At some point in your academic career, you may have met that professor who inspired you to consider a teaching career - or one so poor that you figured anyone, including yourself, could have done a better job. What you probably haven't done, in either case, is to literally have taken the classroom over.
But such is the opportunity for Tufts upperclassmen who choose to tackle the challenge of teaching a class in the Experimental College. The Ex College consistently provides an array of unusual offerings, and some of this semester's student-taught selections are no different: from "Express Yourself: A Cultural Study of Madonna," to "A History of Video Games: Technology, Art and Pop Culture," to "Seamanship: Nautical Science and the Maritime Experience."
Though taking the teaching reins might seem desirable, it's anything but easy. While professors in fields from political science to biology can consult with any number of professionals concerning materials and techniques, student-teachers in the Ex College are, for the most part, on their own.
As senior Alex Rappaport - whose seamanship course is offered this semester - discovered, the biggest problem is not having assistance or traditional guidelines.
"The most difficult part about preparing for these courses is that they are usually very original, and so we actually have to lay the groundwork ourselves," Rappaport said. "There are no prepared textbooks, so a great deal of research is needed."
This individuality gives room for teacher freedom, but also imposes a greater accountability. Students interested in teaching an Ex College class must begin planning their courses far before the semester even begins.
"This is a great way to test the teaching waters with really motivated, bright students," Rappaport said. "As far as the task of applying goes, it took a great deal of foresight and attention to detail. We had to have our courses generally planned out by the end of October."
So is it difficult to be accepted into the Ex College's teaching staff? Senior Eric Murphy, who will be teaching "Observational Astronomy," said that the most important factors are a student's passion and will to teach - as well as a lot of time. The application process weeds out those not prepared to dedicate a significant amount of time through an interview, recommendations, departmental approval, and writing samples.
And for many of the students, it hasn't just been a semester's worth of preparation - it's been a lifetime. Erin Ross, a senior and longtime Madonna fan, said she's been "researching" for her ex-college class for years. "I started looking at Madonna from a more academic view about three years ago when I wrote a paper about her work as a feminist and discovered a lot of writings about her work from a cultural standpoint," Ross said. "At that point I realized it would be very interesting to look at all of this material in a classroom setting."
Ross, along with many other student-teachers, was surprised at the response to her course. Although she could only take 12 students, 26 signed up for her course. "This is an opportunity very unique to Tufts, " she said.
For students such as Murphy, an appreciation of professors' work and an impressive resume-building opportunity are important, but working with fellow students is reward enough.
"I can't say how good it feels to see everyone in class having a good time while learning about the field that I plan to spend the rest of my life studying," Murphy said.
Like many other teachers, he relishes the intimate setting that an Ex College class brings. In addition to encouraging discussion, he hopes the small size will offer a setting where he can receive feedback about his teaching skills.
"The best way to learn is by asking questions, and when other students in the class can answer them instead of me, I know I am doing my job right," Murphy said.
