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I guess I don't fully understand the scenario being described. She writes that the T.A. tried to explain "again, and again, and again", then after she said "I D

by cs2818 11y ago

I guess I don't fully understand the scenario being described. She writes that the T.A. tried to explain "again, and again, and again", then after she said "I DON’T UNDERSTAND", he was "eager to help us". It seemed like the T.A. was already aware she wasn't grasping the concept because he explained it repetitively. I'm just wondering what feedback she was giving up until that point. Regardless, clear communication from everyone in any learning setting is essential. Saying "I don't know" and "I don't understand" are a huge part of that.

DigitalJack 11y ago
I think the point she was making was being very public about the fact she didn't understand. Stating it loudly, rather than sheepishly speaking with the TA and being ashamed. Being upfront about it and basically letting everyone in the room know she was having a problem broke the ice. There can be a palpable pressure in social situations to conform, like being in a library... the silence of everyone almost has a presence of its own. In a computer lab, it can be like that. Who knows why the TA changed their tune, maybe they were themselves shamed by their own lack of ability to convey understanding. But for the rest of the lab, once the taboo was broken, apparently the innate desire many people have to lend a hand surfaced. I can't say why, I wasn't there, but in this case it worked out. People act differently in the anonymity of a crowd, and that is what you basically have in a hushed lab environment. Her plea for help / public admittance of vulnerability was apparently enough to shatter the crowd psychology and the innate desire of individuals to help other individuals came forward.
vacri 11y ago
The TA assumed she had knowledge that she didn't actually have, and was basing responses off that faulty assumption - plenty of students are lazy and ask questions that they could answer themselves if they would just bother. In my experience, if you ask questions and it's clear you're trying, most people will engage with you. But if it's a short form for getting a lazy, spoon-fed answer, that's when people disengage My best brain-not-engaged story when I was a TA was a student who had to multiply 2 by 0.4. She reached for her calculator and I forbade her from using it (she was doing a major with a statistics component, so she could do this). She just stared dumbly at me until I couldn't bear it anymore and 'helped' her with "well, what's 2 by 4?". People like that will drain you until you don't care anymore. But a student who shows that they are trying, and you'll be more interested in going the extra mile.
Spellman 11y ago
I have had to teach several individuals. There is a stark difference between someone being humble and saying they flat out don't understand vs someone pretending to understand/get it and then blatantly making a mistake that belies they really don't understand. I personally would much rather teach the former.

by cs2818 11y ago

DigitalJack 11y ago

I think the point she was making was being very public about the fact she didn't understand. Stating it loudly, rather than sheepishly speaking with the TA and being ashamed. Being upfront about it and basically letting everyone in the room know she was having a problem broke the ice. There can be a palpable pressure in social situations to conform, like being in a library... the silence of everyone almost has a presence of its own. In a computer lab, it can be like that. Who knows why the TA changed their tune, maybe they were themselves shamed by their own lack of ability to convey understanding. But for the rest of the lab, once the taboo was broken, apparently the innate desire many people have to lend a hand surfaced. I can't say why, I wasn't there, but in this case it worked out. People act differently in the anonymity of a crowd, and that is what you basically have in a hushed lab environment. Her plea for help / public admittance of vulnerability was apparently enough to shatter the crowd psychology and the innate desire of individuals to help other individuals came forward.

vacri 11y ago

The TA assumed she had knowledge that she didn't actually have, and was basing responses off that faulty assumption - plenty of students are lazy and ask questions that they could answer themselves if they would just bother. In my experience, if you ask questions and it's clear you're trying, most people will engage with you. But if it's a short form for getting a lazy, spoon-fed answer, that's when people disengage My best brain-not-engaged story when I was a TA was a student who had to multiply 2 by 0.4. She reached for her calculator and I forbade her from using it (she was doing a major with a statistics component, so she could do this). She just stared dumbly at me until I couldn't bear it anymore and 'helped' her with "well, what's 2 by 4?". People like that will drain you until you don't care anymore. But a student who shows that they are trying, and you'll be more interested in going the extra mile.

Spellman 11y ago

I have had to teach several individuals. There is a stark difference between someone being humble and saying they flat out don't understand vs someone pretending to understand/get it and then blatantly making a mistake that belies they really don't understand. I personally would much rather teach the former.