Why did I agree to this.

[trales]

So I agreed to teach a night course this semester. From 5:30 -10. It is turning out to be a nightmare. It is a brand new course. Basically, it is an accelerated, survey course.

So, instead of a regular year of general chem which meets three days a week for an hour plus another 2 hours for lab, this course meets one night a week for 4.5 hours for only one (yes, your read correctly one) semester. This means I have to lecture for 2.5 hours.

I am going to kill myself and the students are going to poke their eyes out. I was not thinking when I agreed to do this. There is no way in hell I would ever be able to sit through this, I would not want to listen to someone talk Chemistry for 2.5 hours and then do lab. Yet, I have to lecture for that long, how else do I cover an entire years worth of material.

I have also been told that these are engineering students, so they should be able to do math (we will see). They will need to know this material, some of them may go on to do chemical engineering.

I am having so much trouble planning this. Did I mention, I have a lot of planning to do and classes start on Monday. Yet, here I am.

AHHHHH. How do I do this. Yes, I know, step one would be to get off the internet.

[elephantmeg]

huge hugs and good luck! Yikes, I would hate to be in that class!

[trales]

Yes, I am still online. And . . . I am on my second beer while writing the labs. That should make them very interesting. If only the students knew what thier profs were up to on a Friday night while DD is nestled away in her bed.

[egoldber]

Oh I taught a condensed stat class like that one year. Nothing like 4 straight hours of statistics lecture to make your eyes glaze over.....and I was the one teaching.

[elektra]

Ugh.
Can't imagine!
The closest experience I have that relates to that was when I tutored athletes during my last year in college, and I got the glazed look from both the students (and I imagine myself too) after only 30 min or so of going over material, I cannot imagine 2.5 hours!
BTW, I have the same internet/BBB problem when I know I need to get a ton of work stuff done too.

[StantonHyde]

How interactive can you make the class? Can you break up into small groups? Can you have them each learn a piece and then "teach" each other?

I also find it helps to break every hour for 10 mins. I know you have a lot to cover, but people have to pay attention, too.

I have done lectures before but now do lots of interactive "training". I prefer the latter.

Remember--you just have to be one class ahead of them

[StantonHyde]

One more quick thought--you could find ways to work "goat chaos" into your lectures--that would help alot. Goodness knows, your goat stories crack me up.

[bubbaray]

I would totally have done 1 chem class like that just to get it over with -- my eyes would glaze over after 10 minutes of chem.

I wouldn't sweat it. Set out your curriculum, give them an outline at the beginning, tell them its gonna be a wild ride, hold onto your horses and heeeere we go. LOL.

Better them than me. I still don't understand organic chemistry. LOL.

FWIW, I've had to teach looooong, boring, technical courses. Just stick to your outline and cross your fingers.

[MontrealMum]

I've particularly enjoyed my seminars which were taught in the local bar or sometimes, the prof's home I realize that this might not be an option for you, but try to think outside the box as far as structure and setting. Breaks are good, as are tea, coffee, or "snack".

As a Foreign Languages and History major, most of my courses after the first year were at least 3 hrs. if not longer...and that was undergrad. (obviously they're all that long for grad. school) I realize it's not the norm for the hard sciences, but it might not be as bad as you think. I too spend WAY too much time online when I've got a lot of work or a deadline - can you tell?
Good luck on finding some inspiration.

[gatorsmom]

Like StantonHyde and MontrealMom said, can you break up the class? Lecture them and then give them a quick pop quiz on what you just talked about? THat might help them stay awake, LOL. Or, at some unexpected point just have everyone get out of their seats and move to a new one. Musical chairs. Or, throughout the lecture, stop in the middle of a sentence and ask a question about something you said 10 minutes before. The first person to answer your question correctly gets an extra point on their next test- so extra credit. I'm just thinking of ways I would have LOVEd my professors to help me stay awake while they were lecturing.

Oh, and raising hand, I too tend to spend a lot of time here when procrastinating. It's just too easy.