Neurobiology 302 Peer TA Introduction to Systems and Behavioral Neurobiology
In Spring 2014, I filled the role of a Peer Teaching Assistant for the Neurobiology 302 class. The NBIO302 course covers the Introduction of Systems and Behavioral Neurobiology. I took this class in the Spring of 2013 and absolutely loved the content of the class, the labs we performed, and the teachers who made the learning experience so amiable. As a result, I decided to spend time the next year supporting the class and becoming closer to the professional staff.
My role as a Peer TA was fairly simple allowing me to spend more time actually talking with students. I was responsible to show up to each lecture and be able to answer questions in case any student would ask me a question. I was also responsible to show up to a lab section weekly to guide students through hands on laboratory exercise. My favorite of these labs was an experiment where we would insert microelectrode into specific sensory neurons in leech ganglia under a microscope and then record the physiological changes in membrane potential after stimulating the skin of the leech. The idea being that we could see in time how physical touch on the skin of an animal is translated into a direct change of the membrane potential.
My role as a Peer TA was fairly simple allowing me to spend more time actually talking with students. I was responsible to show up to each lecture and be able to answer questions in case any student would ask me a question. I was also responsible to show up to a lab section weekly to guide students through hands on laboratory exercise. My favorite of these labs was an experiment where we would insert microelectrode into specific sensory neurons in leech ganglia under a microscope and then record the physiological changes in membrane potential after stimulating the skin of the leech. The idea being that we could see in time how physical touch on the skin of an animal is translated into a direct change of the membrane potential.