Discussion Leader vs. Sole Instruction

[plato435]

I am in the second year of a Ph.D. program in History and have a TAship that requires me to lead discussion sections for larger humanities courses. Currently, my department does not allow TAs to teach their own courses and am becoming concerned over the implications this has for my CV. I am curious if teaching solely-led courses is the norm, or if I leading discussions is the typical use of doctoral students. Any information you are willing to share is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Sparky]

It very much depends on the discipline, with some variation in departments. Like, language and English people very often get their classes.

My dept does not assign TAs full-blown classes; we either lead discussion sections or are mainly graders. However, there are opportunities later on in the program to teach as an instructor-of-record if you seek them out--basically, being hired as an adjunct professor. Nearly everyone here does that at some point or points, either at our school or at the women's college next door. I think that's a pretty common progression, actually.

[virmundi]

Both my previous institution and my present one allow ABD students to teach a course or two. People here who have run out of funding or teaching opportunities in the department tend to get work adjuncting at community colleges...

[rising_star]

In my university, you have to have a MA to teach your own course. So, that limits some people when they initially arrive. After that, your teaching assignments are a mix of teaching your own course, being a TA/grader for someone else, and leading discussion sections depending on your interests and departmental needs. I've done all of those things as a PhD student. But, whether and how much teaching your own course matters really varies from one discipline to the next. In my field, it's expected that you will have taught your own class at least once before graduation. My understanding from history colleagues is that it is the norm to lead discussion sections (which, btw, you can and maybe should develop a syllabus for and run as independently as you can for your own experience) and not teach your own course until nearly done or done with the PhD.

[toasterazzi]

In my program, if you have a graduate assistantship, you teach two sections of freshman composition. The program

director provides a schedule, lesson ideas, etc. Beyond that, I'm responsible for the actual teaching that takes place 3 times a week as well as grading their work and such.

[juilletmercredi]

In my discipline (psychology), having sole-led classes as a graduate student is not the norm.  Most students serve as teaching assistants.  Sometimes having sole-taught classes over the summer or as a postdoc happens, but if all candidates are postdocs most probably haven't sole-taught a class in my field.  We do, however, usually lead our own discussion or lab sections - usually in undergrad statistics or research methods.  Most psychologists teach their first class as instructor of record as either a postdoc or an assistant professor.

I think in the humanities it's more common for students to have sole-taught their own class.  If you are in your second year, though, you have plenty of time for that.  Focus on completing your coursework and your exams now, and consider this a blessing.  When you're ABD, you may be able to adjunct at a nearby college for the chance to teach your own class.