Jordan Brown

Justin Lohr
ENGL388V – 3001
November 2018
Returning UTA Class Observation’s

Instructor Observed:
Justin Lohr (ENGL395 – Writing for the Health Profession)

Reflection:

Given that I am the only returning TA in my section I had the opportunity to observe

Justin Lohr during his Writing for the Health Professions class. Although Justin is an instructor

during the class there were various aspects of his teaching that I believe would be beneficial to

use as a TA in the future.

Something that always struck me as odd was fifty minute English classes. I have always

felt as though it is more difficult to compact in English lesson in fifty minutes, versus extending

the course to seventy-five minutes. However, when sitting in on Justin’s class from the minute he

began to talk to the moment class was dismissed, I felt as though the students were engaged with

the material. Furthermore, although only fifty minutes it did not seem as though Justin ran out of

time to present any materials planned for that days lesson.

When Justin came in a minute or so after the beginning of class he immediately

demanded the students attention. Before getting into the details of the day Justin asked if any

students had anything they wanted to talk about “questions, comments, concerns, or fears.”

When first hearing the word “fear” tied to the question struck me as odd. But, I shortly realized

that Justin used the time as an opportune moment to detach himself from the role of an instructor

and provide students a space to discuss what has been going on with them beyond the classroom.

As a UTA I often actively consider ways to bridge the gap between being an instructor and also
being approachable. Justin’s approach reminded me that simple phrases or actions can remind

students that you can serve as resource for topics outside of the classroom.

Another key action taken by Justin that resonated with me was how when responding to

students he would state their names. This is something that some may see as incredibly minor. In

fact, prior to this observation I did as well. But, each time a student contributed to class he would

follow with a short statement of praise such as “X makes an excellent point.” As an instructor,

and a UTA I believe it is critical to remind students that they’re contributions/perspectives are

valued. In my future interactions with the students I would like to use the same strategies to

remind students that I do see what they’re asking/ bringing to me as unique and valuable.

Although there were innumerable aspects of Justin’s teaching that would be useful as a

UTA for the future, the last point I would like to address would be how he facilitated discussion.

Before even introducing the discussion point Justin first wrote them on the board in the front of

class. Not only did the serve as a reminder to students as they began to discuss the material what

they should be looking for, but also saved Justin time as he did not have to continue to repeat the

discussion questions for the activity. Additionally, it was nice seeing him split the students in

discussions group by assigning each student a number. Oftentimes in class students become

comfortable in their “unassigned assigned seat” and engage with the students closest in

proximity. Justin’s approach afforded the opportunity for classmates who typically do not engage

with one another to collaborate.

In summary, the classroom observation provided me excellent insight to the ins- and - out

of a creating an inclusive environment and facilitating class discussion. As I move throughout

my time as a UTA this semester and the following I plan to implement the various strategies I

observed from Justin’s class.

Observation Notes: