Round Two

So the new semester is finally about to begin. Classes start on Tuesday, I teach on Tuesdays, I'm not quite ready yet, so nothing is new this time around. The past couple of weeks I've been busting my ass to fix what may have been one of the worse constructed lab manuals I have ever read, sadly it was the one I gave my class last semester. Now I can't be blamed for that, I was only given it, and the rest of the course material a few days before the start of class. So without a choice I just gave it to the students, thinking that it had worked in semesters past it should be fine this time around. The only reason it was fine was because the TAs must really have known their stuff in that lab, because the manual told the students nothing of use!

In one lab I had to read the procedure three times to realize that it in fact did not mention the procedure for the analysis of the unknown sample at all, which incidentally is the whole purpose of the lab. So, I worked my butt off and managed to create an actual lab manual, one that address key points, like how to do the fucking lab. Sure I could have left the lab manual as is, but if I didn't get the same TAs to teach the lab again they would be just as lost as I was when they read the instructions.

I wonder at times how long that manual was being used to teach the lab. I suspect that it had been used for some time, which is unfortunate. The benefit from this whole process though is that it has shown me that I am up to doing this job. I know my stuff well enough to be able to prepare a superior product that will better educate the students. This is comforting, since I've felt somewhat daunted by the aspect of being in this position of power and responsibility. So here's to hoping that the lab manual that I wrote actually makes sense to other people...and that it's printed in time for the beginning to the labs.