Questions about being a TA

[robot_hamster]

I was talking about this TA position on here and it looks like things will probably work out. But now something else has just occurred to me. I have never been a TA before and I am terrified! I think I will be okay doing the lab sections for the one class, but the other class is in an area that I know nothing about. Plus I don't know what I will be doing for that class, so it is pretty scary for me. I was wondering what other people's experiences have been. Do professors generally expect that you're going to be dumb your first time being a TA? I'm worried because obviously I want to do a good job so I will be recommended for other things in the future. Also, how do you handle students? Especially when you don't know the answer! I tend to be a bit emotional about things, I blame it on hormones since I have an imbalance. I'm afraid that I will burst out crying or something if someone yells at me. I mean, I cry at the commercials on TV that show all the pictures of neglected animals.

[RNadine21]

I was talking about this TA position on here and it looks like things will probably work out. But now something else has just occurred to me. I have never been a TA before and I am terrified! I think I will be okay doing the lab sections for the one class, but the other class is in an area that I know nothing about. Plus I don't know what I will be doing for that class, so it is pretty scary for me. I was wondering what other people's experiences have been. Do professors generally expect that you're going to be dumb your first time being a TA? I'm worried because obviously I want to do a good job so I will be recommended for other things in the future. Also, how do you handle students? Especially when you don't know the answer! I tend to be a bit emotional about things, I blame it on hormones since I have an imbalance. I'm afraid that I will burst out crying or something if someone yells at me. I mean, I cry at the commercials on TV that show all the pictures of neglected animals.

I don't know how helpful this will be, but it's the truth...nothing will prepare you for TAing, you just get the hang of it as you get more experience. Let me explain my situation...

I received "TA training" days before the first week of undergrad labs. We had two days of instruction from the lab coordinator about techniques that were more applicable to lectures than labs. He also talked about different things for major and non-major labs, when we hadn't figured out yet who was teaching what, so I sat there randomly writing notes, having no idea which tips would be applicable to me. At the end of the second day we finally completed scheduling and I got the first semester for biology majors. We all went into another room for 15 min of prep for the first lab and that was it. I walked into my first class nearly shaking, not remembering how to work the microscopes (it had been so long since I'd used them myself, how was I supposed to teach others how to use them?!). I remember being completely terrified, but I got over my fear. A lot of my improvement was due to the TAs working together. We had older students who had taught before and gave us hints. We also wrote each other notes if something went especially right/wrong so that others would be more effective. I do have some other overall tips:

- Be nice to yourself. You're not God; you'll mess up, and for the most part students will understand.

- Be flexible. I made a lot of changes to my teaching methods as I went along and I realized what my students were and weren't capable of.

- It's easier to start out tough and lighten up than the other way around.

- Have all of your rules (think of every possible scenario - I promise they'll all come up) spelled out in writing. Undergrads will grab every opprotunity to argue things; if it's all in writing you can just say "Well it's in the syllabus" and you won't be caught off-guard.

- Don't be afriad to stand up for yourself. I've had to raise my voice or yell a couple of times; I have friends who have had students get in their face and they straightened them out of the class. I also have a friend who's more on the quiet/soft-spoken side, and even she knows that she gets walked on but it's not in her nature to do anything. So if you're on the timid side, please learn to raise your voice now.

- Just be you. By the end of the semester I was laughing with my kids and chatting with them before lab. Teaching became something I looked forward to instead of just a job to pay the bills.

- If you can, find something that's distinctly you. I play Pandora anytime I'm not talking. A guy I TA with plays funny YouTube videos after giving quizzes. It's not necessary, but it makes the environment more relaxing for the kids and myself.

Hope this has been somewhat helpful!

[robot_hamster]

I'm not necessarily soft-spoken, I just prefer to avoid conflicts. I can't handle someone getting in my face about something and trying to start an argument. I work retail and sometimes I even get intimidated by customers that decide to be extra beotchy. This causes me to become flustered and I lose track of what I'm supposed to be doing on the cash register. I think it is obvious too because my face and neck with start turning beet red.

