Weather and Work

I’m listening to the rain and the sounds of birds chirping around the bird feeder. The window is slightly cracked, the cold breeze is refreshing though. I love rain as much as sunshine and never get tired of any type of weather. I love both dim and bright days.

Today is a dim one. I’m thinking about weather … it’s the end of another week and I’m preparing for the next one already.

I’ve turned some music up now and am making a mental list – go over quiz grades, review for next quiz and lab. While I’m in graduate school I work as an undergrad lab instructor. I only have 7 students in one class and 9 in the other this semester. I’m used to having nearly 30 x2. Last week, one of my classes had the lowest average quiz 2 grades I’ve ever seen in the 4 semesters I’ve instructed. Wondering how it’s possible when now it’s all online and they’re the first to have it open book! I set a timer and review with them at the beginning of class even and am used to them talking out loud and doing well – now it’s much quieter. I’m going to make sure next time it isn’t as quiet as it was. Usually when they don’t do well I think it’s something wrong with me. I’m definitely not an expert but I try my best. I learn more about weather and climate every time. My labs are recorded now which in a way freaks me out but it’s also neat to watch myself. I think I tried to rebel as long as I could against the forced push to all online education. But now I’ve given in because I had to.. I missed being able to be in the classroom. Now I can’t touch any of the student’s papers or get too close to them, they submit pictures of their work online. I used to walk around the room constantly and collect about 60 lab packets every week. Quizzes were printed and after they were collected we went over the answers and students said things aloud – I could see facial expressions of who got it right or wrong. It was fun and I think they really learned things. Then during Spring break 2020 we never went back, instead everyone had to figure out how to continue online.

I get my reviews back each semester and am always really astonished because initially I was so nervous to be in charge of a classroom. I did it for my degree, but now I know its something I can do well. I am proud of myself, but of course I can always improve. I will showoff my feedback since 2019 though. When students went to review the director’s name: Johnson, was listed, not mine – but these are from my official scores. It’s funny – they address me as Mrs. and Ms. but at the time I was Ms. Ploderer. Now I’m Mrs. Rostig and of course I still get Ms. Ploderer’s in emails. I like it when they call me professor but I’m not one and I remind them, I’m just an instructor. All in all, it’s been an awesome experience.

Direct quote from the Lab director, Dr. Johnson, who is a great professor at the University:
“Your reviews have always been the spotlight of our ESCI lab SETEs. They are excellent, as usual; best scores of all our TAs, in fact.”

I will get feedback again this year, first time post Covid – that’ll be interesting. I always have very bright and respectful students though, rarely do students fail. That’s why it was surprising to see such low quiz grades this past week. I will talk to them about it and it’ll be okay, but I find it so ironic. Online quizzes are harder than on paper quizzes? I don’t think quizzes should be open book. But it’s in the syllabus that it’s acceptable since some students attend via Zoom. We’ll see how well they do next week. I wish we had more opportunities to do outdoor experiments, been thinking about how to keep it interactive.

I hope at least we all stay healthy and things continue to get better in the world – all these young adults just getting started and now having to adapt. At least we’re half ways through the semester… the weather has been wild too – raining hard now but it seems appropriate.

Happy Weekend!

*update* 5/21/2021

I got my SETE reviews back for the two classes I instructed this semester and wanted to share them. I’m so happy I received very high reviews again! Wow, I really enjoyed instructing Weather & Climate Lab for the University of Memphis 🙂 Thank you to the students!

Study what you love!