GTA assignment and required course overlap. Dept asked GTA to switch sections with me

[hejduk]

My advisor was supposed to have taken care of this weeks ago, but I found out this week (literally days before classes start) that my situation hadn't been cleared-up yet. Basically, my GTA sections overlap a required course by over fifty minutes. My advisor told me to just stay patient, and we'd get it figured out. The advisor apparently didn't their part, and I was stuck defending for myself in front of the dept chair.

He just in town from vacation and I left him a VM and email. The dept chair emailed me back last night and said he was trying to switch my sections with another TA. While it sounds great that I might have a conclusion to my issue, but it makes me feel like an ass to my fellow GTAer that is having to switch sections with me.

If I were the other person, I"m sure I wouldnt' be very happy, also given that all GTAs and teachers are meeting this wkend. IF the other GTA switches sections with me, and therefore no overlap in my section and class, should I just quickly thank him? Ignore the situation and just realized thanking the GTA sticks my neck out too early? I"m one of those people that always thanks people, but I also don't want to look like some needy idiot going into our first week of class.

[runonsentence]

I think you're overthinking it. I've had my teaching sections switched around two or three times now because someone else had a conflict, left the program, etc., and apart from a good-natured grumble ("Darn, I have to teach at 8am again!") I've never gotten myself tied in a knot over it.

A quick thank you would be fine if it made you feel better, I think ("Hey, I know that the chair asked you to switch teaching assignments because I had a conflict...I'm sorry that happened, I'm sure it was a pain for you"). But it's not like you're getting your TA section switched on a whim: it's really not your fault that you were scheduled at the same time as a required course. I'm sure your classmate understands this.

[kaykaykay]

pay it forward: the next time someone else have a conflict and you are ok with the time slot switch with them. really these things happen quite often. (you can just say thanks if you want to but really it is normal)

[wtncffts]

Yeah, there's no reason to be abashed about it or 'defend' yourself. You did everything right; you trusted your advisor, and she didn't come through. Although, I'm not sure why you wouldn't have taken it up with the actual prof of the course and the other TAs, unless I missed something, as that seems to me the more logical way to proceed. In any case, I'm assuming you had no choice of your assigned sections, and so it was a clear mistake by those that did the assigning. Absolutely no reason to feel bad about it, but I don't think expressing sincere gratitude is ever a mistake, so by all means, do so if you like.

[rising_star]

Don't feel bad. It's not your fault. And, honestly, people switch sections frequently. Sometimes on the first day of classes! (Why yes, I have been in that situation before...) Just do your job and do it well.

[lewin]

As others pointed out, switching things like this seems common so don't feel bad.

The only odd part of your story that sticks out is the advisor's involvement: Things may be organized differently at your school but my advisor doesn't have any input/influence into when my GTA's are. It's all done through the administrative staff. If there was a scheduling error like this I wouldn't depend on him to fix it because it's not his area of responsibility. I don't mention this to make you feel bad, only to help others avoid problems like this -- don't depend on your advisor, take the initiative to investigate who actually has the power to make schedule changes (e.g., prof, staff member).