Ode to a teaching assistant

This blogger was struck down by a stomach virus this week, which reinforced the idea that teaching and learning are community activities.  Fortunately, I have a stellar undergraduate teaching assistant.  I was able to email my UTA at the last minute and know that he would take over class and, likely, do a much better job than I do on most days.  Not only did he teach the new material we were to cover, but he went over homework assignments with the students (correcting their mistakes and assigning grades), taught the new stuff (Venn diagrams for categorical syllogisms--one of the most important tools of the class), but then he also followed up the lecture with an email to all students clarifying a tight spot in the new material and giving an example.  I'm wondering if there might be a coup on the horizon--I would totally replace me with my UTA if I could!

This is a change in my teaching from past years.  The few times I've had to miss class in the past, I've generally just cancelled, assuming that if I'm not there, class can't happen.  Today, there are many opportunities for student learning in my class that don't require my presence.  Some of these rely on technology (such as a learning management system, or other online way of holding class).  Having materials, even discussion forums, for students online can be very useful in the event of a snow day, sick day, or conference.  Students generally need to be familiar with the online environment already to make these things work.  There are also in-class activities that, it turns out, don't require my presence.  A good, old-fashioned TA can be great because he (in this case) is able to keep class moving, while also providing a fresh perspective (and different jokes!).  I imagine that it also gives students a chance to try out skills or ideas with a little less pressure than they may normally feel when I'm in the room.  Again, it helps if students are already familiar with their TA.  It also occurred to me that there are, by now, several students in the class that I could email to be discussion or problem-solving workshop leaders, and class would continue just fine without me.  While my ego might think that I'm an essential component of every Logic experience students have together, it's also good to think that we've developed a rhythm and community that is bigger than me as a professor.  Learning is about community inquiry, and the classroom should offer opportunities for students to problem-solve together, even (especially) if the person perceived to have the answers is sidelined by plague.