Claire Short UC Davis graduate, Spring 2022 Major: Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology I stepped hesitantly into the classroom and snuck past a handful of students who had arrived early. I felt self-conscious sitting down at the front of the room, facing 40 or so green plastic chairs arranged in haphazard rows, most of which would soon be occupied. When Becca first suggested that I give a guest lecture on animal-assisted therapy and experiment design in the class she’s teaching, I was excited. But for the past few days, I had been almost dreading this moment, although I knew that I would stop worrying when I got into the flow of the lecture. When I’m teaching, whether I’m working with humans or other animals, I become more aware of the subtle forms of communication that help me understand my students. This makes me feel more connected with those around me and keeps me in the moment. After I had been lecturing for a few minutes, the yawning commenced. Of course, college students are chronically sleep-deprived, but I felt that if I had been sufficiently engaging, they wouldn’t have been thinking about how tired they were. It reminded me of when I’m training my dog, Oliver, and he suddenly finds a fascinating smell, which was there all along but he only noticed it when the training session became boring or stressful. At that point, I would change something – perhaps increase the frequency of rewards, use a different treat, or practice something easier. But since this was my first time teaching a college class, I didn’t feel comfortable deviating from my plan. I made a mental note to incorporate more student participation near the beginning next time and hoped that the yawning would cease when I started asking the students questions. Finally, I asked the students to think of possible confounding variables in a study I had described, and before I had even finished asking the question, two or three hands shot up. This surprised me because I wasn’t expecting the students to have so much life in them. I guess I was recalling half-dead chemistry and physics classes where the professors struggled to extract answers from the students’ dormant brains. It was like the difference between an animal who has been trained with positive reinforcement and one who has been trained with force-based methods. When I’m teaching Oliver a new trick, he will offer a bunch of different behaviors until he finds the right one because he’s not afraid of being wrong. A dog who’s been trained only to obey will turn off his brain and wait to be told what to do. I was glad the students were brave enough to offer me their thoughts. Many of the students’ answers were correct, but what I enjoyed the most was listening to the students who didn’t quite grasp the concept. This forced me to try to hear my own words from the perspective of someone whose perceptions differed from my own. Peering through tiny windows into other minds is part of what I love about training and teaching, whether it gives me a glimpse of what it would be like to see the world through smells, or simply to have had a different education. Ironically, this level of understanding is often reached through misunderstanding, like when I thought that my dog could pick out his stuffed monkey from the toy pile on cue, but then realized that he was actually sniffing out the toy I had recently touched. Unintentionally, he had communicated to me about how he experiences the world. Partway through the lecture, I looked down at my hand as I changed the slides, and I realized that it was not shaking. Nor was I blushing, sweating significantly, or feeling faint, all of which I had learned to expect during presentations over the years. Then I looked up at the students in their green plastic chairs, and I felt proud of them, even though they were only mine for an hour and a half. I felt proud of all of us for staying present and listening to each other, and for being brave.
31 Comments
2/12/2023 05:41:04 pm
The article reflects on the author's experience of giving a guest lecture on animal-assisted therapy and experiment design, discussing the challenges they faced, their strategies for engaging the students, and their reflections on the importance of positive communication in teaching and learning.
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9/18/2023 10:26:16 pm
Absolutely fascinating read! Teaching and deciphering other minds is such a crucial skill in our interconnected world. Thanks for sharing!
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12/25/2024 04:26:30 am
Thank you for this fascinating exploration of how we understand and interpret the minds of others, particularly through the lens of teaching and training. The topic touches on deeply human challenges while intersecting with areas like psychology, neuroscience, and even artificial intelligence. While your post is thought-provoking, I’d like to raise a few critical perspectives that could expand the discussion:
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2/1/2025 09:35:43 pm
Sewa mobil memberikan kenyamanan lebih dibandingkan transportasi umum. Anda bisa bepergian dengan lebih leluasa tanpa harus berbagi kendaraan dengan orang lain, yang tentunya lebih aman dan privasi tetap terjaga.
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2/10/2025 12:14:22 am
Bus pariwisata tersedia dalam berbagai ukuran, mulai dari medium bus (27-35 seat) hingga big bus (40-59 seat). Dengan kursi yang empuk, AC, dan fasilitas hiburan, perjalanan menjadi lebih menyenangkan.
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2/10/2025 12:16:07 am
Liburan bersama keluarga atau rombongan besar di Jakarta akan lebih nyaman dan praktis jika menggunakan jasa sewa bus pariwisata. Dengan fasilitas lengkap dan kapasitas penumpang yang besar, bus pariwisata menjadi pilihan transportasi yang efisien untuk perjalanan wisata, ziarah, study tour, hingga acara perusahaan.
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2/21/2025 12:48:01 pm
Sebelum memutuskan menyewa bus, pastikan Anda memeriksa kondisi armada yang ditawarkan. Bus yang prima akan menjamin keselamatan dan kenyamanan selama perjalanan.
