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Page 14 text:
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THE TEACHING ASSISTANT: HIS AWARENESS OF THE FRESHMAN'S RESPONSE COPY BY TANA LANE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOB DENNISTON I think my TA is great. He's human; he doesn't like Saturday classes any more than we do. Ring, the bell sounds faintly above the chatter ot the classroom. Grudgingly, notebooks flap open and pens appear as the youthful instructor enters the room. Another day of classes has started for the TA and his students. TA? What's that? Looking through the college slang dictionary used on most campuses today, one discovers that the abbreviation TA stands for teaching assistant. In further definition, the dictionary states that the TA is a student working for either an MA, MS, or PhD degree, has a BA in the field he's teaching achor practical experi- ence, and usually his ultimate goal is college teaching. While the TA's goal may be college teaching, chances are 50-50 that he's never been in front of a classroom audience before. Because of this, the TA's iob ranges anywhere from grading papers and straightening the library to actual classroom experience. But practical experience is stressed, and hence most TA's spend between 3-5 hours a week teaching class, 2-4 hours a week holding ottice hours, and un- tolcl numbers of hours a week grading papers and preparing for the next day's classes. In addition to preparing for the next day, the TA often carries as many as 12 credit hours a term in which he must maintain a B average in order to fulfill requirements for a higher degree. He receives no credit for the hours he spends teaching, but rather receives a salary ranging from $1800 to $2500 for the nine month school period as well as a reduction in his tuition. Furthermore, he receives the praise or scorn from his students as to whether he's doing a decent job or not. HMy TA is cruddy. Aw, you're full of it, my TA is a great guy. Nuts to both at you. l felt like I was part of an experimental group. I didn't learn a thing. l0 These are iust a few of the reactions some freshmen have concerning their TA's. Essentially, students felt that it they got a bad TA, they really got a bad one. The maior complaint seemed to be that some TA's were apathetic; they weren't concerned with the student or the classroom problems. They iust talk in parables all the time, one girl mentioned, Hand they never give any specifics. Another said, HThey just lock enthusiasm. They don't even bother to come to class pre- pared, and when we question them on something they just get mad. But, perhaps, the feeling is best summed up by the freshman who said of one TA, 'il've no respect for the guy. The maiority of students telt ditterently though. As one girl men- tioned, HI think my TA is great. He's human; he doesn't like Saturday classes any more than we do. But disliking Saturday classes was not the only criterion for a good TA. Most students liked the way their TA's presented the material. liHe gives examples and ties them in with things that are amusing, one girl said. HI thing it helps to laugh in a Camp. class. HMy TA was over in Germany, one fellow mentioned, iland sometimes he'll spend part of the hour talking about some phase of it. I really get enthusiastic about German then. HAW, heck, still another fellow mentioned, 'iTA's are better than profs. The profs are crusty; it's been so long since they were students. My TA is aware of students' response. Not only was the TA aware of classroom response, but most fresh- men felt their TA's were also fair graders. Tests, neither tricky nor easy, but straightforward, were usually marked on a curve, and the TA asked what the student would know. liThere are no reprisals for not knowing something, but you sure feel like a crumb it you don't, one freshman explained. Karen Royce: Italian
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Page 13 text:
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DEAN TROTTER: FRESHMEN LUMP PROBLEMS TOGETHER, BUT DON'T HAVE SOLUTIONS Dean Robert M. Trotter of the School of Music feels that today's freshman has changed from the freshman of ten years ago; this change is a part of our slowly changing society. He feels that the freshman of today is about as apathetic as the freshman of ten years ago. They are interested, but lump everything into one big problem for which they have no solution. Dean Trotter feels that the freshman of today is being well taken care of because the public demands it and the faculty and administration, though they may have difterences of opinion, are giving the best they can. The School of Music is attempting to show, by faculty dem- onstration, how a freshman may get the most out of a career in music. DEAN CREESE FEELS JOE COLLEGE ATTITUDE ABSENT IN TODAY'S FRESHMEN Dean Walter L. Creese ot the School of Architecture and Allied Arts feels that the HJoe College attitude has disappeared from the freshman of today. Today's freshman is much more serious about his studies and life in general and is, therefore, less apathetic. Dean Creese said that the atmosphere on the U of O campus is encouraging for freshmen because students and faculty seem to be all students together, but the faculty is a little better. He said that all students de- serve a good education and his school is attempting to provide this by expansion of area and faculty.
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