What Students Say

It's the final teaching week of the April semester and I hope my tenant co-operates fully by staying in her rental facilities until the lease is over.

The last thing I need is to go into labour right now when I still have classes going on!

Cutting it too close, I know. But such things can't be predicted.

Anyway, I received my teaching evaluation feedback and it's always interesting to read the students' comment about me. This was for my Film Theory & Criticism class:

Some positive ones:

• Ms Teo is clearly very passionate and knowledgeable about films, and thus, this influences the class and makes her lessons a joy to go for.
• She is very kind and approachable which makes people want to learn. People are not afraid to approach her to clarify doubts.
• She goes the extra mile for her students.

This one cracked me up because it implies that a pregnant lecturer is (perhaps) grumpier and less energetic:

• Ms YC has a lot of energy (even when she's pregnant, even when she looks tired) whenever she teaches us in lectures and tutorials, and it helps in my student learning. It makes you want to learn and listen to her. She provides feedback so her students know where to improve on the next time. She uses social media to give certain announcements (this helps so much as some students don't check olive!)

And some areas of improvement:

• Instructions could be more clearer on the required tasks for assignments. Provide examples of assignments. Example, provide an example of how a film journal is before giving students the task so that we have a clearer view on what is expected.

My instructions and suggested marking schemes are very DETAILED. And I do NOT give model answers/assignments because that's an easy way out. I know students too well. They will use the template and change the answers to fit their work. No effort whatsoever to do their own research. Sorry, I refuse to spoon-feed them. During my school days, there were no power point slides given to us. The lecturers didn't even use slides - they spoke and we scribbled notes. 

Besides, this is a film journal and everyone has to develop their own unique style/voice in their writing. And if they want really "samples", there are plenty of books in the library to refer to. Plus, there's always Google (even though that's not a recommend source).

• Joke around a bit! - sometimes she seem too serious in teaching.

Really? I never thought of myself as a serious lecturer! That's quite a revelation. Last time I checked, I was employed as an educator, not an entertainer.

• Pick nicer films to watch. (: no more black and white films pleeeassseeeeee.

This isn't a Film Appreciation class, darlings. Classical Black and White films are integral in Film history and I don't select films based on whether I think the students will "enjoy" them. I never liked 3/4 of the stuff I learnt in school either but it was part of the curriculum and I just roughed it out.

I select films based on the topics covered in the syllabus. I also make sure I introduce different genres and styles, and the films aren't confined to Hollywood productions. 

So yeah, as long as I'm teaching this subject, Citizen Kane and Seven Samurai will remain on my teaching list. 

Luckily I got to teach one of my favourite subjects this semester - it made my difficult pregnancy more bearable because time whizzes past when you're passionate about the content. And even though I was feeling utterly URGHSSSSS most of the time, the morning sickness, aches and pains miraculously vanished when I step into class.

Good thing I love my job.

At least the teaching bit.

The marking, not so.

And the piles of scripts are giving me the evil eye now so I'd better be off with my red pen in hand.