Learning to teach (and learning to learn)
• Posted by djfiesta on August 9th, 2007
At the start of the year sometime, back at the insight quiz night and talent night I saw Alvin up and talking to some people. So I went over to join him and found out he was talking to our good friend Mana, so that was the first time I had met him.
I can’t remember exactly how the conversation went, but it ended with Alvin and myself suggesting we try run some pilot tutorial thing to help some interested first years.
A lot of time had passed, and I almost forgot all about it until last week when conversation had sprung up again regarding what was happening with the tutes. Well I had no reason not to give them, nor did Alvin so we decided on a time mutual for everyone involved. So far we’ve had 3 tutes, 1 last week, and 2 this week. It’s been very informal, and we let the tute kind of guide itself at the moment, people ask questions and we try our best to answer them, we try give a global basic understanding of some conditions etc.
I think for the first few tute’s it has gone ok, obviously we aren’t the best teachers there are out there, but hopefully we’ll be good one day.
It’s also a good combo, Alvin and myself. He loves his pathophys and science based teaching, and I like clinical and those ‘take home messages’. He’ll teach quite a lot of detail about the pituitary and it’s histological appearance etc, at which point I might intervene and ‘keep it real’, that is to say, what part of that information is essential and what part is good for interests sake at the first year level.
What I would love however, is no holds barred feedback from the people who have been present so far. I know you guys are like heaps polite and thank us too much (which aint a bad thing) but it’d be great if you guys can let us know what has worked, what hasn’t, and how you would like things to go from here. I would hate if it became a useless exercise and people either dread it, or stop coming when it could be fine tuned and built up to this really effective tool for both the 4th years, and the 1st years.
So lets have it!
bah I wish our 4th years were that helpful haha. We barely see them around campus :/
LG
Song said this on August 9th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Hey Dj, I didn’t know that you were holding tutes, I was wondering if I could drop by and join in this educational experience :-P? Sound’s like it would be fun and informative though. If you have any space places could I come?
Sure thing, ask Mana to add you to his little email circulation. Still ironing out timetable issues, and if we should have 2 repeat tutes a week or just 2 continuing tutes.
But I’m sure he’ll keep you posted!
Go for it Alex. Next time it is on (should be next week) I’ll tell you about it.
i would really like to comment more extensively than this but i am currently burning the midnight oil while trying to get my health assignment done on time and… yeah.
It would be good, Daniel (and Alvin) if you could go through cases with us. I love the mnemonics and the questions answering is good. For example, being 1st years, I think we would all say we know a good variety of knowledge from a lot of random sources, but it really takes a lot of effort to bring it all together into one cohesive whole. I think one of the things for you guys to keep in mind when thinking about what we want to know is tips and tricks that are very basic, and yet are typical of things that 1st years completely miss, don’t understand properly (due to volume of material covered in short space of time), or simply have not covered in the course but (you guys think) should have been, in retrospect at least.
I guess the bottom line is that both of your experiences are absolutely invaluable to us. So far you’ve done better than I could ever dream of myself doing in the same situation! Please keep up the good work and of course, no pressure if you ever want to take a break or get too busy or whatever, it’s always going to be a favour you’re doing for us. Even if you guys (hopefully) get something out of it too.
and my excuse for not attending the 3rd session is that i was in need of time to do my health assignment!!!
actually that is a good point. The thing I would want to avoid is to have the session turn into another PBL, fun as it might be. It definitely would be nice to go through cases; I did send the case objectives for every case we have had but it is difficult to really pick out what we could get out of it.
birdman - you missed out on a head start on the neuro exam today
Head start on neuro exam?! DAMN! I love examinations.
Btw guys, in particular I like it when we give you a topic to talk about and you break it down into clear points, rather than bits of information here and there. For example for Nephrotic Syndrome you had the 5 clear diagnostic criteria. Or how yoou listed the top 4 macrovascular and microvascular complications for diabetes. Because then when I come across these concepts in PBL/lectures, I picture the little simple table/list in my head and think “AHA! Now I see where this all fits in!”
I like examinations……………… can i get permission to shoot him?
Song said this on August 13th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Well thanks for the feedback and kind words guys.
I think we might try to tackle case by case and attempt to deliver it in the “what you need to know” and also “how to approach (symptom)” format. That was the most helpful to me.
Also one session I’ll bring in a ‘guest’ speaker haha.
He’s the go-to guy for anything cardiology, but anything in general. And the genius man behind most of the mnemonics.
The tutes that i’ve been to have been really great so far, I agree that you, Alvin and Tariq (is that how you spell it? sorry if not, I’ll feel like a hypocrite because i yell at anyone who spells my name with an f…. but anyways…)’s styles complement each other excellently
One of the most useful things I’ve found personally is that you guys can give us good perspective on how much we need to know this year, but at the same time the things that will be relevant clinically later on… I don’t really think i have anything to criticise, so thanks to you all for volunteering your time *claps*