I’ve just finished instructing my first microbiology lab. I feel really satisfied, and I don’t even mind cleaning up after the students (podiatric students). I teach two days, and Wednesday was the first. I didn’t know what to expect so I left the blackboards blank. Big mistake. As I was going through my prelab (when I explain what we’ll be doing in the lab that day) I looked out and saw all these blank looks. I think they heard the first couple of sentences, but that’s all. But we made it through pretty smoothly anyway. After that lab I wrote all the pertinent information for the lab, on the blackboard and used that to point to as I gave my prelab for Thursday’s session (a new group of students). It worked great. Now I know how to help get my message through to the students. I’m learning so much about communication. Today I couldn’t say “tongue depressor” to save my life. I kept saying “tongue depressure”! I’m really looking foward to this semester.
Oh yeah. I did burn my fingers (index and thumb) as I went to pick up an inoculating loop that was sitting in the sterilizer. I thought the sterilizer was off since no one was at the table (I told them to turn them off when not in use), but it wasn’t. So I have a nice second degreer here. Those motherfuckers! Sorry I started to drift into the Pit Zone.
