I would hardly say that I am qualified to discuss such a central topic in the world of being a graduate student, but I do have a little bit of experience after serving as the teaching assistant for our Teaching Methods of Agriculture course for the past two years. Amazingly enough I will be teaching a class solo this spring and will have my own TA to torture. (More on that torture to come.) Let me begin by saying that whether or not you have a passion for teaching, just enjoy the subject matter, or like to critique other people’s work a big part of most graduate assistants’ duties is to serve as the teaching assistant for your cooperating (assigned) professors. In our department, serving as a TA is not only an expectation for most, but it is also considered a privilege. A few definitions of teaching assistant if you will….
Teaching assistant: (noun) 1. An individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. 2. A graduate student who acts as instructor for an undergraduate course in his or her field, in return for some form of financial aid from the university. (haha yeah right) 3. Indentured servant (Do your time and get out with the degree) 4. Slave
I threw those last two in there just for fun, but at times, especially now at the end of the semester I feel like the cartoon below. Can I get an ‘Amen?’
Here are some thoughts that I would like to share with those of you who are blessed to be TAs or that are planning to become one in the near future.
1.) Find out what your expectations are. It just so happens that my professor trusted me enough to teach most of her class, grade her papers, and meet with students. Some professors are not so trusting. They all have minds of their own ~sigh~. Meet with the professor that you will be working with way in advance and be sure that from the very beginning you are clear on what you are responsible for teaching, creating, or grading on their behalf.
2.) Communication, communication, communication. Be sure to respond to student e-mails in a timely manner. Some of their questions will be ridiculous, you will repeat yourself 5,000 times, and want to strangle them after e-mail #5. Put yourself in their position. If they care enough to ask for clarification that means they at least want to do their work which is better than the slackers that won’t even bother to show up for class.
3.) Be fair. I was a high school teacher prior to coming back to grad school. We are all human and we will like some of our students better than others. Here is a good place for me to say that regardless of previous relationships you may have with your undergrad / other grad students… you are their TA. Be sure to use consistent and established criteria to grade assignments and communicate with everyone in a professional manner. No one should leave your class grumbling about so & so getting special treatment….believe me it will happen. You will like students that write the way you can understand, have similar academic interests, and stay after class and show interest in what you are talking about….. Whether you plan to go on after graduation and teach or not please remember that ALL of your students, even the ones that send you 4,000 e-mails in the span of 2 seconds, deserve your equal respect and attention.
4.) Be honest, but not harsh when grading. Obviously you have more knowledge on the subject matter than your students (in most cases). That does not give you a license to be rude or degrading when giving them feedback. It’s ok to be honest, if it needs to be reworked or doesn’t meet expectations…ok, but it should be expressed in a professional way versus sarcastic or negative comments. I think it’s even ok to pose questions for further thought or reflection, but again think about how you would feel if your TA wrote such remarks on your work. We’ve all had those TAs that have spider webs or slime where their soul should have been.
5.) When you say you’re going to do something, do it.
6.) Avoid procrastinating if possible. This coming from the world’s largest procrastinator… I have sat up enough nights trying to catch up or get things done that I think it’s ok for me to try and prevent you beloved people from suffering the same sleep deprivation. Grading around midterms and finals can and will eat you alive. Lesson planning the night before can also create premature wrinkles. If you do a little bit everyday or just sit down and knock it out all at once you will be blessed for it.
My graduate assistant pals will tell you that I have done my fair share of complaining about my students and all of the responsibilities of serving as a TA, but the truth of the matter is I love it. My assistantship is not tied to serving as a TA so I get zero money from the hours I spend working for my students. There is a lot to be said for the satisfaction I feel from helping other people succeed and knowing that I have left a mark (however small) on the future of our profession. If any of you choose to or are assigned to such a great, yet trying, responsibility I hope you feel some satisfaction in knowing you make a difference.
