Teaching · Workshop Breaks & Productivity
University of Rochester · Spring 2024
In my second semester of freshman year, I became the teaching assistant for one of the most important CS classes for the major: Data Structures and Algorithms. It was my first time trying this out and I learned so much. I had around a dozen cute and smart students throughout the project. We became really good friends, not just TAs and students but many of them were the same grade as me or even older, so we learned from each other and talked in our free time. Many of them I am still keeping in touch with even though I transferred away after that semester, and it has been around three years from now.
For the workshop, we investigated and found that for long sessions like an hour and a half recitation, having a break is helpful, especially for evening sessions. It lets students chat with each other, improving communication because this is different from a lecture. Interaction is really important in the workshop, especially for peers to talk to each other since they have a lot in common. It also wakes everyone up and changes the dynamic of the room.
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