What did you enjoy most about your Collaborative Teaching Fellowship at Loyola?
I really enjoyed interacting with students during my office hours. The course has three exams before the final exam and a grade below a C is considered deficient. Some students were very open about their difficulties with the course content and I was able to help some move from a failing grade to a B minus or better which was nice.
Was your mentor helpful?
My mentor was very helpful. She sat in on my classes and provided feedback on my teaching style and course material important to emphasize for students. Before I started teaching classes, I sat in on her classes to get a sense of her teaching style and to keep my delivery of the class material consistent.
Do you want to pursue a career in teaching? If so, do you feel more prepared after your Collaborative Teaching fellowship?
I hope to get an academic position in research and teaching, and definitely feel more prepared after my Collaborative Teaching Fellowship. My previous teaching experience was primarily teaching lab courses with 20 to 25 students, and the lecture I taught had 90 students. I learned to interact with a wide variety of students – some already familiar with the course content, some new to the material and some that didn’t care. The fellowship provided me with useful practice in communicating with a diverse audience without alienating them all. Overall, the Collaborative Teaching Fellowship met my expectations. I hoped to be able to guide a group of students and I was able to interact with and mentor a group of students majoring in biology.
Any advice for future Collaborative Teaching Fellows?
I would tell future fellows not to be intimidated by a lack of experience and that practice is the best way to learn. Teaching students in the lab is much different than in a large classroom. It’s important to make sure the content is clear and that you are prepared for their questions. Many students will question your content and ask for lots of details on the information you present in the course.