The SuperDozent/in: What Does S/He Look Like? S/he Looks Like This: S-D

For a beginning course instructor like me, there are a good many things to learn and improve. No, it is not enough to observe professors (especially at Fach parties :)) in order to educate your "instructorous" Self! Though, it is a quite useful practice in addition to reading books about teaching. There is a number of course instructors who inspire me to persuit my dream: I dream of becoming a Professor working with and for students. Such professors as Doctor Aron Brudny, Doctor John Couper, Prof. Robert Jewett, Prof. Martina Pfeiler, Mr. Valeri Hardin and a future professor Eriko Ogihara.

Today, I have read several anonymous course evaluation sheets I discovered in my mail-box. The general impression is: overall, the students who completed the course were satisfied! Of course, there were things I should have done better. For example, many students thought this course will be predominantly about the 2008 presidential elections in the U.S., but it was not the case. I have spent more sessions on the history of American politicosphere, than initially planned. I do have an explanation for that, yet I give credits to those students who shared these impressions. This only means one thing to me: if I do not want to be enslaved by my ascetic and non-explanatory course description published in the student course book, and if I want to avoid any confusions --- the course description should be as clear and explanatory as possible.

I have received very positive responses about the learning atmosphere in class, my abilities to trigger interest about the topics I teach, use of new media and EWS, the diversity of the tasks performed in class, the accessibility for a conversation and questions and the selection and quality of the reading materials. I am very happy that the students appreciated my efforts. Yet the very same reasons (in addition to something else... either my personality traits or the marsh-coloured jeans) made four of my students leave. Over-exposure to The Web can be exhausting and very intimidating to some students. In addition, I am a kind of a person who persuades other people, including students, to produce something on The Web, not just consume the digitalized knowledge. This is my philosophy of teaching: use, produce and share on The Web... This is not what every person might appreciate. It is enourmous stress to produce something special (like this or this). Consequently, here is my grading policy: every student who constructively manages the stress during a deep cogitative pause, then survives convulsions of creativity and produces something intellectual and special, deserves a good grade. (In addition, the student should pass the test.) This student, afterwards, is the most grateful one.

After reading the evaluation sheets, specially developed for Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik, I spent this morning on re-evaluating my strategies and approaches to teaching and learning.

I have spent more than an hour on translating the evaluation sheet, the copies of which are supposed to be distributed by the American and British Studies instructors. I do not imply I have waisted my time on translating the "Evaluationsbogen zum Seminar"; this was a great practice of my German! But I wonder how come there is no English version of the evaluation sheet for the course instructors, who speak no or poor German? We also have Erasmus students taking courses from Anglistik und Amerikanistik, who hardly speak any German! That's right, they speak English. And in addition to the course evaluation sheet in German, there should be a course evaluation sheet in English. Students should be able to understand the questions of the evaluation sheet in order to tick the answers they find appropriate. English speaking instructors should be able to read and understand what the student ticked about his/her course in the evaluation sheet. I think, I am talking about obvious things here.

Well, back to the content of the evaluation sheet and MY BIG Moment of Zen. Based on the questions and answers of the evaluation sheet composed for and about instructors dwelling in the Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik in Technische Universität, Dortmund, I have compiled a list of the characteristics of the local Super-Course Instructor, or SuperDozent:

1. The Super-course instructor explains everything clear and comprehensible.
2. SuperDozent/in (because the German version is shorter) summarises main historical events appropriately.
3. S-D (this is short for SuperDozent/in, who looks happy because he or she is... einfach super!) encourages independent research by providing guidance, if necessary.
4. S-D effectively allocates time.
5. S-D encourages students to approach ideas critically.
6. S-D encourages students to share their own ideas, knowledge and experiences.
7. S-D ???how can one translate that???
8. S-D is open for questions.
9. S-D is also available off-hour.
10. S-D's course plan has clear structure and comprehensible goals and objectives.
11. S-D's course requirements are easy to understand.
12. S-D delivers course material in such a way that by the end of the course the students are fit for tests and exams.
13. Despite the fact that the language of instruction is foreign (English!), the students taking this course are able to easily follow the S-D in class.
14. S-D's course should be engaging.
15. S-D uses different teaching methods in order to reach all students effectively.
16. S-D should be able to raise and satisfy the student's expectations.
17. S-D's course content corresponds to the course description available in the TU, DO course overview.
18. S-D implements audio visual teaching methods in his/her course.
19. S-D's audio visual materials are of a high quality.
20. S-D creates a healthy positive learning atmosphere in class.