For the one class that I think I will be okay with because I know something about the subject, I think I will be going by whatever the professor wants syllabus-wise. He also has grading guidelines that he wants me to follow. Sort of like a check-list, does the work have this and that sort of thing. The other class, I have absolutely no clue what is expected of me yet. I have yet to meet the professor since all of this came about so suddenly and now it is winter break.

Edited December 22, 2010 by robot_hamster

[Phyl]

I mean, I cry at the commercials on TV that show all the pictures of neglected animals.

I do too! I can't watch Animal Planet anymore. Birth control made me worse. Stupid hormones.

[newms]

As a former high school teacher, something that helped me is to remember that it's ok to say you don't know the answer to something if a student asks you about something you're not familiar with. Tell them you'll look it up and then at the next class/lab/tutorial follow up on it. What you should never do is BS a student if you don't know the answer - they'll see right through you.

[StrangeLight]

yep. it's okay to say you don't know the answer. it actually makes them more relaxed to know that you're not perfect.

this past semester, i taught a basic US history survey course, but i'm an international student who studies non-US history, so i've never taken a US history class myself. i went in there knowing my students knew way more facts and dates than i ever would, and i told them that up front. but i said, we're here to learn this new material together and i'll help you understand it as we go along. they all seemed to be okay with that.

[shepardn7]

I was talking about this TA position on here and it looks like things will probably work out. But now something else has just occurred to me. I have never been a TA before and I am terrified! I think I will be okay doing the lab sections for the one class, but the other class is in an area that I know nothing about. Plus I don't know what I will be doing for that class, so it is pretty scary for me. I was wondering what other people's experiences have been. Do professors generally expect that you're going to be dumb your first time being a TA? I'm worried because obviously I want to do a good job so I will be recommended for other things in the future. Also, how do you handle students? Especially when you don't know the answer! I tend to be a bit emotional about things, I blame it on hormones since I have an imbalance. I'm afraid that I will burst out crying or something if someone yells at me. I mean, I cry at the commercials on TV that show all the pictures of neglected animals.

My voice is just quiet, and even quieter when I'm in a more serious setting and trying to keep things formal. I'm also a girl, and was teaching in my early twenties, so I looked a little young and small. I found it difficult to establish my authority in the classroom at first, but I think I started to get better at it as time went on.

1. Yes, it is okay to not know the answer. But do follow up via email or during the following class period.

2. Speak confidently but keep the tone friendly. You want the classroom to feel welcoming, but you want to maintain some kind of authority over it. Be friendly with them, yes, but be less so when they are texting, talking, or sleeping in the classroom. If they stop preparing for the class, you can even start giving weekly quizzes if the subject matter allows it.

2. Be firm. Usually, the professor will help you by being the firm one whose rules you simply enforce (I did not not have this experience, as I taught my own courses as a "graduate instructor"). But students will often try to get extensions they don't deserve, or BS you after missing more than the allotted absences or handing in late work, etc. Surely excuse students who have legitimate reasons they can document (e.g. doctor's note), but watch out, because some will try to play you (even with fake doctor's notes). I agree with a poster below that writing all the rules (down to every last detail) on your section syllabus is a good idea.

3. Never let your TAing compromise your own work. When I had to grade papers, I would try to grade a certain amount per day so that I was never stuck with a stack of 20+ papers to grade in one period. If my own work made it impossible to get it done by my personal deadline, I would make them wait a few more days if the syllabus allowed it. This is for their benefit as well as mine: if you do put your work first, you will often have a big stack of assignments to grade in a short amount of time, which means the quality of your grading will suffer by the end. You can also enforce certain rules about emailing assignments or drafts, saying that you'll only look at drafts or other work in office hours.

[RNadine21]

3. Never let your TAing compromise your own work. When I had to grade papers, I would try to grade a certain amount per day so that I was never stuck with a stack of 20+ papers to grade in one period. If my own work made it impossible to get it done by my personal deadline, I would make them wait a few more days if the syllabus allowed it. This is for their benefit as well as mine: if you do put your work first, you will often have a big stack of assignments to grade in a short amount of time, which means the quality of your grading will suffer by the end. You can also enforce certain rules about emailing assignments or drafts, saying that you'll only look at drafts or other work in office hours.

I forgot to mention this, but it's very important. If you're running behind due to your own work, let your class know. I remember having a TA who was two or three weeks behind on grading, but she flat-out told us that she was preparing to defend her dissertation.

