Ricky Rossi

Jan 12 16
Week Overview
This week in class we started the group project. Students were introduced to the
concept and were advised to form groups, choose a topic to investigate, and make
up questions they would like to answer.
My Plan for the Week
This week marked the start of the semester and the first time I will meet my
students. I do not plan on having any unique type of teaching or leadership
technique. I will act how I normally do the first week so I can compare it to the rest
of the semester.
What Happened
This week was pretty uneventful, as there wasnt much for me to do. I had the
students organize into groups and discuss the project. Every group at least chose a
topic and made up about three questions. A few groups went a little further and
started coding, but most did not. I couldnt be of much help other than clarifying the
project or suggesting types of questions to look at.
Things I Could Have Done Better
One area lacked in this week was relating to the students. I think getting to know
the students better and talking with them on a more personal level could have
made this introductory week better. This would help the students feel more
comfortable talking with me or asking me for advice or help. I also feel like I was
trying too hard to help the students. While working, I thought they might be afraid
to ask or something, but after looking back on it, I just dont think there was any
issues.

Ricky Rossi
Jan 19 23
Week Overview
This week, students are to start / continue coding for their project. Each group
should be loading in a specific dataset into MATLAB and start creating a program
that will act on the dataset and answer the questions the group made up.
My Plan for the Week
Last week, I feel like I was trying too hard to help the students. This week I will try to
not to be so invasive, and just let the students work. I plan on monitoring the
students to make sure they are being productive, but I will answer any questions
they might have. I remember when I was a student, I preferred it when TAs left me
to work.
What Happened
Many groups were very productive and had a solid program that could be built on,
improved, or expanded easily. Other groups, however, had trouble, either with
absent teammates or lack of knowledge and experience with MATLAB to make
substantial progress. I tried to stick to my plan and avoid butting in to groups
projects, but sometimes a group would fall behind and waste time on minor
problems. If this was the case, I would step in and offer advice to get them moving
again.
Some groups had questions and were willing to ask. Others groups I had to ask
them if they needed help before they would tell me they needed help. This is
probably directly related to not getting to know the students better last week.
Things I Could Have Done Better
I did not like this approach in general. I tried not to help too much and not be
invasive because I didnt like TAs that did that sort of thing. But I because some
groups were hesitant to ask for help, and I was hesitant to ask if they needed help,
some suffered, which is my fault. I do not think Ill be using this method in the
future. In the future, I will definitely be going around more often, asking if groups
need help, and offering some techniques that could help make their code smaller,
easier, etc.
I think this was also a poor time to use this method. Last week I did not interact with
the students on a personal level well enough so that we get to know each other,
and this week I was pretty quiet, which doesnt solve that problem. I should have
tried this later in the semester.

Ricky Rossi
Jan 26 - 30
Week Overview
Students are to finish up their scripts and start working on the final report for the
project. Groups should be done with their code by the end of recitation and have
already started the report, if not finished. Students are supposed to show the
professor and their TA their project
My Plan for the Week
Last week did not go so well. I want to try to do the exact opposite I did last week. I
plan on monitoring the groups better and helping those who look to be behind.
What Happened
Some groups came to class almost or completely finished. Other groups still had a
lot of headway to make. All of the groups, however, did show me their finished or
almost finished projects, which was the goal.
For the groups that were behind, I tried to be very attentive. Because last week I
mostly let the students work and that didnt work, I would constantly monitor them,
asking questions and keeping them on track. While I might have been a little too
intrusive, I think it helped them finish the project on time.
I also seemed to make better connections with the students. I think this will help in
future because the students will feel more comfortable talking to me or asking
questions.
Things I Could Have Done Better
This week went much better than the previous week. Not only did the groups wrap
up their projects, but I felt that they learned a lot. They also seemed to be more
comfortable with me as their TA. The groups that needed help did ask questions,
which was good.
I may have been too intrusive with some groups that knew what they were doing,
but just needed to actually to do the work. I could see this being quite annoying for
them.

