My Last Cardiff Lecture
Hey ho.
This morning, as usual for a Friday, the alarm went off at 6am and I started the slow process of getting my brain in gear for a two-hour 9am lecture. As usual, by the start of the lecture I was still trying to wake up, but I at least managed to get through the performance making only finite number of errors.
The topic for day was Fourier series, and especially how to use them to solve interesting partial differential equations. The one I chose to illustrate the general method of separation of variables was the heat conduction equation, appropriately enough because Joseph Fourier, the man himself, developed the idea of using trigonometric functions to represent other functions in order to solve that equation; he presented the method in his book Théorie analytique de la chaleur way back in 1822.
During the lecture I also had to distribute another bunch of questionnaires to the students to allow them to give constructive feedback vent their spleen at my incompetence and lack of organization. We already had one set of questionnaires halfway through the term, so I’m not sure why we need another one. Perhaps the students gave the wrong answers to the questions last time, so this is like a resit?
When it was all over, and I returned to my office to recover, I suddenly realised that it was my last Cardiff lecture ever. (There is in fact another week remaining before the Christmas break, but I’m away next week and a colleague will fill in for me. ) In fact, it might have been my last undergraduate lecture ever, as I’m not sure how much time I’ll get for actual teaching when I move to my new job in the New Year. I think I’ll miss it, actually, but I’m not sure the students will!
Still, at least I get to set my alarm to a more sensible time from now on.
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In the Dark 
December 7, 2012 at 6:35 pm
Seasonal greetings. Students possily were just as tired, it being the last lecture. I am sure it was a great one! Never mind the comments.
December 7, 2012 at 6:47 pm
I think Prof. Cox was teaching 1st year QM this semester…. Could be wrong though.
December 8, 2012 at 10:19 am
Brian does teach, and the comments I hear from the students is positive. Lecturing takes a lot of time and energy: it is always nice if it goes well.
December 7, 2012 at 7:25 pm
Whether or not one teaches is less important than whether or not the students learn anything.
December 7, 2012 at 8:57 pm
A question you can consider is do students learn because of you or despite you? Or how to you assist learning?
December 7, 2012 at 7:38 pm
It’s a very odd feeling performing some teaching task for the last time at an institution. There is also the uncertainty over how a lecture module will develop in somebody else’s hands, especially if a lot of work was put into improving the syllabus, delivery and course materials. We hope that the efforts put in to improving the module will not be wasted in the long term.
January 11, 2013 at 12:27 pm
[…] last day of “Revision Week” so I had a two-hour revision class this morning. I gave my final proper lecture at Cardiff University before Christmas, in fact, but this morning was the last teaching of any sort […]