TA Teaching Tips

"How Can I Help You?"
Amy Doggette, Psychology Department

The specific tasks a TA is responsible for are simple -- grading exams,meeting with students, finding the overhead projector, giving periodic guest lectures and issuing final grades. What is more difficult for novice and jaded teaching assistants to understand and remember is that the teaching assistant also gets to decide every semester and class period how they will choose to approach these tasks -- either as an advocate for students and the professor or as a graduate student inconvenienced by menial tasks. As a teaching assistant, I have adopted a policy that guarantees that my semester will be personally fulfilling and that enables students and the professor to understand my commitment to the class up front. On the firstday of class, I stand up and introduce myself to the students, ending with the statement, "I am here to take care of your needs. If there is anything I can do for you, please ask me. It's my job." After this introduction, I outline my office hours and my availability before and after class. Students respond to this "welcome" throughout the semester by treating me like a supportive mentor, not a distant exam grader. Students come to my office hours, not just for course content questions and grade disputes, but for advice on how to make their studying more effective, for major and career planning questions and for questions about enjoying their undergraduate years at Washington University. Students have introduced me to their friends when I see them in the mall, have signed up to work with me on my research at a course's conclusion and my teaching evaluations consistently reflect their appreciation for the personal attention. This statement, "How can I help you? It's my job" is just as successful when directed to the professor teaching the course. I have had painless teaching assistant assignments with professors others have warned me about by beginning the working relationship with this one simple sentence. It's amazing how appreciated service and attention are to faculty and students alike and how valued I have been as one who provides it.

Teaching Entry Level Courses
Emmanuel Harris, II, Romance Languages

 In teaching an introductory level class as a graduate student, I've found that the thing that has helped me most is making sure that students know that I truly want them to learn and that I want to be there teaching. Students recognize when a teacher is not enthused by the subject matter or the class as a whole. However, when they perceive that in spite of how demanding or unyielding you may be, that you are there because 1) you want them to learn, and 2) you want to teach them, they are significantly more understanding and cooperative. Often having these two components can help circumvent potential problems. Students are much more forgiving about a large work load or a not-so -fun lesson plan if they believe in you and your objectives.

A simple means to alleviate discipline problems or student dissatisfaction with an instructor rests in how a teaching assistant treats the students. The simple rule of thumb is to treat the students with respect. They are not mere kids to be taken lightly or regarded with disdain, but rather young adults (and sometimes not so young) in an often unfamiliar or unnatural environment. Once during class, a student of mine directed an inappropriate comment to me somewhat under his breath though loud enough for me (and the other students) to hear. Ignored the comment at the time, but after the next class, I pulled the student aside and told him his behavior was unacceptable and why. The student listened to what I said and i never had even a hint of further problems with him. I truly believe that if I had reciprocated the disrespect he showed me, it would have aggravated the problem and negatively effected the atmosphere of the entire class.

If you treat the students like the adults they are, or should be, with straight-forward honesty, and compassion, you as a teacher should receive the same treatment back. Admit when you've made a mistake, but also be honest with them and their performance. Afterwards, move on with the lesson rather than dwelling on any shortcomings. The respect teachers have for their students goes a long way in the respect they have for you.