So there you are 20 tips on becoming a Superdozent/in within the walls of the Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik in Technische Universität, Dortmund. I suppose, that's how S-D looks like after students' evaluations: S-DDDDD!!!

Caffeinated Art of Mine: Dreaming of the Coffee Break (Part II)

“Tell me what your favorite coffee drink is, and I’ll presume who you are.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva

“I have two minutes before my espresso becomes poisonous.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva

“A good husband makes a good cup of coffee.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva

“All coffees are not to be tasted.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva

“Sweet as espresso aftertaste.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva

“Grind in peace.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva


Caffeinated Art of Mine: Dreaming of the Coffee Break (Part I) is available here.

My Congratulations, Dear Bloggers-experimenters! What a Success!!

Dear Jana, Jannis, Susann, Irina, Johanna, Julia, Tim, Anna-Maria, Christina, Flora, Marian, Sandra, Sina, Thomas, Katrin, EACH OF YOU DESERVED A CAKE!!!

My congratulations on successful completion of the blog-projects!

I was very happy to have you in my class. I hope, you will take something from this class with you and share your new experience with your family, friends and colleagues!

Thank you for inspiration!

Caffeinated Art of Mine: Dreaming of the Coffee Break during Boring Presentations and Meetings

I would like to thank the boring presenters at different conferences and meetings out there! :) When I am bored, I start dreaming of a coffee break, and the caffeinated "art" is born, as a result. Please, click on the sketches in order to enlarge them.


From: “Poetry of Escapism”

*When I Develop a Cancer*

When I develop a cancer,
I will leave my day job.
(I think it’s a perfect excuse.)
Good bye, academic robe!

I will put on medieval dress,
Decorate it with purple roses,
The candle will tremble as I
Start rereading my students’ MOZes.

With the clear cold filtered water,
I will slip into machine's chamber
To be brewed into ounce of espresso
For some bored faculty member.

(3 February, 2010)

(c) Svetlana Alexandrovna Makeyeva

I know I can be boring as well: I saw students yawning in my classes (!) And I saw my professor drawing while I was giving the presentation about my thesis last week (!) Or maybe our Department lacks a good espresso machine... preferably, Italian. ;)

Freedom of Choice and Freedom of Self-expression: A Special Blog-project by One of My Students Worth a Closer Look

One of my students made an impressive performance in my class today. I will not mention his/her name. Instead, I will invite you to have a closer look at the fruits of his/her intellectual work: MaliFree. The author of MaliFree took a different approach to the blog-project in my class. In the very beginning, I was cautious about the high standards he/she wanted to burden himself/herself with. But I could not deny his/her right to Freedom of Choice. I gave my OK.

In Chapter One, the author introduces us to Mali, "I’m Malik but people just call me Mali. My brother Rashid started calling me like that cause he said “Malik means king. You are too small to be a king so you are Mali – a little prince”." From the very start, the reader learns about Malik's tragic childhood. His mother died (probably, of cancer?), when he was five. He never saw his father. Yet Malik knows his siblings, "All in all I have five brothers and three sisters. At least these eights are the ones I know. I’m the youngest one and most of my siblings left the anthill long time ago. Rashid was different from them. He always felt responsible for me." Rashid, the character who has a strong will to live despite frequent physical and moral abuse, will "map" his and Malik's destinies. Away from “anthill” near Kapstadt in South Africa to America!
The action takes place in 1960s. Therefore, Malik's name incloses a special meaning. The name itself is a prediction: the little King will meet KING, M.L..

