Dear UTAs,
If you are here, you like physics enough to help teach it to others. This is noble work! But it is by no means easy. All of you have shown that you can do physics. The challenge is to make others understand it just as well. It’s not much, but here is some advice to get you started:
· Don’t just assume you understand the homework and the PECs without looking at them. Getting flustered in front of students is not helpful and certainly not fun. Also, saying “I don’t know,” is better than telling a student something that is wrong.
· Do not just show students how to do the problems. Try to get them to find the answer themselves by asking questions. Once you can get them to see the logic behind the problems, physics becomes much easier.
· Point out things like checking units and making sure answers make sense to make students think about what they are doing, rather than letting them get away with plugging numbers into formulas.
· Finally, have fun! Enthusiasm is contagious.
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A student came to my office hours this past Tuesday and had a problem with the homework that was assigned. After helping her through the concept and work and figuring out a similar problem, it felt very good to be able to teach a concept in a different way and have it click in the student's head.
ReplyDeleteWeeks 1-5 (Jan 6 to Feb 5)
ReplyDeleteThis is my first post in the UTA Journal as well as my first semester as a UTA. Starting the semester, I did not know what to expect in my duties as a UTA and over the course of the first month I was surprised by how much knowledge I had accumulated and how much of it stuck with me. In fact I was able to help a Physics 1 student with a freefall problem.
In regards to my office hours, I have had two students show within those weeks, one had a question regarding work and its relationship to change in internal energy. I explained to her my methodology for thinking about it noting that delta U = Q-W and that to determine when work is positive or negative think about the relation between work and volume, W=deltaV*P. If the volume increases work is positive and done by the system, if the volume decreases work is done on the system and is negative. The second student had a question on a thermodynamic process involving two hot reservoirs and one cold reservoir. I aided her in identifying a key equation she was missing presented in the notes, e = 1-Th/Tc. Afterwards, she was able to solve the problem.
Furthermore, I was given the opportunity to proctor the first exam something I was anxious about. However, during the exam, I gained a high sense of confidence in myself as I was able to clarify multiple concepts including Gaussian surfaces, flux, electron density, couloumbs law and the conversion from m^3 to liters.
Overall, I feel that I am a significant positive influence for the students in the class. For further posts I will do it on a weekly basis.
Abish Pius
Weeks 1-5 Report
ReplyDeleteUTA: Arthur Sabian
Class: Phys 111 Professor Liu T/Th 6-7:15
Week 1: One person from Broccio's physics 110 came to office hours looking for her UTA. Abish and I were there and we both helped her with her homework problems for about 1.5 hours. As my first experience as a UTA I was nervous on my ability to teach physics. However, after awhile the student was able to understand the concepts and didn't require help on every single problem and could problem solve on her own. The student represented those who have never taken a physics class before and we tried to explain on how to think like a physicist.
Week 2: No Students showed, however a facebook group was made to help students with questions and two students asked a simple conceptual question on the HW.
Week 3: One Student showed from my course and I helped her go over the majority of lecture notes from class. This was unique from the usual homework help I usually get asked for. We discussed the current concepts and went over clicker questions she got wrong and I made sure she understood why the right answers were correct.
Week 4: Another student from my course Abish and I helped her out with webassign. It turned out that she was doing the problem correctly, but rounding was the issue.
Week 5: First exam. we helped proctor which was an interesting experience seeing the exam from the other side. Helped answer student questions during the exam mainly clarifying wording of problems. Weirdly no one came to office hours before the exam.
Week #6 -
ReplyDeleteThis week Dr. Liu covered Electrical circuits including voltage, current, resistance, capacitors and Kirchhoff's rule. The students learned new equations and relationships while demonstrating their understanding of the concepts they learned by answering the clicker questions to a high degree of correct responses. As this material is relatively easy, I did not have anyone attend my office hours this week.
Abish Pius
Week #6
ReplyDeleteNo one came to office hours again this week, the facebook group wasn't as active. This is the week after their first examination so it made sense, the average was a 67%, hopefully more students will attend office hours in order to do well on the next to exams. Dr.Liu finished magnetism and moved on to circuit, which in my opinion was where Physics 2 became challenging. I usually stay extra my slotted office hours on Thursdays so I don't believe time availability is the issue for the lack of attendance. The ones who indeed show up are a combination of 3 students but their attendance isn't regular.
Week #7 & 8
ReplyDeleteBusiness was slow this week with no one coming to office hours. The class is starting magnetism and has just delved into magnetic induction of currents. I aided a student obtain the correct clicker question answer in class, the student was confused on how current related to temperature and I told her to intuitively think about it: What happens when more current is passed through a wire? Our second exam is next week so I expect some facebook group questions or direct email questions this weekend.