[robot_hamster]

This all sounds like good advice. Thank you everyone!

I was a manager's assistant for a few years when I still worked full-time. I didn't do too bad at that, but I also knew everything I needed to know since I had been working there for quite some time prior to that. Basically, if she wasn't there, then I was in charge and I needed to make sure everything got done. It involved telling people what needed to get done and dividing up the work.

[far_to_go]

This semester, I was assigned to TA for a class about which I had very little prior knowledge (an archaeology course, and I do sociocultural/linguistic anthro). A few things that really helped:

- I had a WONDERFUL prof and fellow TA. Communication was great between the three of us. I never went to a TA session without knowing what I was expected to cover that day.

- I made sure that I got the books well before the semester started and read them well in advance.

- I never started a TA session with the dreaded "so, what did you guys learn from this week's readings?" (cricket chirp). Instead, I had some sort of activity planned which would spark the discussion, such as asking each person "What was the most important thing you learned from the article by XX?" and then writing all the answers on the board.

- I found out early which students were archaeology majors (and hence, probably more knowledgeable about the subject than me) and made them my allies. This helped at one or two points when I didn't know the answer to a question and was able to redirect to other members of the class.

- I had some fun with the classes; I'd often start the class session with a short YouTube clip that was pertinent to our topic (easy to do, since we covered a lot of primates/human evolution). On the last day of the semester I opened class with Queen's classic "We Are the Champions."

I got great teaching evaluations, by the way! Next semester I'm TAing for a class that's right up my disciplinary alley-- looking forward to it.

[wtncffts]

I'll echo a few points others have made. I've been a TA for two courses. The first one was the intro course to a subfield in which I had only EVER taken the intro undergrad course myself. Here's a couple things I found useful to tell myself.

Remember, you're not (yet) a professor with a PhD, you're a student! A grad student, yes, but still a student. You're not expected to know everything, and as others have said, some students will know more than you about particular things. It's probably different in the sciences because all students tend to follow a relatively linear course progression, but in my field, many students taking intro courses were already in their third or even final years. If you don't know something, just tell them you'll find out the answer and get back to them. I've actually done that, coming in next conference with five minutes responding to a student's question.

As much as you may be 'afraid', don't forget that you are in a position of authority and students will mostly tend to be deferential. Again, it's probably different in the sciences, but in the courses I did the students' performances were almost entirely evaluated by myself or another TA. We marked the papers, exams, and gave grades for participation and attendance. Especially in a field in which grading is pretty subjective, students have an interest, at minimum, in not pissing off their TAs by being obnoxious.

There may be one or two 'problem' students, but the vast majority are usually cooperative. I've never once had a student raise their voice at me, let alone yell. The 'problems' are usually much more mundane, if irritating: students trying to play the system, complaining about grading, etc. In one of the courses I TAed, there was a 'Head TA' to whom you could refer if there were problems (in the other course, I was the only TA). There's also the other TAs and the professor; sometimes things don't work out (the professor is distant, the other TAs are unfriendly), but hopefully you can establish good relationships with these people which will help you a lot.

[robot_hamster]

Thank you to the more recent responses. Everything sounds like it is good advice, the trick will be remembering it later on down the road! I have been having trouble sleeping lately, this has gotten me so worried. Am I anxious at the thought of being a TA? Or the fact that I am having to give up my part-time job which, quite frankly, has become a security blanket for me? Or is it both? My guess is it's probably a little bit of both. This whole thing has just been so scary for me.

So the YouTube video thing really works? I would be afraid that the students would think I was being stupid. Haha! The class that I am for sure doing the actual lab sections for is an upper-level undergraduate/graduate course (we have lot's of combo courses like that at my school). Sounds a little crazy for a first time TA to do (the fact that I will be teaching the lab sections for an upper-level course, I mean)! The other class, the one I know nothing about in regard to subject matter, I still have no clue what I am doing for it. My hope is that I won't actually be teaching any lab sections, but setting up the lab for activities and grading things instead.

