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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 Instructor-Student Liaison Role
(Source: Adapted from 'Teaching and Learning at York,' York University,
1989-90)
As a teaching assistant, you occupy an unusual position in that you stand somewhere
between the status of the professor and the status of student. Indeed,
you are partially both. This position allows you to play the role of liaison
between faculty and undergraduate students by communicating each other's
needs and helping clarify any misunderstandings. This can be one of the
most fruitful aspects of being a TA, especially when your participation
as a mediator facilitates the overall process of learning.
Some ways in which this role can be played out might include:
(Source: Adapted from 'Teaching and Learning at York,' York University,
1989-90 which was adapted from Segerstral, 1982)
- Taking time in discussions to ensure that the course organization and
requirements are clear to students.
- Providing students with an opportunity in discussion sections to get
clarification on confusing points in the lecture.
- Trouble shooting and identifying problems in the professor's lecture
style or presentation (e.g., too fast, not loud enough, not enough written
on board, difficult to follow) and reporting them to the professor.
- Clarifying with both the students and the professor what their expectations
are of you and what your expectations are of them.
- From discussions with undergraduate students and TAs at the University
of Guelph it is apparent that clarifying expectations is an important part
of developing a good working relationship. The chart below outlines some
questions you might want to think about when trying to clarify the various
expectations associated with your TA position.
Course instructor's expectations of you
- What responsibilities will I have (e.g., teaching, marking,
preparing test materials)?
- How often will I meet with the course instructor and/or other course
TAs?
- Am I supposed to attend lectures?
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Students' expectations of you
- Are you available to your students outside of office hours?
- What level of preparation are they expecting of you?
- What role do they see you playing in relation to the course instructor?
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Your expectations of the course instructor
- What support or guidance is s/he willing to offer you when you
need it (e.g., grading protocol)?
- Is s/he comfortable with you providing feedback regarding the course?
- Will s/he be fully supportive of the decisions you make regarding grades,
or student behaviors?
- Does s/he have a recommended procedure for dealing with student complaints
(e.g., grading)?
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Your expectations of your students
- What level of preparation do you expect of your students?
- What ground rules do you want established in your classroom
(e.g., being on time, being open to differing points of view)?
- What degree of participation do you expect from your students in classroom
discussions?
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When discussing expectations and roles with course instructors, tact
and good judgement must be used. There will also be times when the students
will come to you with complaints or comments that they would like passed
on to the course instructor. Before you give this feedback, reflect on whether
or not you believe the instructor would be receptive to this type of information
and what approach might be most effective. If the course instructor does
not appear to be open to constructive feedback, examine other methods of
supporting your students (e.g., give them tips on how to take notes during
confusing lectures, or provide an extra review session on difficult material).
Remember that this is one of those challenging situations where you have
to find a balance between being an advocate for the student and being a
representative of the course instructor.
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