Preface: As second time UTAs, we had the opportunity to observe how another UTA conducts his/her class. This was a particularly fascinating exercise for me, as I UTA'ed an exclusively online class. As such, I was always looking for ways to build the classroom community and encourage participation. It was a great contrast for me to experience how Maddy, an ENGL101 UTA manages her face-to-face class, and interacts with her professor. The follow is a demonstration of my notes taken from the observation, as well as a reflection of my thoughts. *Please note that I personally was not observed, because again, I UTA'ed for an online course.
CLASS OBSERVATION NOTES
*Observed ENGL101 class, UTA’ed by Maddy (Tues 2:00 pm-3:15 pm)
Observer (Me)
*Observed ENGL101 class, UTA’ed by Maddy (Tues 2:00 pm-3:15 pm)
Observer (Me)
- Arrived early; met up with Maddy and sat in the back corner of the classroom (class was small). Nina also is observing the same day
- Maddie spoke with the instructor for 5-10 prior to start of class. Seems she had a presentation to do; discussed logistics.
- Instructor appears young and likes to relate to the class – seems they have several transitions set up.
- Instructor and Maddy seem to have a very comfortable friendly relationship. They appear relaxed speaking to each other.
- Class is small. Very quiet; seems to be “clusters” of students who are familiar with each other and sit together regularly. However not very talkative
- Several laptops out, some students have pen and paper. Initially laptop students are doing non-class related things on their computers
- Maddy sent around an attendance sheet
- Room set up: Instructor alternates between chalkboard and projector
- Maddie sits near the board, in a desk away from the students so she can view the class and they have a clear view of her as well
- The room feels small and intimate (all desks are filled), but I don’t get the sense that the students all know each other very well
- Throughout the class, Maddy is fully engaged. She does not have her laptop out but is being attentive. She smiles and nods with the teachers. She also interjects when she has a comment
- Largely, the same 4-5 students answering questions after 10-20 second pauses of silence – it seems the instructors/UTA really want people to provide opinions but I think the students are shy. Maybe have them discuss with each other before sharing?
- Students don’t ask many clarifying questions
- Students had laptops out and were distracted at first, but quickly became engaged in the class (they took notes on an upcoming assignment/requirements)
- Instructor initially talking about upcoming Rhetorical Analysis essay.
- Really great breakdown w/ examples of how to go about writing a thesis, making arguments and connecting back to the point
- Discussion of paragraph and whole body document structure
- References to what students turned in/read within the last week (students had to be prepared to understand these references)
- Maddy doing presentation on Stasis theory
- She’s going through all of the stases on powerpoint
- Asking for a lot of input and giving examples (gun control)
- Same few students answering questions
- Professor is on the side watching – occasionally interjecting
- Discussion of an assignment/reading
- Class ends with a fun video from the office to underscore the importance of writing for your audience
- Video super funny, students are laughing
- Many students stayed behind in class to ask the prof and Maddy questions
- Students seem more chatty after class than they are during
REFLECTING ON THE OBSERVATION EXPERIENCE - ADAPTED FROM TEACHING LOG POST
I had a great time doing classroom observations. I observed Maddy's ENGL101 class and it was a totally different experience for me considering that I've only ever been a UTA for online classes. Additionally, I never even took ENGL101 at UMD since I got credit in high school. I really had no frame of reference so it was really interesting to see the classroom environment, the UTA/teacher interactions, and student engagement.
In terms of the classroom, the room was very small and intimate unlike many other college classes I've taken. There were less than 30 students and the room was packed. Maddy arrived early because she had a presentation portion so she and the Prof were talking logistics. The students all arrived on time and took their seats (it was a case of "unassigned assigned" seats I'm thinking). Many of them opened up their laptops and started doing their own thing, but as soon as class started they started taking notes and paying attention. What really stood out to me was that Maddy sat near the board, apart from the students. I always thought that if I ever UTA'ed a classroom, I would sit in the back, kind of lost among the crowd. But Maddy stayed right at the front completely engaged the whole time. She never had a laptop or her phone out. She nodded along with what the professor was saying, and interjected when she felt it was important. Then she went into her lesson. She did a portion on stasis theory and asked for a lot of student involvement, which was great. I felt like for the majority of the class, the students were quiet so it was a good chance to have the students be engaged. However, I saw that mainly the same 5-6 students were answering questions, which can be a challenge. I know I personally don't really like to speak in the classroom as a student and it's difficult when you're presenting, but no one is really fielding your questions. Maddy did really well though and asked a lot of guiding questions which helped move the conversation along. I think she also waited a good amount of time before re-prompting the students. Sometimes professors kind of answer their own questions so even if students wanted to respond they don't have a chance to. I really got a sense that many students in the class were shy to speak up, because the questions were really intuitive or opinion related. I'm not sure how to counteract this. I really don't like the practice of cold calling because I think it's anxiety inducing and polarizes students in the classroom. But I'm not sure how to make students more comfortable. Maybe doing a think, pair, share activity would help.
