Happily Grading
Due to my high performance in the field botany lab (RNR 230) I took in the fall of 2016, the professor offered me the position of preceptor for the following fall semester in 2017. A preceptor is an undergraduate assistant who aids in various tasks, such as with teaching, grading, and preparing for class. Benefits typically include college credit or pay. I chose to receive three units of credit for my work, which was mostly compromised of grading weekly lab assignments, quizzes, and helping students during in-class activities once a week. I also aided them with their assigned plant journals (identification/labels), helped grade the two field trip reports, entered grades online, and even had the opportunity once to teach and take charge of the class for an entire period. After that the professor had me as his “backup” in case he ever got sick. Perhaps one of the most rewarding parts of the job, though, was the privilege of getting to know the other preceptors and befriending people in the lab.
Listening to Lecture
Class is so much more interesting when the professor wears a student’s bicycle helmet…
…while eating another student’s lunch (far left)…
…all while wearing a third student’s backpack!
In other words, he’s a total clown 😉