Lin Haowen, class of 2026 in Computer Engineering in ZJUI, served as a writing assistant for RHET 101 Principles of Writing in the fall semester of 2023-2024 and RHET 102 Principles of Research in the spring semester of 2023-2024. In 2024, he received the Top TA Award in the spring semester.
At the semester's start, it's vital for the professor to precisely gauge each student's writing level to flexibly adapt teaching plans and group set-ups. Previously, students were typically asked to write and submit a short essay independently. But after brainstorming with fellow teaching assistants, Lin Haowen opted for an innovative approach. He introduced a creative "interview" method: arranging for course assistants (TAs) to have a short chat with students at the end of the first week of the semester. This not only bridges the gap between students and TAs, fostering a more harmonious learning atmosphere, but also directly assesses students' English speaking skills, yielding remarkable results.
To aid students in knowledge acquisition, Lin Haowen adopted the "connection-creating" method. In discussion, he guided students to closely relate English writing to the familiar techniques used in Chinese writing in the college entrance exam. By drawing such analogies, students can swiftly identify an entry-point for understanding new knowledge, thus markedly accelerating their grasp of novel concepts.
In addition, Lin Haowen often immersed students in real-life scenarios. For example, when a hot social news topic appeared, he would guide students to think about how to refute a certain viewpoint in the hot news. This recognition method greatly stimulates students' enthusiasm for participating in group discussions, making them more actively engaged in classroom interactions and deepening their understanding and application of knowledge through communication and exchanges.
Looking back, Lin Haowen said that while helping students grow, he himself has also reaped many rewards. During this period, his communication and time-management skills have improved significantly, and his sense of responsibility has grown stronger. He has gained a better understanding of teaching logic and learned to transform abstract knowledge into concrete examples for easier comprehension. Additionally, Lin Haowen noted that his logical expression has been further enhanced. Through regular interaction with international students, he has deepened his understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds, greatly enriching the scope of his knowledge.