After the presentation the professor showed a REALLY funny clip from the office to underscore the importance of speaking/writing for your audience. That's when I really saw the students engage. I think maybe doing something like that in the beginning of class to loosen everyone up might actually help as well.
Overall, I loved observing Maddy's class. She is a fantastic UTA and her students are lucky. I get the feeling that she is very comfortable in this role and takes it seriously. Observing a class like this makes me think about my own class. If students can be shy and quiet in a face-to-face classroom, I'm sure students online might also be hesitant to ask questions since online classes are quite isolated. This experience triggered me to want to reach out more to my students and check in with them. From the first few assignments that the students handed, I feel that they are genuinely nice people. I was really inspired to connect with them, and try to break down some of the inherent barriers of having an online class.
After observations, I really made an effort to connect with the students. Unfortunately, everyone is very busy with the myriad of things that they are doing so face-to-face meetings are difficult to schedule. However, throughout the semester I've become the go-to for several students in particular who always ask for my feedback. Many have told me that they really value my input, even though I'm not the one grading their major assignments, because I offer them substantive guidance on how to elevate their papers. It's been genuinely rewarding to be a source of support for my students for whatever they need.
I had a great time doing classroom observations. I observed Maddy's ENGL101 class and it was a totally different experience for me considering that I've only ever been a UTA for online classes. Additionally, I never even took ENGL101 at UMD since I got credit in high school. I really had no frame of reference so it was really interesting to see the classroom environment, the UTA/teacher interactions, and student engagement.
In terms of the classroom, the room was very small and intimate unlike many other college classes I've taken. There were less than 30 students and the room was packed. Maddy arrived early because she had a presentation portion so she and the Prof were talking logistics. The students all arrived on time and took their seats (it was a case of "unassigned assigned" seats I'm thinking). Many of them opened up their laptops and started doing their own thing, but as soon as class started they started taking notes and paying attention. What really stood out to me was that Maddy sat near the board, apart from the students. I always thought that if I ever UTA'ed a classroom, I would sit in the back, kind of lost among the crowd. But Maddy stayed right at the front completely engaged the whole time. She never had a laptop or her phone out. She nodded along with what the professor was saying, and interjected when she felt it was important. Then she went into her lesson. She did a portion on stasis theory and asked for a lot of student involvement, which was great. I felt like for the majority of the class, the students were quiet so it was a good chance to have the students be engaged. However, I saw that mainly the same 5-6 students were answering questions, which can be a challenge. I know I personally don't really like to speak in the classroom as a student and it's difficult when you're presenting, but no one is really fielding your questions. Maddy did really well though and asked a lot of guiding questions which helped move the conversation along. I think she also waited a good amount of time before re-prompting the students. Sometimes professors kind of answer their own questions so even if students wanted to respond they don't have a chance to. I really got a sense that many students in the class were shy to speak up, because the questions were really intuitive or opinion related. I'm not sure how to counteract this. I really don't like the practice of cold calling because I think it's anxiety inducing and polarizes students in the classroom. But I'm not sure how to make students more comfortable. Maybe doing a think, pair, share activity would help.
After the presentation the professor showed a REALLY funny clip from the office to underscore the importance of speaking/writing for your audience. That's when I really saw the students engage. I think maybe doing something like that in the beginning of class to loosen everyone up might actually help as well.
Overall, I loved observing Maddy's class. She is a fantastic UTA and her students are lucky. I get the feeling that she is very comfortable in this role and takes it seriously. Observing a class like this makes me think about my own class. If students can be shy and quiet in a face-to-face classroom, I'm sure students online might also be hesitant to ask questions since online classes are quite isolated. This experience triggered me to want to reach out more to my students and check in with them. From the first few assignments that the students handed, I feel that they are genuinely nice people. I was really inspired to connect with them, and try to break down some of the inherent barriers of having an online class.
After observations, I really made an effort to connect with the students. Unfortunately, everyone is very busy with the myriad of things that they are doing so face-to-face meetings are difficult to schedule. However, throughout the semester I've become the go-to for several students in particular who always ask for my feedback. Many have told me that they really value my input, even though I'm not the one grading their major assignments, because I offer them substantive guidance on how to elevate their papers. It's been genuinely rewarding to be a source of support for my students for whatever they need.