What's on your mind today?

[xSilverPhinx]

I'm feeling exceptionally low today. I should've been a good day too.

That sucks, JJ. Hope you are feeling better today.

[xSilverPhinx]

[xSilverPhinx]

A little over two weeks until I give my first class to almost 60 undergraduates. I almost feel sick every time I think about it.

[No one]

If you want to graduate from almost feeling sick to full blown nausea Argentium, just imagine them naked.

[Dark Lightning]

If you want to graduate from almost feeling sick to full blown nausea Argentium, just imagine them naked.

Hee hee, that's just what I was thinking. But I taught high school, which would have been just a bit inappropriate.

Anyway, Silver, just remember that you know more than they do, by orders of magnitude. You'll do fine. 

[Icarus]

Silver, dear lady, please get over the improbable possibility of failure or whatever it is that strikes fear into your heart and mind.  We HAFers have known you for a long time and it is clear that you are a smart as hell woman who has a keen sense of humor, and communicates well.  So  WTF is the problem here.  Just get out there and do your thing.  Those 60 underclassmen will either get it or they wont.  You will have delivered the subject information  with reasonable skill and previous knowledge.  So crack a few jokes to ease the tension and get their attention. 

[Dave]

Silver, dear lady, please get over the improbable possibility of failure or whatever it is that strikes fear into your heart and mind.  We HAFers have known you for a long time and it is clear that you are a smart as hell woman who has a keen sense of humor, and communicates well.  So  WTF is the problem here.  Just get out there and do your thing.  Those 60 underclassmen will either get it or they wont.  You will have delivered the subject information  with reasonable skill and previous knowledge.  So crack a few jokes to ease the tension and get their attention. 

Seconded with enthusiasm.

[xSilverPhinx]

If you want to graduate from almost feeling sick to full blown nausea Argentium, just imagine them naked.

  I can't risk feeling nauseous while giving the class! Besides, what if a Freudian slip betraying my thoughts finds its way into my speech? 

[xSilverPhinx]

Silver, dear lady, please get over the improbable possibility of failure or whatever it is that strikes fear into your heart and mind.  We HAFers have known you for a long time and it is clear that you are a smart as hell woman who has a keen sense of humor, and communicates well.  So  WTF is the problem here.  Just get out there and do your thing.  Those 60 underclassmen will either get it or they wont.  You will have delivered the subject information  with reasonable skill and previous knowledge.  So crack a few jokes to ease the tension and get their attention. 

I don't know, what if they ask a question I don't know the answer to? I'm not that smart...

[jumbojak]

You're definitely smarter than me but, in that situation, I suggest honesty. Simply say that you don't know and then figure out the answer after class. Once you're a world renowned lecturer in about twenty years it'll be tough for a student to stump you.

[xSilverPhinx]

You're definitely smarter than me but, in that situation, I suggest honesty. Simply say that you don't know and then figure out the answer after class. Once you're a world renowned lecturer in about twenty years it'll be tough for a student to stump you.

I'm really not that smart, I can barely get by at times! I like your answer! And you're right, I should just say something like 'that's a good question. So good in fact, that I don't have an answer, but will do a little research and answer it next week. 

[Dave]

You're definitely smarter than me but, in that situation, I suggest honesty. Simply say that you don't know and then figure out the answer after class. Once you're a world renowned lecturer in about twenty years it'll be tough for a student to stump you.

I'm really not that smart, I can barely get by at times! I like your answer! And you're right, I should just say something like 'that's a good question. So good in fact, that I don't have an answer, but will do a little research and answer it next week.

They ssy that an instructor need only be two steps head of the class to be safe - but there is always the bright smart-ass who reads ahead (or is on the second time round and enjoys taunting instructors.)

"An excellent question and one that deserves exploration - perhaps you could do that research as an extra assignment and tell us all about it next week?" seems the perfect response if you can pull it off!

[Dark Lightning]

I had a kid one time in a physics class that got a book and did some reading, then asked some questions in class, on the first day. I gave him an "isn't that cute?" smirk and explained that we wouldn't be covering that in that class. It was actually out of scope. We were covering electrostatics and he had some questions about Quantum Mechanics. He had enough trouble with E=IR that I wasn't too concerned about having to cover the math for QM. Some kids just do that to derail the lecture.

[Buddy]

I woke up incredibly tired this morning and when I went to check my FitBit to see how I slept, it shows that I was awake for an hour and a half. I have no memory of this.

[jumbojak]

How does it know you were awake?