In the Spring 2021 semester, I served as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for my ENGL101 professor. I was responsible for taking attendance each day, grading minor assignments, and facilitating classroom conversations. I gave feedback to students and guided them in their construction and composition of their major assignments; I even had the opportunity to create an asynchronous lesson to introduce the final assignment of the semester. In addition to attending my ENGL101 class twice a week, I participated in a weekly seminar for first-time UTAs where we shared our experiences and learned new teaching methods.
I learned so much from this experience, with maybe the main contributing factor being that I was able to co-TA with a fellow PL student who had experience TAing for ENGL101. Observing my co-TA and being able to ask her for advice helped me ease into this new role in the beginning of the semester. Once I had gotten a sense of the working relationship between a TA and their professor, I was able to more confidently offer my opinions and take on bigger responsibilities. I feel as though the bigger lesson I learned was figuring out how to acknowledge my weaknesses (in this case, lack of experience) as a leader and then step back and allow someone else to take the lead. Through this, I learned how to evaluate my personal weaknesses in order to turn them into strengths.
Over the course of this semester, I feel that I've grown the most in confidence; through my experiences, I have come to recognize that I, in spite of setbacks, produce good work and have something of value to offer to those around me. During the same semester I learned to deal with a sudden onset of verbal and motor tics, I also devoted my time to advocacy and community development with the Residence Hall Association. I was passed the Leadership Book, a RHA tradition where senators write advice to future members (pictured below). Unfortunately since I was off-campus and couldn't get my hands on the physical book, I had them reserve a page for me.
I learned so much from this experience, with maybe the main contributing factor being that I was able to co-TA with a fellow PL student who had experience TAing for ENGL101. Observing my co-TA and being able to ask her for advice helped me ease into this new role in the beginning of the semester. Once I had gotten a sense of the working relationship between a TA and their professor, I was able to more confidently offer my opinions and take on bigger responsibilities. I feel as though the bigger lesson I learned was figuring out how to acknowledge my weaknesses (in this case, lack of experience) as a leader and then step back and allow someone else to take the lead. Through this, I learned how to evaluate my personal weaknesses in order to turn them into strengths.
Over the course of this semester, I feel that I've grown the most in confidence; through my experiences, I have come to recognize that I, in spite of setbacks, produce good work and have something of value to offer to those around me. During the same semester I learned to deal with a sudden onset of verbal and motor tics, I also devoted my time to advocacy and community development with the Residence Hall Association. I was passed the Leadership Book, a RHA tradition where senators write advice to future members (pictured below). Unfortunately since I was off-campus and couldn't get my hands on the physical book, I had them reserve a page for me.
I feel like this blank page is a great metaphor of the progress I made this semester. Even though I struggled with my mental health and was not physically on campus, I was able to overcome my difficulties and continue serving as a on-campus student leader. Knowing that my peers appreciated my input, despite it being constantly interrupted by annoying twitches and vocalizations, has made me confident that I have something to contribute to the on-campus community.
Looking Ahead...
I feel as though I can take many lessons from my practicum experience and apply it to my future endeavors. From my TA experience, I learned how to take the skills I mastered and reconfigure that knowledge in order to teach it to others. Because I aspire to work with young children and adolescents, I feel as though this will prove useful when teaching mental health skills and coping mechanisms. I also was able to practice teamwork skills while working in conjunction with my professor and co-TA, which will prove useful in any scenario.
For the remainder of my time at UMD, I will continue to serve in RHA, taking a big next step next year by filling a position on the Executive Board. I am also looking forward to reapplying for the Resident Assistant position, as I feel the experience would be applicable to my career aspirations. I am aiming to become a clinical psychologist, so any experience where I get to help others manage their personal and academic success will prove fruitful.
The biggest lesson I have been able to take from my experience in the Public Leadership program is that successful leaders come in many forms. There is no single set of qualities that determine whether or not you are a good leader; it is more about cultivating your own personal strengths and learning how to use them to your advantage. I remember coming into PL unsure of whether I had what it took to be successful in this program; I thought that my anxiety and insecurity would automatically disqualify me. However, through the past two years, I have come to the realization that one of my greatest strengths is my vulnerability and my willingness to be open about my experiences. It allows me to make an automatic connection and empathize with my peers, making me someone who is trustworthy and dependable. Sure I have my weaknesses; I sometimes second guess my decisions and need to improve my public speaking skills, but I've learned that there is always room for improvement. Instead of letting these weaknesses stop me, I will face them head on in an attempt to make myself a better leader.
For the remainder of my time at UMD, I will continue to serve in RHA, taking a big next step next year by filling a position on the Executive Board. I am also looking forward to reapplying for the Resident Assistant position, as I feel the experience would be applicable to my career aspirations. I am aiming to become a clinical psychologist, so any experience where I get to help others manage their personal and academic success will prove fruitful.
The biggest lesson I have been able to take from my experience in the Public Leadership program is that successful leaders come in many forms. There is no single set of qualities that determine whether or not you are a good leader; it is more about cultivating your own personal strengths and learning how to use them to your advantage. I remember coming into PL unsure of whether I had what it took to be successful in this program; I thought that my anxiety and insecurity would automatically disqualify me. However, through the past two years, I have come to the realization that one of my greatest strengths is my vulnerability and my willingness to be open about my experiences. It allows me to make an automatic connection and empathize with my peers, making me someone who is trustworthy and dependable. Sure I have my weaknesses; I sometimes second guess my decisions and need to improve my public speaking skills, but I've learned that there is always room for improvement. Instead of letting these weaknesses stop me, I will face them head on in an attempt to make myself a better leader.
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