Abish Pius
Week 7
ReplyDeleteA few students came to office hours this week but not for an extended period of time. On monday a student came in and wanted to review the homework so we went through a good portion of the problems. On tuesday a student came in order to review a couple problems from the old exam, and on wednesday no students attended
-Nicholas Bascou
Dr. Broccio
Week 8
ReplyDeleteOffice hours were slower than usual this week. No students came in. However, in class students seemed to understand the material better than normal. In the pair activities, students were more successful at finding solutions on their own than what has been typical.
-Nicholas Bascou
Dr. Broccio
Week 9
ReplyDeleteToday was an exam, we held a exam review office hours before the exam, unfortunately no students showed. I was admitted to proctor Dr. Liu's second exam much like the first time. I must admit, the second exam went more smoothly with students bring adequate equation sheets and asking very few questions. I clarified an answer for one student, outside that I just had casual oversight.
Abish Pius
Week 9
ReplyDeleteThere was an exam this week. Office hours were slow most days, except for Tuesday. A student came in and wanted some advice in regards to how to compile an effective equation sheet. I helped him single what equation would probably be of most use and explained way to organize it in an efficient manner that would allow him to manage his time appropriately.
-Nicholas Bascou
Dr. Broccio
Weeks 6-9
ReplyDeleteNo one is showing up to office, I have tried announcements on courseweb, the facebook group, the most beneficial aspect of help to the students is right before class I help them with any questions and during class I help with clicker questions by helping to correct any concepts they are misunderstanding. I will look into other methods into increasing office hour attendance.
Week 10
ReplyDeletePhys 0111
Dr. Liu T/Th 6pm
The week of March 14th, the class covered the final topic with magnetism, magnetic inductance and began to delve into optics, a first time topic for a majority of students. I expect to see some questions on the homework in the coming week. During lecture, I aided two students in obtaining the correct answer on a clicker question involving conceptual ideas about a regular plane mirror.
Abish Pius
Week 10
ReplyDeleteNo students came to office hours this week. Students in class seemed somewhat confused about angular momentum. During pair activities I tried to help them understand as best I could in the short amount of allotted time. I also ran into one of my students outside of class one day...it was an interesting encounter. But apparently she thinks we TA's do a good job!
Nicholas Bascou
Dr. Broccio
Week 11 and 12
ReplyDeleteOffice hours were very busy these past two weeks in comparison to normal. 2 to 3 three students came each day and we reviewed for the test on Friday April 1. They came in with questions regarding homework and practice problems, along with sitting down and reviewing the lecture powerpoints. In addition, because of the large number of students that attended with concern about the test, I held an impromptu review session Thursday night at 8pm, in which 7 students came. I went over problems that students had specifically struggled over, helped compile effective equation sheets, and answered some lingering questions.
Nicholas Bascou
Dr. Broccio
Week 11 & 12
ReplyDeletePhys 0111
Dr.Liu T/Th 6Pm
The class covered optics with topics in reflection, finding the critical angle and snell's law. They also learned about lenses, both convergent and divergent ones; however this topic would not be covered on the exam the following week.
I also proctored the third Exam in a new location. I was able to answer three different student's questions: one involving and induced current by a magnet where I directed the student to recall an in class experiment, one regarding the relationship between wavelength and frequency where the student had the wrong formula written down and I explained to her to check the units, and the last one on clarifying a diagram depicting the angle of reflection.
Abish Pius
Week 13
ReplyDeletePhys 0111
Dr.Liu T/TH 6Pm
I had one student come to my office hours for help on a homework question involving a double lens. Unfortunately, even with our combined efforts we could not solve the question, we got the same answer that did not match the answer shown by WEB ASSIGN. I instructed the student to ask her recitation instructor or Dr. Liu himself.
In class, this week students were encouraged to review for the final and learned the last chunk of information concerning wave-particle behavior. The class has been enjoyable and the students have shown great success this semester displaying a great 80% average.
Abish Pius
Week 13
ReplyDeleteOffice hours dropped off in week 13 as compared to last. No Students came. I guess they needed a break from physics after the third exam.
-Nick Bascou
Dr. Broccio
Week 14
ReplyDeleteStudents came looking for assistance on final exam review material. The biggest problems were angular momentum and tension forces. In order to review we went over homework problems from the optional list provided by Broccio. Mostly he same students came back in week 15 and we continued with such practices, building on their weaknesses.