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2/21/2025 12:48:30 pm
Pilih jenis bus yang sesuai dengan jumlah peserta agar perjalanan lebih nyaman dan efisien. Berikut beberapa jenis bus yang tersedia:
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2/25/2025 04:01:00 am
Menyewa bus menjadi solusi terbaik untuk perjalanan rombongan, baik untuk wisata, acara keluarga, kunjungan kerja, study tour, maupun perjalanan lainnya. Jika Anda sedang mencari harga sewa bus Tangerang terbaru dan termurah
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2/25/2025 04:01:36 am
Harga sewa bus di Tangerang bervariasi tergantung pada jenis bus, fasilitas, durasi penggunaan, serta jarak tempuh perjalanan.
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2/26/2025 10:32:21 am
Mencari jasa sewa bus Depok terpercaya dan profesional untuk perjalanan rombongan? Baik untuk wisata, acara keluarga, ziarah, atau perjalanan perusahaan, memilih layanan yang berkualitas sangat penting agar perjalanan berjalan lancar dan nyaman.
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2/26/2025 10:42:06 am
Bus memiliki kapasitas yang lebih luas, tersedia dalam berbagai ukuran mulai dari 19 hingga 50 seat, sehingga lebih efisien untuk perjalanan rombongan.
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2/26/2025 10:42:33 am
Jika perjalanan cukup jauh, pastikan bus dilengkapi fasilitas yang memadai seperti AC, reclining seat, WiFi, dan toilet agar perjalanan tetap nyaman.
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2/26/2025 10:48:03 am
Bus dengan kapasitas lebih besar dan fasilitas lebih lengkap tentu memiliki harga sewa yang lebih tinggi.
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2/26/2025 10:48:32 am
Melakukan pemesanan jauh-jauh hari bisa mendapatkan harga lebih murah dan menghindari kenaikan harga saat peak season.
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2/26/2025 10:54:44 am
Harga sewa bus di Surabaya dapat bervariasi tergantung pada jenis bus, tujuan perjalanan, serta fasilitas yang disediakan.
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2/26/2025 10:55:19 am
Jangan langsung memilih harga termurah. Bandingkan harga dari beberapa penyedia jasa dan pastikan fasilitas serta layanan sesuai dengan kebutuhan Anda.
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2/26/2025 10:59:39 am
Sebagian besar bus pariwisata kini dilengkapi dengan AC, reclining seat, WiFi, TV, DVD player, dan toilet, sehingga perjalanan jauh tetap nyaman.
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2/26/2025 11:00:33 am
Pastikan perusahaan memiliki izin operasional resmi, serta menyediakan asuransi perjalanan demi keselamatan penumpang.
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2/26/2025 11:04:02 am
Solo atau Surakarta adalah kota yang sering menjadi tujuan perjalanan wisata, bisnis, study tour, hingga acara keluarga besar. Untuk perjalanan rombongan, menggunakan jasa sewa bus Solo adalah solusi transportasi yang praktis, nyaman, dan hemat biaya. Namun, agar perjalanan berjalan lancar, penting untuk memilih penyedia layanan yang terpercaya dan berpengalaman.
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2/26/2025 11:05:06 am
Tanyakan tahun produksi bus dan jadwal perawatannya untuk memastikan bus dalam kondisi prima dan aman digunakan.
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2/26/2025 11:08:13 am
Pastikan untuk membandingkan harga, memeriksa kondisi bus, serta memilih penyedia dengan reputasi baik agar mendapatkan layanan terbaik.
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2/26/2025 11:09:36 am
Cek ulasan pelanggan melalui Google Review, media sosial, atau testimoni pelanggan sebelumnya untuk memastikan kredibilitas penyedia layanan.
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2/26/2025 11:12:00 am
Malang adalah salah satu destinasi favorit di Jawa Timur untuk wisata, study tour, perjalanan bisnis, hingga acara keluarga. Jika Anda bepergian dalam rombongan, menggunakan layanan sewa bus Malang adalah pilihan terbaik untuk transportasi yang nyaman, efisien, dan hemat biaya.
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2/26/2025 11:15:35 am
Bali adalah destinasi wisata populer yang selalu ramai dikunjungi oleh wisatawan lokal maupun mancanegara. Jika Anda berencana bepergian dalam rombongan, menggunakan layanan sewa bus Bali adalah pilihan terbaik untuk transportasi yang nyaman dan efisien. Dengan berbagai pilihan armada dan fasilitas lengkap, perjalanan Anda akan lebih menyenangkan dan bebas dari kendala transportasi.
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2/26/2025 11:16:54 am
Dapatkan harga terbaik dengan membandingkan beberapa layanan sewa bus Bali. Jangan hanya tergiur dengan harga murah, tetapi pastikan fasilitas dan layanan sesuai dengan kebutuhan Anda.
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