Edited December 27, 2010 by robot_hamster

[rising_star]

So the YouTube video thing really works? I would be afraid that the students would think I was being stupid. Haha! The class that I am for sure doing the actual lab sections for is an upper-level undergraduate/graduate course (we have lot's of combo courses like that at my school). Sounds a little crazy for a first time TA to do (the fact that I will be teaching the lab sections for an upper-level course, I mean)! The other class, the one I know nothing about in regard to subject matter, I still have no clue what I am doing for it. My hope is that I won't actually be teaching any lab sections, but setting up the lab for activities and grading things instead.

N.B.: I'm in the social sciences and have never taught a lab.

The YouTube thing totally works. You should also see if your library has any relevant videos. Our library has streaming videos online and I frequently used 2-3 min video clips from those or from YouTube to highlight important things or to bring some levity to the classroom. One thing I did this semester was start each class with a relevant comic strip that had a quirky sense of humor (like my own!) and also pointed out something about the day's topic. Another thing I wish I had done was make an outline of where that class was going on the board before each class. I do plan to do that next time I teach because I think it helps students to have a roadmap.

FWIW, I started off teaching by teaching an upper-level course for juniors and seniors. I've now taught it twice (once in the summer and once this fall) and I can honestly say that you learn how to improve by doing it. One great tip I got was to take notes right after class about what worked and what didn't and store those someplace where you can reference them in the future.

[M. Swann]

I've found teaching to be a hugely enjoyable and interesting experience. I've taught two classes thus far, only one of which had a firm relationship to my research area, but both of which have required me to thoroughly learn new material in order to effectively teach the concepts involved to my students. Whilst time consuming, I've actually found that this learning has had benefits for my research in the sense that it's allowed me to apply some completely different, left-field perspectives to the questions I'm investigating. It's also been nice to have something else other than just my research to focus on from time to time.

When I was in the same boat you obviously are now, with no prior teaching experience (outside of individual tutoring), I looked at preparing for my classes from the perspective of myself as an undergraduate: What did I enjoy or not enjoy about the labs and tutorials I had experienced as a student? What best enabled me to learn the material? What ensured that I was interested in learning the material in the first place (or at least, paid attention to what was presented)?

What I've learnt since, is that by treating students as though they are intelligent individuals, and ensuring that my goal during teaching and preparation times is their learning (rather than my survival/a quick finish to class/earning a wage as simply as possible), the students learn and enjoy their classes, and so do I (in amongst the extreme public-speaking-related anxiety). I'm yet to have any problems with students acting out or anything of that sort (doesn't that end when high school does?), though I do encourage my students to challenge or correct me if they think what I'm saying isn't right (I think I used to give my TAs nightmares about this sort of thing, so I figure it's only fair to welcome it in my own classes now the shoe is on the other foot); most of the time it seems to be, but when it isn't it's nice to know (and nice to know the students are engaged enough to pick it up).

Oh, another thing that has helped me a great deal: I have sat in on classes taken by someone with a lot more experience than I had/have. If you have the opportunity to do this, I would highly recommend it.

[UnlikelyGrad]

You know, I thought I already posted to this thread, but I guess not? Oh well. It's been a busy Christmas.

I addressed teaching for the first time in one of my early posts: http://unlikelygrad.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/teaching/

One great tip I got was to take notes right after class about what worked and what didn't and store those someplace where you can reference them in the future.

Yes. This. It works for lab classes just fine; I did this the first semester and the second semester I not only used the notes to revise my approach, I passed them on to all the TAs who were teaching the lab for the first time. I didn't just take notes about what I needed to highlight in my pre-lab lectures, but also common mistakes that students made and how to help them recover from those errors.

[robot_hamster]

What I've learnt since, is that by treating students as though they are intelligent individuals, and ensuring that my goal during teaching and preparation times is their learning (rather than my survival/a quick finish to class/earning a wage as simply as possible), the students learn and enjoy their classes, and so do I (in amongst the extreme public-speaking-related anxiety). I'm yet to have any problems with students acting out or anything of that sort (doesn't that end when high school does?), though I do encourage my students to challenge or correct me if they think what I'm saying isn't right (I think I used to give my TAs nightmares about this sort of thing, so I figure it's only fair to welcome it in my own classes now the shoe is on the other foot); most of the time it seems to be, but when it isn't it's nice to know (and nice to know the students are engaged enough to pick it up).

