TA Understanding

The following is somewhat similar to what I shared with my students at sushi a couple weeks ago. I don't remember the exact words, but something along these lines. First I asked each of them what some of the bigger lessons they learned this year were.

"Throughout each year there are some things that you learn simply because you have to for the midterms (like the structure of every amino acid) and then there are other things that will stick with you forever, bigger life lessons.

Through being your TA I've learned a few things:
1. I actually like teaching. I don't think I'm great at explaining things, so I thought it wouldn't be great, but I really do enjoy getting to know a variety of people and sharing what I know and helping out as I can.
2. I'm a really great procrastinator. While being your TA I also should have been doing a lot of my research. I still have 16.5 months to do that, so I didn't get all that much done. Haha. I need to set deadlines and make goals and plans if I want to get things done!
3. Students at Carleton are literally from all over the world! This year I had students from Canada, US, Northern Canada, East Asia, South east Asia,  Eastern Europe, North Africa, West Africa, the middle east, so many places!

But probably the most important thing that i learned through being your TA was a deeper understanding of who God is and how He interacts with His people.

A few years ago I became Christian. Growing up I never went to church or anything until the end of highschool. The main ways the Bible talks about God is as a King and as a Father and there's this strange mixture of strictness and love that theoretically I can know, but had been quite difficult to really understand. Through being your TA I've understood that strictness, that love, His grace, and how He gives us choice a bit more clearly.

His strictness, often called holiness, is kinda like He's perfect and as such He requires perfection of us if we want to know Him personally. And at the same time He loves us and wants us to know Him despite our imperfection. And I know I am not perfect. I often ask why God would choose to love me of all people. Instead of choosing to follow Him or do what He wants me to do I often choose to do what I want even knowing it is directly against what He wants. Yet through being your TA I've come to understand it a bit. There is a certain expectation of perfection. ;P The marking scheme is there and that's the means by which I can grade you guys. But at the same time I care about you. I want you to do well. And no matter how well you do or poorly, no matter if you actually care about Chemistry or not, it doesn't change our friendship. I still want you to do well.

God's graces come in here since no one is perfect. Although we are all broken He made a way by which we could experience joy instead of wrath through sending Jesus to the cross. He made every way possible that we could choose Him and be forgiven. In the same way I tried to do everything possible to make it easier for you guys to get perfect marks. I reminded you weekly of what needed to be done. I sent an email most times. I told you where in the prelab you could do better. I always invited you guys to ask me questions! And in the same way that God doesn't just give everyone forgiveness unless they respond, I can't just tell you guys answers, you needed to come ask questions and I could help you learn how to get the right answers.
In a number of ways being your TA has taught me a lot and I'll never forget it! If you guys have any questions, let me know!! xP"