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Section
Contents
The TA Balancing Act
The TA as Student
The TA as Teacher
The Instructor-Student Liaison Role
The International TA
The Distance Education TA
The TA as Union Member
The TA as GSA Member
In the Classroom . . . |
The TA as Teacher
(Source: Jody Hendry, Teaching Support Services, University of Guelph)
According to a recent survey of Graduate Teaching Assistants at the University
of Guelph (Hendry, 1998) there are several key activities for which TAs
are often responsible:
| Grading |
This can include developing grading criteria, providing feedback
on written or oral projects, and grading written or oral projects
and exams. |
| Supporting students |
These activities can be quite diverse and include counselling and advising
students, handling difficult situations, and providing extra instructional
opportunities. This support can occur both in and outside of the classroom
through office hours, review sessions, and informal meetings with
students after class. |
| Liaison between students and instructor |
This is one of the more difficult activities TAs are responsible for as they
try to find the balance between being student advocates and instructor
representatives. Because this liaison role is so important to all
those involved we have outlined some ideas on how to manage this activity
in the following section. |
| Laboratories |
TAs can be responsible for preparing, assisting, and leading laboratory activities.
Lab TAs often work closely with a lab technician or supervisor and
other TAs. |
| Seminars |
Leading and preparing seminars are common activities for many TAs. Learning
how to lead discussions and create inclusive learning environments
are necessary skills for quality seminar instruction. |
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