Well, it appears that administrative cock-ups are alike the world over! The email I received saying I had to take proof that I'd applied for a Social Security Number to the International office in order to receive my stipend seems to have been a bizarre brain-fart on the part of a student employee of the graduate college, especially since it implied I was going to get money from the History department, which I have absolutely nothing to do with. Not that I would object, if History wanted to give me extra money! I also apparently didn't need to do another tax form, as I'd been told, so there was half my morning wasted on sorting out a bunch of misinformation. Yay!
Well, since I have some time to kill before class, I figure I'll fill you all in on the exciting processes involved in becoming a Graduate Assistant (Research too, but mostly Teaching) at the UofA. Firstly we had the general overview, GATO, a whole day affair which involved all potential GAs for the year. Initially we were divided into Domestic and International - presumably because the Internationals needed condescending lectures about how "in other countries, only the Elite get educated, but in America, it's for everyone! So you have to be aware of the diversity of your class!" and better still "in America, hygiene is very important, so you need to remember to wear deoderant and brush your teeth, and girls, don't forget to shave those legs!"
Apparently the "your classes will be diverse!" ethos doesn't extend to people talking to international grad students from 120-odd different countries. Ugh. Oh, and apparently we have to pander to our little american freshman brats, and be considerate of their delicate emotional states, whilst still being always at the ready to dial 911 in case one of them decides to get upset and throw chairs at us, or start shooting people. What the fuck???!
Thankfully, Linguistics department TA training the next day was a MUCH saner experience. We all sat around in a little room with fruit and pastries and coffee and chatted about which program we were doing, and any past experience etc. We still had to perform a bit though - we got 25 minutes to come up with a 5 min lecture on any topic NOT related to language, which was videotaped. (I did the care and keeping of Large White pigs. ;-) ) At some point in the next month or so, we each have to go to Adam (Ussishkin)'s office, watch ourselves (shudder) and get "constructive feedback". Hmm. We'll meet as a group twice more through the semester and then that's it, I think. Very glad I'm not working this semester.
3 comments:
Hmm, some of that sounds a bit scary! And you know what I would say if someone told me I *have* to shave my legs! Does hairy legs = smelly?? Do they make guys shave too! Argh!
Do they really believe that education in America is for all? I thought they had a pay-upfront system. Which obviously works for people with rich parents. Go tell them that there is free university education in Germany. noobs
Ok, after hearing these stories I'm kind of glad I'm still on my mini-holiday and VERY nervous about starting classes! Not that I wasn't already nervous, but now I'm more so...
Good luck for the rest of the week! Hope you get more celebrity linguist teachers :-)
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