Exceeding workload!

[longforit]

I assume this forum has the function of throwing some complaints? Not serious ones, just to vent...

 

The professor I'm TAing has an injury and she asked me to take over all her classes. And now I'm working twice the time I am paid for. I'm with a good relationship with this professor and I would like to help her out; it's just even the students started to talking right in my face that how irresponsible she is and that she doesn't care her students--because she didn't show up in class for 3 weeks. During this period she actually went to a conference with her injury, but she's not able to come to the class. And most importantly, she just told me to take over her next class one day before the actual class--which I didn't expect and which is in a field I'm not very familiar with but ok to teach with time to prepare. I'm now in my thesis-writing semester and I'm right in the middle of running my experiment from literally 9 to 5. I feel I'm burning out but with no way out.. A little comfort?

Edited April 3, 2014 by longforit

[Monochrome Spring]

Talk to someone at the head of the department. It is your job to be an assistant, not a professor.

[longforit]

Hi Spring! Thanks for your suggestion!

 

As I said, I really like the professor and I'm wiling to help her out; it's just that I'm in the middle of my something and I don't have the ability to work beyond my assigned hours. Talking to our director might be too far a step, especially it is true that it's not convenient for her to come to the class. But my concern, except for my lacking of time, is that students are not satisfied (well they're pretty ok to my teaching but they seem not satisfied with professor not showing up) and they might end up not learning as much as they deserve to know. Maybe I can talk to her to find another professor/instructor who actually spend time preparing the class or have taught the class before?

[Monochrome Spring]

I don't mean getting the professor into trouble. If she has an injury, then her absence is excused. I mean getting someone to cover who, like you said, maybe has time to prepare the class or has taught the class before. Talk to her before talking to a director, but a director could help you find someone who can take your place as instructor.

[longforit]

That's exactly what I think! Thought I would only need to cover the last two weeks' of classes and I could just hold on. But now there never seem to be an end. Good time to find somebody else to cover the class! 

[rising_star]

Definitely talk to the Director. It's not about getting the professor in trouble. The department could get in trouble for violating the terms of your contract, which is a much, much bigger issue. If you're supposed to be assisting, then you should be assisting and not teaching. I mean, I've given lectures before when TAing if the professor was out of town but I was always given their notes or slides as well as advanced notice. If the professor you're TAing for can't/won't even do that, then it's completely ridiculous and someone else should be involved.

[longforit]

Thanks! It gives me strength even though neither the director nor the professor has replied my emails expressing this concerns.. But I know I'm on the right side now!

[Meanyus]

Your TAship comes with a maximum workload. It's actually a pretty serious thing if they violate that. The Ph.D. program I'm joining in the Fall pays us for 20 hours/week and we can find alternate funding for an additional 9/week if we want from other parts of the college. They actually won't allow us to go above 29, probably due to having to consider us full time employee but I didn't bother to ask.

 

I'd talk to your director, and just tell them that you are feeling burned out because you are doing a lot more work than what you signed up for. They will probably find someone else to cover for the professor and you can go back to your normal duties at that point and focus on your own work.

[longforit]

Thanks! I‘ve heard different versions of the issue on "exceeding the maximum workload" though: some (most) said it's a serious problem and would even cause troubles to the program, but some others said it's pretty normal.. Not sure which one is the norm.

 

I'm now still working over the assigned hours, but since it's the last but two weeks, I think I can hold on through it. The professor's opinion is that I can do a good job on teaching, so I should teach and there is no need to prepare the class for such a long time. She's actively providing me with help/support now (pre-class materials, etc., though only shortly before the class), which is quite good.  And I could tell it's better for the students to let me teach in class rather than her teaching remotely; and the students seem to like my teaching style better (bc it's less confusing and right on the points).

 

But this does not mean I'm obliged to teach since this is really NOT MY JOB. I have mixed feeling about teaching the class now--I like the students and think my teaching would be better for them, but I'm feeling really stressful/anxious/depressed about not being able to focus on my own thing and being forced to teach the class. Wellllll. I'm just complaining and venting. I could walk through it eventually.    

Edited April 18, 2014 by longforit