This might be something I need to get used to. I volunteer for mentoring high school students where I work one on one with someone. Sometimes I forget that they are high school students and they are not always familiar with scientific concepts that are, for me at least, common knowledge. I guess I will have to assume that these upper-level undergrad and graduate students are more likely to be thinking about things in a way that I am more familiar with.

[robot_hamster]

You know, I thought I already posted to this thread, but I guess not? Oh well. It's been a busy Christmas.

I addressed teaching for the first time in one of my early posts: http://unlikelygrad....08/28/teaching/

This is very interesting approach. I'm not sure about the whole acting thing working for me though, I just don't do well speaking in front of people period.

[wtncffts]

I'm a little surprised to hear that you'll potentially be teaching graduate students. I guess this is more common in the sciences; in my experience, the social sciences usually have TAs only for lower and intermediate courses. I would think it'd be awkward, considering they're really your colleagues rather than 'underlings', for lack of a better term. Is this also something of concern?

[robot_hamster]

I'm a little surprised to hear that you'll potentially be teaching graduate students. I guess this is more common in the sciences; in my experience, the social sciences usually have TAs only for lower and intermediate courses. I would think it'd be awkward, considering they're really your colleagues rather than 'underlings', for lack of a better term. Is this also something of concern?

I haven't looked at the roster yet so I am not sure if anyone I know is taking the class. No one I have talked to has said anything about being in it. I guess it might be a concern for me for the class I don't know anything about. I don't know what I'll be doing for this class yet, so hopefully I won't find myself in an awkward position. Generally, all of the grad students are pretty accepting when another grad student is a TA for a class they are taking. Well, from my experience anyway. I probably would feel a little more in a position of authority though if it were only undergrads in the class.

[LawlQuals]

This happens all the time, where you are hired to be a TA in a field you either do not know anything about or you are just not good at it (maybe it is reflective in the grade you earned in the class when you took it as an undergrad). What I expect, as a fellow former graduate student, is that a new TA has had a good education to the point where they can learn the course material better than their students ahead of time, then teach it. That is what your first semester will probably be like, you studying and doing problems a few days before you teach it to your students in a way you find most clear. After that first semester, you should be pretty pro at it, it is just that can you survive your first semester sort of deal that can be cause for anxiety. Answering questions will come with practice, it is harder to think on your feet in front of a class. If you do not know, students respond positively to candidness. State you are unsure, even commend the question if it is a good enough thought, you can ask if anyone in the class has any ideas, and if no one in the room has any ideas you can say you will think about it more, consult with the other TAs, or the professor about it and get back to them next time. It is important to remember that you are all in this together. You *can* ask the class if anyone has any ideas, it helps them be accountable for their own education as well, and you always learn more when you are actively involved.

[process chemist]

If you school awards you a GTA assistantship, and says you will have partial teachin experience, should I just assume I am teaching a lab? I am in Chemistry

[Agradatudent]

If you school awards you a GTA assistantship, and says you will have partial teachin experience, should I just assume I am teaching a lab? I am in Chemistry

Seems about right for Chem.

[UnlikelyGrad]

If you school awards you a GTA assistantship, and says you will have partial teachin experience, should I just assume I am teaching a lab? I am in Chemistry

Maybe, maybe not. That's definitely the case at my school--there are lecture TAs, but they usually do lecture + lab.

If you are at a school with a lot of funding you might be teaching recitation sections. Wish I could have done that; the students really need recitation time. But alas, the department only has enough funding for lab TAs.

[Frostfire]

If my experience is any indication, the expectations and responsibilities for the TA depend as much on the professor of the class as the school/department. Now, I'm TAing an introductory sequence Latin class, not sciences, so your millage may vary. But, I teach class twice a week, the professor teaches the other three. Last semester I took attendance, gave & graded quizzes, handed back materials, and held office hours. This semester I take attendance (sort of), give no quizzes, grade nothing, and hold office hours. It's more about the structure of the class under the different professors, but still. *shrug*

[Teresa Rutherford]

If you school awards you a GTA assistantship, and says you will have partial teachin experience, should I just assume I am teaching a lab? I am in Chemistry

Most probably, like the way I ended up.