Reflections After Seminars

Before I became a teaching assistant, I was a student in a class and I was primarily concerned with my relationship between my teacher as well as my relationship with my other classmates. The main goal at that time was to do the best I can in the class. Being a good influence was another goal, but it wasn't the most important goal at that time. After participating in 2 TA seminars about educational psychology, my perspective has changed a lot. As a teaching assistant, my job is to cooperate with the teacher and make sure I complete my tasks correctly. I still get to interact with the students in the class, but it is a lot more formal because I grade their lab reports and homework. The weekly seminars are intended to help TAs achieve the following goal: be a role model to students and be act as a guide. That has made me pay attention to other parts of the classroom by observing how the teacher teaches, how students grow and learn, and how does the student-teacher relationship change over time. Before, I wouldn't really notice these aspects of learning. All I focused on was my individual learning. What makes it more interesting is that the psychology I learn from the seminars can be found the classroom. So far, the topics that have been covered are motivation (self-determination theory) and learning (zone of proximal development). Both are quite general topics but the seminars made them more specific by focusing on students. From the seminars, they have planted some seeds in my mind on how I can be a better TA by using the models and theories I learned to help students. These past events have made me more motivated to not be passive in the classroom by sitting in the corner doing paperwork. Instead, I should take an active approach by building individual relationships with the students. I can be more motivating and encouraging so I can help cultivate the conditions that will allow the students to perform better in class. I wouldn't say I am really motivating and encouraging because I don't draw smiley faces on their quizzes or point out what they did well on their labs.