It begins
Yesterday was the departmental welcome day at U Ottawa where I finally met some people with whom I had corresponded over email as well as some professors. Afterwards most of us went to an expensive bar near campus (6.80 for a pint of Hoegaarden, and 6.25 for Keith's). By the end it was only 5 of us including me, i.e., the hardcores.
I also found out what what form my assistantship will take, viz., a TA for "Technical Report Writing." I know it sounds lovely, but I'm told that I will likely only be grading stuff (fingers crossed). Most students have been assigned to a class known only as English 1100, an Essay writing class which most undergrads in all disciplines take. I can't say at this point which is better, but I will keep you posted.
That's one strange thing I've learnt about Ottawa, i.e., the TAships: at York, most TAs would teach a literature class. Apparently that's a rarity at Ottawa, for whatever reason. Again, I can't say which is better since I have no frame of reference, but I do know this: Ottawa gives the opportunity (sometimes) of actually directing a class, which sounds pretty neat.
I also found out what what form my assistantship will take, viz., a TA for "Technical Report Writing." I know it sounds lovely, but I'm told that I will likely only be grading stuff (fingers crossed). Most students have been assigned to a class known only as English 1100, an Essay writing class which most undergrads in all disciplines take. I can't say at this point which is better, but I will keep you posted.
That's one strange thing I've learnt about Ottawa, i.e., the TAships: at York, most TAs would teach a literature class. Apparently that's a rarity at Ottawa, for whatever reason. Again, I can't say which is better since I have no frame of reference, but I do know this: Ottawa gives the opportunity (sometimes) of actually directing a class, which sounds pretty neat.
posted by Pious Labours | 7:54 p.m.
6 Comments:
Course sounds dreadful, though perhaps slightly better than trying to teach literature to engineers-in-training, especially with Forster on the syllabus. Good luck with it, though. Look forward to hearing how it goes. (He says, snickering ever-so-slightly under his breath.)
We'll see what happens. I think it may be a marking only job, which is fine by me (they aren't essays). After all, what the heck do I know about Business writing?
I don't get the Forster reference: to what are you referring? all that Indian stuff? :)
hey, it's gonna be fine. you want to focus on your own work. how many courses do they have you taking this year?
As a PhD student, I have to take 6 half courses, one of which is a mandatory research methods kinda class. Definitely doable, especially if I decide to take one in the summer (we'll see). I've been lazy with reading lately: I really should read ahead.
Try teaching Howards End to 19 year-olds, of any major, and see how it goes. On second thought, don't. You might as well give Austen to Sweathogs.
Howards End I haven't read, though I did recently read Passage to India (I imagine that wouldn't be bad to teach). Austen to Sweathogs, haha. Good one. As for Austen, I really do see a gender difference: I've never met a male who has genuinely liked Austen, whereas intelligent women love her to death (in most cases) and don't like stuff like Beowulf. It's the whole guns 'n' dolls thing. I like and respect Austen, but she's too slow for me.
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