Over the semester, I have taken great joy in seeing the development of not only students, but myself, in our discussions of global cinema and horror. When I began the CUTF, my expectation was to lead discussions in horror, specifically for two units: trauma & violence (with the films Smile and Possessor) and taboo sexualities…
Tag: CUTF
A State of Suspense
In Contemporary Film with Dr. Heinzl last Spring, I was introduced to Midsommar, a pagan folk horror film directed by Ari Aster. Some 148 minutes later, I sat back in awe with only two thoughts: “So, that’s what the bear was for!”… and “I’ve never seen a film that engaged my imagination quite like this…
A Little Mad Sometimes
Hi! I am Amitha Halthore, a recipient of the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship for Spring 2023 under the mentorship of Dr. Jeffrey Heinzl. I am a Neuroscience and Film & Media Studies double major with a Chemistry minor, and I will be graduating this April! A little bit about me: I am a big coffee…
CUTF 3: Final Reflections
Hi Everyone, Although I have been involved in teaching in the past, the CUTF has offered me a unique role in the classroom this fall. The greatest difference from my past experience is that I have been able to reach a larger number of students. I have gone from helping a small number of students…
The TA Becomes the Teacher (for one day)
This semester spent as an undergraduate Teaching Assistant through the CUTF has been an incredible learning experience. In fact, everything I have been learning came together when I was responsible for teaching a full class period (75 minutes) completely on my own. To say I was nervous was an understatement. While I have gotten to…
The CUTF: A Transformative Journey
Hello everyone! As my journey with the CUTF comes to an end, I have reflected intensively on how the fellowship has allowed me to grow professionally and develop my teaching skills. However above all, the CUTF has taught me the importance of a flexible and open mindset. Teaching is a skill that requires utmost patience….
CUTF 2: Becoming Involved in Teaching
I became a Peer leader for Dr. Bell’s class during the Fall 2021 semester, hosting weekly content reviews. One observation I made was that students often did not take advantage of the course resources until the days leading up to the exams. For example, there was low attendance at peer sessions in between exams, then…
CUTF: Figuring it Out
Like many undergraduate students, I came to Pitt believing I would go on to medical school. My freshman year I took courses like Chemistry and Biology but quickly realized I did not have a passion for what I was learning. I started to explore other classes the university had to offer. I tried computer science,…
CUTF: A Computational Social Sciences Exploration
This semester, I am an undergraduate teaching assistant for Political Theory and the Future Analysis. Under Dr. Andrew Lotz’s mentorship, I will aim to bring analytical and technological components to what is typically a theory and discussion based class. Growing fields such as data science and artificial intelligence have a role in the successful learning…
CUTF and Readings In Contemporary Fiction: The Power of An Idea
Over the past semester, my experience teaching in Readings In Contemporary Fiction has transformed my outlook as both a student and aspiring educator. Going into this experience (especially from a student perspective), I already knew I wanted my teaching to be student-focused. The syllabus itself reflected my goals; I chose readings that were targeted at…