Ricky Rossi
Feb 2 - 6
Week Overview
Week four marks the start of individual lab work. The first lab is learning about
systems of equations and using symbolic toolbox to solve them. It doesnt look like
a very long lab, and I expect students to finish during class.
My Plan for the Week
During my last session as a TA, I would usually look over the lab before class and
print out the solutions so I can help the students. That seemed to work pretty well,
so thats my plan, at least for the first week of lab work.
What Happened
Almost no students were able to finish this lab. Most students spent a lot of time on
the first few, easy questions that are just there to assure good input values. Most
students didnt seem to understand what the point was, or what the question was
asking. I did my best to help, but with so many students stuck, it was hard to get
them all going.
They also had serious problems with using the symbolic functions. I did my best to
use the advice I got from my professors, but being rusty in how to use the symbolic
toolbox myself didnt help. After helping a few students, I understand what they
needed to do, but I think the first few were annoyed that I was unsure.
Things I Could Have Done Better
While I was trying to help one of my students, they asked me if I did the lab myself.
He told me the TAs from Models I did the lab before class. Something I could do
better is to do the lab myself. This would allow me to see which parts of the lab are
difficult, so I can offer suggestions to students before they get stuck.

Ricky Rossi
Feb 9 - 13
Week Overview
Students have another individual lab to do this week. This time, the focus is on
using interpolation to enlarge images.
My Plan for the Week
Last week, I just went into the lab without doing it on my own. This time, I will
complete the lab at home on my own so that I can more effectively help the
students through their problems and offer advice around areas I found they may get
stuck. I plan on sticking to my plan of being more vocal and monitoring the
students. That seems to be working best for me.
What Happened
This lab seemed to go smoother than the last week. Even doing it on my own, I
could see this being a bit easier. The lab only uses basic arithmetic and matrix
functions (which students have recent experience with due to the project). Most
students either finished, or made really good progress.
I was able to help more students this time, and the students asked questions when
needed. I dont think any students were stuck and didnt want help. So, this was
both a victory in terms of being a mentor that the students can look up to and in
terms of the students learning and finishing the labs on time.
This week went pretty well. I think the students are learning, and I have good
relationships with the students. They ask me questions about the lab, but they also
ask questions about co-op, career fair, and other non-technical questions.
Things I Could Have Done Better
I felt like this was a decent week with not much that I could have done better.
Sometimes when I tried to explain the lab to students, they got confused. I could try
to more clearly explain the labs or the advice I give to the students. This would help
keep them from becoming more confused.

Ricky Rossi
Feb 23 - 27
Week Overview
Students have another individual lab to do this week. Students are to use position
measurements to estimate velocity and acceleration using numerical differentiation.
This lab was also delayed a week due to snow days, so students may have done it
on their own, or they may not have done MATLAB in a while and be out of practice.
My Plan for the Week
Doing the lab on my own helped a lot. I plan on doing the same for this week, as
well as continuing my strategy for interacting with students.
What Happened
Doing this lab on my own, I could see the practical application for this lesson. It also
seemed like a lab they could reasonably finish during the recitation time. I did see a
problem with the lab, and I wasnt sure how it was supposed to be handled. It seems
more like a question error.
While helping the students in my first section, I found that the professors made
assumptions that I hadnt thought about. When helping the students, I just told
them to make the same assumption, but I also shared my grievances with the
assumption and why its wrong. One of my professors agreed with me, too.
Other than that, though, almost every student finished early. The biggest problem
the students had was with the idea of looping. Many of them asked the same
question, and I had to guide them. After that, they could get the rest done mostly on
their own.
Like last week, I think the students have respect for me and feel comfortable asking
questions.
Things I Could Have Done Better
Something I could have done better is asking the professors what to do about the
problem I found while doing the lab on my own. Then, I would know what they are
looking for so that the students wouldnt lose points.