The author of MaliFree approached the topic of the American immigration policy in the 60ies very briefly due to the time constraints. Yet this blog-project serves as an amazing example of how blogging-genre can be adopted by a person with a journalistic background. With almost no strings attached, the creator of MaliFree appreciated the freedom of self-expression through on-line creative writing in his/her blog.

Back to the presentation in my class today. As I have already mentioned it was impressive: the presenter provided a general introduction to the blog-project, spoke directly to the audience by establishing ongoing eye contacts with the other students, spoke clearly, with the pace of a normal conversation, the design of the PPT slides was simple and elegant. My congratulations to the author of MaliFree on the successful completion of the blog-project and delivery of the presentation today! Thank you for putting a piece of your soul into blogosphere and sharing it with us, your readers.

There is one problem with this presentation, which appears as positive to me due to the fact that I am the instructor of this course and I appreciate good-quality presentations in my classes. The problem is: this presentation set high standards for the other students to look up to. :)

On-line Presidential Campaigns in USA and FRG Compared: Why Did Obama Win? Why did Steinmeier Lose?

Some couple of hours ago, one of my former students delived a presentation in Prof. Dr. Udo Vorholt's political science class. I was heartily invited by Kirsten to see her performace and provide a brief comment related to the presentation. I am very thankful for this invitation, Kirsten Hein! Thank you! :)

The presentation was titled "Wahlkampf Online?/Präsidentschaftswahl 2008 (USA) und Bundestagswahl 2009 (Deutschland) am Beispiel Obamas und Steinmeiersim Vergleich". Very good materials, very good summaries. Kirsten managed to make a lively presentation. The purpose of her presentation, to be brief, was to find an answer to a question, which many of us, German citizens and foreigners, keep on asking: "Why did Obama's internet campaign succeed and why Steinmeier's attempts failed. Kirsten even suggested that Steinmeier's attempts to campaign on-line in Germany turned out, in the end, counterproductive.

WHY did Steinmeier lose the race despite his noticeable on-line presence in 2009?

Kirsten acknowledged that there were many other factors which helped Obama to win (and Steinmeier to lose). Yet she suggested that the following factors are important to consider, when we compare Obama's and Steinmeier's attempts to outreach the voters:

1. Andere Kultur (Different Culture)
2. Andere Einstellungen/Vorstellungen von Wahlkampf (Different Attitudes/Conception of the Elections)
3. Andere Voraussetzungen (Different Preconditions)
4. Authentizität/Glaubwürdigkeit? (Authenticity) (My comment: or absence of such.)
5. Regelrechte Überschwemmung mit SPD-PR: Soziale Netzwerke, Merchandise, …
6. Oder waren es andere, „offline-Gründe“? (Or were there other "offline" reasons?)
7. Oder einfach schlechtes PR-Team? (Or simply bad PR-team)

The presentation was interesting. I would also say: partisan. A bit longer than required. But very engaging.

Kirsten also wanted to demonstrate a number of hilarious vids in class! Thanks for sharing Steinmeier's political pop-moments, Kirsten. :)

"Die SPD versuchte gen Ende des Wahlkampfes noch einmal alles um doch noch Wähler zu fangen." (c) Kirsten Hein
Beispiel: "SPD - Was Geht Ab [Wir holen die Kanzlerschaft] [HD] + Lyrics"
""Yes We Frank!" - Steinmeier in Mannheim (Teil 2)"
"Frau Merkel zur Steuerpolitik der CDU"

I have invited Kirsten to make the same presentation in my class. I am looking forward to a very interesting discussion. In their MOZes, my students keep on asking questions about the internet campaigning in the U.S. and Germany (2008 & 2009)... I think, this presentation will satisfy their intellectual appetite.