From the other side of the lectern...

So I'm back in the land of hot and humid. My car has been fixed and shipped back to me, although it took quite a bit of finagling and cajoling to arrange it. Since then, I've resumed teaching at the local community college.
This is my second time around with teaching a full course, I've straightened out the material and the major kinks. Still definitely a challenge and there's likely better ways to do things, but I have managed to learn a few things.

1. Act like you know what you're doing.

 

The weird thing about teaching from a textbook and experience is that the two don't line up perfectly. The class I teach is about a wide range of subjects in environmental studies, so there are a few subjects I'm not so strong with. Also, the textbook deals in absolutes. A lot of research is ongoing, changing. The definition of a "species" is changing, yet in a book it looks set in stone. So the key seems to be say it with confidence.

2. Rambling and nonsense happens.

When you have to talk for over an hour at a time, it's easy to get lost. You have no idea why this slide came next. Words start failing. It happens, at least to me. So I just have to stop, take a breath, and then get back on the rails.

3.  Excuses can be anything and everything.

 

Yeah, people have other obligations, so if they're late or unable to show up for a class it shouldn't be a big deal. Most are legitimate reasons, but there's likely a percentage of bullshit artists. I try to be flexible, and usually let people make up quizzes. I give them all the notes they need. But there's only so far an excuse can go, and some due dates can't change.

4. For college students, they can be really dumb.

Everyone has asked a dumb question or two, or blanked on a simple answer. But there are also a weird number of dumb people. Truly dumb. I'm not talking about the people who show up, do the work, and then get some parts wrong. I'm more baffled by the people who sign up for a class, pay for a class, but then never show up or turn in assignments.

4. Occasionally, there will be a blindsiding question.

 

Sometimes there's a random question, sometimes it's a smart question that derails an entire argument. And then you stand there blinking like you've been hit by a brick. But there is room for an "I don't know."