It's cool to be mean

Yes, I said it. Being "mean" can be fun, cool and sometimes the best thing to do. Honesty can sound harsh, but does that really mean being "mean?" So far, that's one thing being a TA has taught me. 

It's not what you say, but how you say it.

One way I learned this was when I noticed a student "double-dipping," which is frowned upon in the journalism department. Pretty much, it means you can't use one assignment for two separate grades, especially in separate classes. So, I emailed this student to explain why this was wrong. I asked the individual to take it down and write another blog post, and I said that I would talk to the teacher about it. Although the teacher didn't care much, it took a lot for me to send that email. I didn't want to get the student in trouble, but if I hadn't said anything to the professor, I would've felt like I was lying. Also, I wanted the student to trust me as someone that is there to help, but I wanted the professor to trust that I could take initiative and show responsibility. All in all, I think that I did the right thing without being mean about it or compromising anyone's trust. I felt really good about myself after that, especially when the student showed appreciation for my efforts.

Another test of this was when the professor put me in charge of the discussion when students read their stories aloud. [Side note: The professor lied when he said he would leave his commentary at a minimum.] Not only did I have to put certain students on the spot, but I had to get the students to participate in feedback as well. I wanted it to be random, but I also did not want all of the people whose stories I knew were going to be good go first so that those whose stories weren't that great would not feel that bad about it. Everyone had some sort of excuse before reading their stories, like "Oh, I wrote this last minute," or "It's not that good." It annoyed me after it became a routine, especially because I knew that we wouldn't be able to get through everyone's, and they were wasting time. So, I cut them off to say, "Yeah, yeah. Just read." Everyone laughed. But it was true! Maybe kind of rude, but they really shouldn't be ashamed of their work. 

So, the teacher already knows I can get quite sassy. However, I think it can be advantageous, especially in the classroom. I just have to balance between being honest without being rude and being honest but still encouraging. 

That day, I honestly wondered what the teacher would do without me, since he's afraid of being mean. He shouldn't be. 




For your entertainment: An example of a mean minion