Ricky Rossi
Mar 2 - 6
Week Overview
Students are working on a lab this week that deals with image processing. The
students will create a script that will identify the edges of the image.
My Plan for the Week
Plans have not changed. I still want to focus on creating friendly relationships with
the students so that they feel like they can ask questions and get the most help. I
will also complete the lab on my own as that seemed to help quite a bit.
What Happened
This week went very similar to last week. I completed the lab on my own, and it
seemed like the students should be able to finish within the recitation time. Unlike
last week, I didnt find any ambiguity so I was hopeful the same issue wouldnt
occur this week. Many students finished; some finished very early. Other students
left early to study for an exam. Students still struggle with looping. Im not sure
what the problem is. Do they not understand the concept? Or maybe they just dont
know when to use it?
I seem to helping more and more students each week. I think this is good for me,
because it allows me to exercise my teaching abilities and grow as a teaching
assistant. It also allows me to practice meeting new people, as that is another
personal weak trait of mine.
Things I Could Have Done Better
When trying to explain a concept to the students, my choice of words doesnt
always clearly convey what I am trying to say. This is a problem of mine Ive found
elsewhere in my life and it is something I should focus more one.
Another thing I could improve on is asking the students questions. While I
sometimes will ask students questions to guide them through the lab, I do not do it
often enough. By asking the students questions, I can help them think through the
lab more independently.

Ricky Rossi
Mar 9 - 13
Week Overview
The lab work students are working on this week involves the effects of drag on an
object falling towards Earth. Students will model a falling object by using numerical
integration to find velocity and distance. Then, the students will calculate the force
and work on the object.
My Plan for the Week
I want to ask more questions this week. I think it will help the students think through
the lab on their own. I know Im not very good at this, but by practicing I will get
better. When a student asks me a question or is stuck, I will try to ask what is
confusing. Then, I will try to backtrack to where they do understand. Once that is
established, I can start guiding their thinking with my own questions, allowing them
to solve the issues on their own.
I will also be doing the lab on my own, staying vocal, and continuing to build
relationships with the students.
What Happened
When doing this lab on my own, I could tell that the students were going to have
issues. I know a lot of the students dont like calculus, but most of this lab is based
on doing numerical integration. If students dont have a good understanding of what
integration is, I knew they were going to struggle.
Many of the students did struggle. I think only one student made it through this
week. I tried my best to ask the students questions and guide them through the lab,
but in this scenario, so many students didnt know where to start, so I had to give
them some hints to get them going.
Things I Could Have Done Better
I was torn between giving too much help and trying to make sure students dont
have too much of the lab to do outside of class. If they were behind, I directed them
to the MATLAB help area, but the students shouldnt have to spend that much time
outside of class working on the lab. Im not sure if I was giving them too much help,
but since they didnt finish, I dont think I did.
I think once I have more experience and practice with asking questions to guide the
students, I would be able to get them started on the lab without hints. This is an
area I still want to work on in the future. I think it will help students learn better.

Ricky Rossi
Mar 23 - 27
Week Overview
Students are going to be introduced to the final project. During class, professors will
be walking the students through the GUI tutorial. Recitation should be more like an
extra lecture this week.
My Plan for the Week
I dont anticipate having much work to do this week. Even the professors running
the class said the TAs shouldnt expect much. I will try my best to help any students
that are having trouble keeping up or dont understand a step in the tutorial. I also
want to make sure students start brainstorming ideas for their projects and forming
teams.
What Happened
As predicted, there wasnt much to do this week. I only needed to help students in
one of the three sections. Most of the students issues revolved around not knowing
the names of the GUI components. I did offer some suggestions to groups for ideas,
which got a lot of them thinking.
Things I Could Have Done Better
I wasnt needed much for this week, so there isnt much to reflect on for this week.

