How would you feel about a TA that...

[Spoooon]

lets class out early alot?

I'm teaching two labs a week for research methods. Basically the lab is teaching the students about formulating hypotheses, experimental design, and culminates in a research proposal that conforms to APA standards.

The lab is scheduled for 2 hours. But it's a struggle trying to stretch class out to an hour and fifteen minutes. Today, I dismissed after 30 minutes, because I covered everything that needed to be covered and no one had any questions.

Would you feel like you're not getting your money's worth? I make myself available after class for people that still need help and try to make sure everyone understands the material. But if they don't ask questions, there's not a whole lot I can do.

What do you think? Should I come up with an hour and a halfs worth of material to cover? Or continue conducting class the way I have been?

edit: BTW, this guy graduated from my school and went to teach at Penn State. He killed 3 people in the sixties.

link

 

[minendo]

I hate TA's that stretch 15-20 minutes of information into 2 hours.

 

[Aharami]

i wouldve liked TA's like that in college

 

[MercenaryForHire]

If no one wants help, keep knocking off early. As long as you're available for anyone who needs it, no problems that I can see.

But when they're all failing because they don't ask questions, you might start dismissing later and later.

- M4H

 

[Cfour]

I always liked my bio TA that let us out early =) Then again, she was pretty hot, too.

 

[iotone]

well, i think if you've thouroughly covered all the material you need to cover, and there are no questions, then that's just fine...

it is hard to stretch things, and one thing i hated as an undergrad was TAs who tried to stretch it too much... a little is fine, but a whole lot is just torture.

 

[radioouman]

I would love to have a TA like you! However, I'm sure that there will be some students who will not like it.

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: Cfour
I always liked my bio TA that let us out early =) Then again, she was pretty hot, too.

You should have asked her for some T and A when you had the chance.

 

[pyonir]

I never had a problem with college classes getting out early, as long as the material was covered. If we have to sit there and listen to meaningless crap for another hour, i'd be pissed.

I'd just make sure they realize that the class may last the full time if the material isn't covered or there are questions and the like.

 

[Spoooon]

Originally posted by: radioouman
I would love to have a TA like you! However, I'm sure that there will be some students who will not like it.

Yeah, that's the problem. I'm afraid I might get in trouble if someone starts complaining. I think next week I'm going to stress the fact that if anyone still has questions, they may remain after class for the full period if they need to.

 

[Gyrene]

Yea, my Chem Lab TA let's our 3 hour class out after about an hour and fifteen minutes. I don't think anyone has complained yet.

 

[xospec1alk]

as long as you make youself available for the whole time that class would have been in session its fine.

 

[BCYL]

I think what you're doing is fine...

I never expected any of my labs to last the full-scheduled time anyways... I would much rather you dismiss early...

 

[Scootin159]

I'd prefer it anyday to the professors who make a scheduled 1hr class go for 4.5hrs (routinely), especially when a competent prof. could cover it in 45min or so.

When I TA labs I normally only lecture for 30min, after that everyone is free to go (with the understanding that the work is still due next lab). I always stayed for the full lab time (or until the last student left), but probably only about 40% of the students stayed more than 2hrs (3hr lab), and very few (if any) stayed the full 3hrs.

I never recieved any complaints until one or two students failed the class. The prof. & Div. Chair both backed me up though saying that I was available and that their failing was their own fault. They failed because they did maybe 2 or 3 of the 15 or so labs.

 

[Wuffsunie]

As long as the material is covered, I wouldn't see a problem. Might want to pad a little more in here and there if things seem to be getting too short consistently, but shouldn't start dragging it out for no reason. As for the extra time, if you have an actual office, just tack on an extra office hour there.

 

[Spoooon]

Originally posted by: Wuffsunie
As long as the material is covered, I wouldn't see a problem. Might want to pad a little more in here and there if things seem to be getting too short consistently, but shouldn't start dragging it out for no reason. As for the extra time, if you have an actual office, just tack on an extra office hour there.

I have an office, but I don't have a key. So no office hours yet. Like I said before, I'm going to stress the fact that if anyone needs extra help, they can stay after I dismiss the class and get as much help as they need.

 

[Noirish]

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Originally posted by: Cfour
I always liked my bio TA that let us out early =) Then again, she was pretty hot, too.

You should have asked her for some T and A when you had the chance.

Had a Chem TA that was and probably still is hot.
That was my whole motivation of going

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

Provided the material was competently covered (completely and understandably), I'd be ecstatic if I had a TA who let class out early a lot.

 

[dquan97]

I would've liked a TA who did that