After more than ten lectures of the Specific Relief Act under my belt, I think a few observations are in order:
1. Irrespective of the fact that you have been assigned a specific class in a specific room at a specific time, it is always advisable to check with the college office, before your first lecture, that the members of the class in question are not filling up forms or counting notes before the cashier or scurrrying around getting their marksheets attested or indeed, performing any of the activities that figure prominently on the office's list of 'Ten Easiest Ways to Make a GLC Student Swear (Or Cry Or Resort to Deviousness, depending on your temperament). The idea being that you'd rather not spend your first day fingering the lock of your classroom in a bemused manner or running up and down the college looking for your students. Note: This observation is wholly GLC-centric.
2. In so far as it is within your power to influence the timetable, lobby hard to avoid an afternoon slot. Especially steer clear of lectures that begin at 1:30 p.m. It's hard to compete with longing, lunchtime thoughts for the attention of your students.
3. While zeroing in on your favourite teaching position ie sitting, standing, pacing, leaning, take the following factors into consideration:
(a) Don't shift around too much if you're sitting on a leather seat. Friction between your clothes and the seat is apt to produce sounds embarrassingly reminiscent of abdominal problems.
(b) The standing position does not go well with a raised platform and high heels. Students should leave your lecture with aching heads, not stiff necks.
(c) The leaning position does not go well with a blackboard and black trousers/churidars.
(d) If you like pacing, be very aware of the length of the platform. I am not going to elaborate.
4. Your students are not reading a Charles Dickens novel. You might be able to unravel all the principal and subordinate clauses of your compound and complex sentences, but the students like lots of full stops.
5. If you've forgotten what you're going to say next, indulge in some light banter with your class. Throw a few questions at them. There is nothing more pathetic than pretending to cough everytime you need to take a surreptitious peek at your notes..
6. If one of the backbenchers is yawning, look lively or begin winding up. (Of course, you could always try throwing chalk) If one of the frontbenchers is dozing, STOP.
7. If you're willing to stoop really low, offer chocolate as an incentive for attendance. Actually, I can't recommend that with any authority yet- I've only tried it today. Results shall be published on the next post.
