TA that I wanted to improve this semester was participating and offering my perspective/ideas during class more. I remember, then, specifically focusing on making sure I wasn’t too quiet during class that day. In a way, that class felt more like a performance, knowing that someone was analyzing what I was doing and how the class was run. Additionally, I did prepare more for this class than usual, and even came up with a few discussion questions to contribute ahead of time. Again, in this sense, the class felt more of a performance than usual, but still reflected how I usually am as a TA.
At the same time, however, I did not change what I was doing based on there being someone else in the room. The class worked the same way it normally would and I felt just as comfortable because I knew what I was doing. Leading up to the observation, I felt like I should be nervous, or at least expected to be a little nervous during the class. In reality, I was not. Last semester I know I would have been very stressed about an observation. Therefore, this shows that I have grown and become much more comfortable in the classroom. I even forgot that I was being observed at points. I’ve not just grown as a teaching assistant, but as a person because I’m becoming more and more comfortable in front of people and in these types of situations.
The other materials from my observation can be found below. They include notes that I took while observing another TA and my reflection on the experience.
At the same time, however, I did not change what I was doing based on there being someone else in the room. The class worked the same way it normally would and I felt just as comfortable because I knew what I was doing. Leading up to the observation, I felt like I should be nervous, or at least expected to be a little nervous during the class. In reality, I was not. Last semester I know I would have been very stressed about an observation. Therefore, this shows that I have grown and become much more comfortable in the classroom. I even forgot that I was being observed at points. I’ve not just grown as a teaching assistant, but as a person because I’m becoming more and more comfortable in front of people and in these types of situations.
The other materials from my observation can be found below. They include notes that I took while observing another TA and my reflection on the experience.
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