Michigan State University is fortunate to have passionate educators who are committed to enhancing the experience of their students and who help to provide the best education possible.
The Graduate School is featuring some of these educators – graduate and postdoc educators - every month to share their unique stories and perspectives on what it means to be a dedicated educator, how they’ve overcome educational challenges, and the ways they have grown through their experiences.
For December 2022, we are featuring Seth Hunt, a doctoral candidate in Plant Biology and a graduate teaching assistant in the Biological Sciences program.
What does it mean to be an educator at a university?
This question was challenging because I don’t often reflect on the job overall that I do. I’m more wrapped up in the day-to-day things that I need to do in order to be progressing with both my degree and the course for which I am a TA. However, having said that, I think it’s interesting that I get to play a part in somebody else’s professional development while they’re working on a college degree.
What are some challenges you have experienced and how have you grown from these?
As a teaching assistant for a large lecture, I get the opportunity to say how students will be submitting different assessments. I think one of the main challenges I face as a result is trying to think how I can set up an assessment on D2L (or OneDrive) in a way that will allow me to most efficiently grade something prior to the students submitting it. Sometimes, what I think will work, doesn’t work. And sometimes it does work. Either way, it helps me to learn how to be better at my job.
What value do you see in Teaching Professional Development?
As a grad student who is interested in a career in academia, the opportunities that I get to learn from experts here at MSU help me to gain the skills I’ll need in the future. Also, the ability to interact with other grad students who are also learning at the same time as me is unbelievably helpful. It’s valuable in that I can see how other people have tackled the same problems in different ways and to just have a community in which to discuss ideas.
What is one piece of advice you would give other graduate educators?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Keep in mind that you’re learning both content and the profession of teaching at the same time. It’s important that you ask questions of your supervisor(s) to make certain that you are as prepared as possible for the classroom.
What do you enjoy in your free time?
I feel like I’m an average person with my free time. I like to walk and bike around campus. I’ve got a core group of friends that I hang out with pretty much every weekend. I love living here in Michigan and take any and every opportunity I can to travel around and see different parts of the state.