As I previously blogged, my Labs this semester on Thursdays are horrible in the sense that the professor does not give me any particular assignments to work on with the students. To add, students are not exactly the most complying bunch and just do not care how loud they are and how they may be disturbing others, etc. In the Writing Center, there's always been this argument and complaint that how do we, as tutors, "instruct" labs? In a way, we do not have the authority to tell the students what to do in the class time and at the same time, we do. So what can we really do?
I've heard to suggestions of many tutors, some ambitious and others (mostly) pessimistic. However, I would like to try something of my own and just trust my own teaching instinct to see how things go. Since the professor never got back to me after I left a voice message on her office phone or reply to any of the notes I wrote on the attendance sheet of lab, I have decided to literally take matters into my own hands. So this is what I've come up with:
Since it is a computer lab, I will first begin by asking them to shut off the monitors (at least) of their computers. Then, take out a sheet of paper and write what you think of this lab. Some suggested questions could be: What do you expect to do while in here? What do you expect/think your responsibility as students is in this lab? What do you think/expect my responsibility is or should be as a lab instructor here? After giving them several minutes to write freely about all this, I will put them in groups of 3-4 (depending on how many students are present in the class) and share their ideas and to then come up with an agenda or set of rules to follow for this class as students, as lab instructor for me, and as the class as a whole. And then I will bring it together and write down the "rules" on the board and keep a "copy" of it on my own to then type and print for the whole class next time perhaps.
I don't know, am I being too ambitious here?
I think your plan is a great one. It should help the students be aware of how they can use the time well. Perhaps one of them can give you a course syllabus, so you at least have an idea of what's happening in the class.
ReplyDeleteI do have a course syllabus and basically they're just reading texts and discussing them and constantly just practicing writing summaries and applying their experiences to respond to each text (as the new CATW implies students must do). I try to get them to continue that work in the lab but most of them refuse to do so. Because I do not have the authority to give them a "grade" they just refuse to listen to anything I say.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I told my boss about my great new plan and he said that although it is "great teacher thinking" it is just not my call as a writing lab tutor to take charge of the classroom like that :(
Mahla.. ouch. What do you mean its not your "call"? I take that personally. It think what you demonstrated to these students, is that you care about how they spend their time in school. Its clear that you were setting high expectations for them, which is why they responded back the way that they did.
ReplyDeleteWell, I understand why my boss didn't consider it my "call". The thing is, in this case, these are not truly my students. In truth, I am just the lab instructor, a TA in a way. So the class truly belongs to their professor and I am just there to give additional help to the students that will reinforce what they are being taught in their regular classes with their professor. Thus, it is the professor's "call" and responsibility I guess to decide what goes on in the lab because it is HER class. On the plus side, I am happy that at least I tried to implement my lab based on my own teaching ethics. I just have to find another way to help the students though so that it does not interfere with my responsibilities as a "Lab Instructor" or whatever my title is in this case.
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