Ricky Rossi
Mar 30 Apr 3
Week Overview
This week, students are working on creating a plan for their GUI project. Students
are expecting to form teams, come up with a concept they wish to teach, and then
create a tentative GUI layout (non-functional).
My Plan for the Week
I plan on working like I usually do with the students. Ill walk around and ask the
students if they need help so they dont get stuck. Ill also be suggesting areas for
the students work with if they cant think of what they want on their own.
What Happened
Similar to last week, there wasnt much work for me to do this week. Students
mostly knew what was going on and didnt need help. Some groups did need some
guidance on where to go with their GUI, and I talked with them to find their common
interests so they could make something they all would enjoy.
Most students just starting working on the graphical part of the GUI but had ideas
for how the GUI was going to work. I think every group got as far as they were
supposed to and should be on track to finish the GUI on time.
Things I Could Have Done Better
There were some ideas that students had for the GUI that I was unsure about how it
would work. For example, students wanted to animate something continuously, but
be able to update the parameters for the animation. I think we resolved the issue,
but it wasted a lot of time for the group. I think I could have asked other TAs, asked
the professors, or looked it up for a more concrete answer without wasting as much
time.

Ricky Rossi
Apr 6 - 10
Week Overview
This week, students are just working on their GUI project.
My Plan for the Week
Similar to the previous week, I plan on walking around to make sure students are
making good progress to stay on track. I dont think Ill have too much work. Most
students know where they are going. The only thing I should need to do is help
solve some technical problems.
What Happened
This week went pretty well. I was able to help students outside my normal group. I
like being able to help more people.
I mostly just offered ideas for groups to expand on or help them solve minor
problems they have with reaching their design goals. Students are making good
progress and I think they are on schedule to complete the project.
Things I Could Have Done Better
After talking with some other TAs and how they interact with the students, I think I
may be helping too much by constantly monitoring them and making sure they
arent stuck. Most other TAs only help if someone asks, but Im always trying to
make sure I stay involved. In one sense, Im making sure they are done on time, but
Im also not letting them be independent and solve tough problems on their own.
Im not sure which method is better. I do not want to be helping too much, but being
a lazy TA seems like it wouldnt be helpful to the students.

Ricky Rossi
Apr 13 - 17
Week Overview
Students are working on their GUI projects more. Students should be getting close
to finishing.
My Plan for the Week
Exactly like the, I plan on walking around to make sure students are making good
progress to stay on track. Most students know where they are going. The only thing
I should need to do is help solve some technical problems. I think Ill just sick back
this week and let the students do their work, like how other TAs work. This might be
the better approach in this scenario because the students need to be creative and
do some problem solving on their own to get a better experience.
What Happened
This week went almost exactly like last week. A few groups were basically done,
though, and I suggested they look over the requirements and make sure they had
everything. If they did, I told them to add some spice to their project. Other than
that, I just walked around and answered any questions the students had, even those
outside my assigned groups.
Things I Could Have Done Better
In this scenario, I think letting the students work and just being a physical Help!
button works. Since the idea of the project is for students to design and create their
own educational GUI, letting the students work on their own to solve their problems
(unless help is requested) allows them to see what it is actually like to create a
working product. I think I should have used this tactic for the whole project, but I
also feel like offering some ideas for the GUIs was helpful to them.

Ricky Rossi
Apr 20 - 24
Week Overview
Students are presenting their final projects to me, the professor, and possibly their
peers. They will also work on the final report, if necessary.
My Plan for the Week
This week, I will not have to do much besides evaluate the teams. I will be looking
at how the teams worked together, and not so much at their final product. Ive been
working with these groups for three weeks, so I already understand how they work
as a group. This will be more or less just writing down what Ive observed over the
past few weeks.
What Happened
All of students finished their projects and they presented them to me and the
professor. In some classes, groups presented to the whole class which I think was
good for students to see others projects. It gives the students an idea of how they
compare to their peers, and it also gives them some cool ideas for any future
projects or products they may work on.
Things I Could Have Done Better
I realized during this last week that I did a horrible job of remembering my students
names. This made me look bad as a TA to my students. Other TAs had the same
problem, though, so I was not alone. Next time, I will definitely try harder to learn
their names. Not only does it help create a better student-TA relationship, but it
would help if I needed to talk to someone about one of my students.