Getting Started

Chanele Moore
Sociology & Criminal Justice (Summer 2007)

 Things I wish I knew my first year at UD

-- When there are professional development seminars, workshops, or networking opportunities (either in your department or campus wide) that you can accommodate in your schedule, attend them. These are opportunities to learn more about UD specifically and academia in general, how to be a successful graduate student, how to get a job, etc.

-- Don't make the TA conference your first and last interface with CTE. When they offer a seminar or a TA rap session, go. You may think it periphery in the moment, but activities like this help socialize you into your graduate training and postgraduate career. Plus you're talking with graduate students outside your department and get different perspectives on your experiences.

-- Especially for Masters students: Don't take your first summer off. Catch up on your journal reading. Do some writing. Work with a faculty member on research. Start working on your thesis. Just don't do nothing!

-- Listen to senior graduate students' opinions about faculty members, courses, and research opportunities, but keep an open mind and form your own opinions.

-- Depending on department culture and to the best of your ability, try to engage in a working relationship with your colleagues (other graduate students). Be kind, make friends. Try not to alienate people. These are the people who can be a huge support system to you – and you to them in turn (giving practice research talks, reading and revising papers, preparing for comprehensive exams, talking about your thesis).

-- If your advisor gives you an opportunity to teach, take it and make the most of the opportunity. If a teaching opportunity is not formally made available, approach your advisor or department chairperson about your interest in teaching and suggest a course that you'd be interested in offering.

-- No matter what you hear other people say, the health center is not such a bad place. If you are ill, go and get the medical attention you need.

-- If you are having problems, get the help you need. Ask questions, get feedback from individuals you're comfortable with and who will keep things confidential, as appropriate. Find mentor(s) within and/or outside your discipline. Don't suffer in silence.

-- Work hard and play hard. Get your rest, eat balanced meals and exercise. Make sure you have fun!

Adam Jabbur
English (Summer 2009)

Some thoughts on responsibility from a too-long TA

Being a TA should cause you no anxiety. You can begin your duties in the fall with the comfortable feeling that you already know what’s most important: be prepared, punctual, mature; do what you say you’ll do; and exemplify the kind of temperament and tone that one expects from a professional, even if your students—or the other TAs—do not.  In short, don’t disgrace yourself.  The rest you’ll have to figure out as you go along, just like everyone else.  So if there’s one bit of advice that might supersede all else, it’s this: be patient with yourself.  It’s almost that simple. 

Almost.  The problem is that all of us—students, TAs, and professors—have that one human flaw of being human, which can cause us to do all kinds of things that we’d rather not do.  We make mistakes.  The challenge for TAs, especially new ones, is to give our students what they deserve, while also giving ourselves a chance to learn.  (Something that we deserve!) 

Perhaps ironically, we can accomplish that not by placing an excess of responsibility on ourselves, but rather by placing a lot of responsibility on our students.  After all, haven’t we always learned the most from the professors who asked for the most?  Here’s a good starting point: remember that a course syllabus functions like a contract.  So long as you hold up your end of the deal, you have every right to expect the same from your students.  There can be no place for a sense of personal entitlement in the classroom, and the words “I tried really hard” can never transform “C” work into “A” work.  It’s your responsibility to ensure that students know what’s expected of them; it’s their responsibility to ensure that they fulfill those expectations.  Put simply, placing too much responsibility on yourself, and not enough on your students, helps neither you nor them.  I’ve had many students remark—both in person and in course evaluations—that I never let them “get away with anything.”  What that tells me is that, by and large, my students have been reasonable people, entirely capable of taking care of their business, should they choose to do so.  Your students will be the same way.  Give them a chance to prove it to you.  Make them prove it to you.  It’s theirjob to learn.  You’ll prove yourself merely by allowing that to happen. 

Far trickier than the matter of “professional” responsibility is the matter of “personal” responsibility.  As a TA—usually younger and seemingly more approachable than a professor—you might well find yourself being made, even against your will, into the confidant of a troubled student.  At the very least, be prepared for it.  Know your obligations.  Know what services the university offers to students in need.  Offer to walk with a troubled student to the building that houses those services.  Be compassionate.  I once had a professor advise me to stay out of students’ personal problems; and to an extent, that’s probably good advice.  Yet sometimes these things come to you, forcing you once again to confront your humanity.  I don’t know if that professor ever had a student mutilate herself just seconds before walking into his class: in essence, asking himfor help.  But I did.  What would you do?  Think about it before it happens.      

I’ll close with this reminder.  You’ve already got lots of classroom experience.  You already know what makes for a good class and a good teacher.  While you’re learning what it’s like to stand in front, don’t forget what it’s like to sit in one of the chairs.  Make it about the students, and you’ll make it just fine.   

David Lane
Sociology & Criminal Justice (Summer 2009)

A guide for graduate TA professional development

Welcome to the University of Delaware!  The tips and advice that I have to offer for being an effective TA are issues that most of us will face throughout are careers in academia.  These ‘tips’ are derived from the experiences and situations that other TAs and myself have encountered throughout our studies. 

Setting appropriate boundaries is something that even experienced teaching assistants and lecturers face each new semester.  For many of us we are only a year or less removed from the positions that our students occupy at the university.  With this change comes a different set of expectations and demands from students and faculty alike.  It is often tricky to understand these changes.  There are several different demands that will be placed upon you as a graduate student from both faculty and students. 

First, there are expectations from faculty members that you help them in a manner that they consider to be conducive to their teaching style.  In order to do this, be clear with your professor about your experiences and qualifications as a TA.  If you need assistance with grading, grading procedures (these vary from professor to professor), a particular method or subject, or have concerns about your ability to comprehend or convey the course material speak with the professor.  Also discuss with your faculty supervisor what subjects you are interested in and what types of activities you would consider conducting in the classroom.  Some of us may not have the skills (or are uncomfortable) to be adept at stepping into a 200-person lecture hall and give a lecture as one of our first tasks.  Be clear and upfront with your mentors in order to have an effective working relationship. 

As a graduate student you are still a student, but the line between student and professor becomes blurry.  In other words, your position is one of a student and often involves personal ties to one or more professors.  This can often make the working environment a bit awkward especially if expectations are not met or certain boundaries are breached or become tenuous.  Through effective communication with your professors manage your relationships to ensure that all are satisfied.  While it is completely acceptable to be friends with your professor, remember that you are also still a student and they will be most likely grade your work some time in the future.   Remember that each student and faculty member has their own comfort level in regards to personal issues and these should be respected.  

Talk with and listen to your students.  As far as talking to your students, you do not need to know all of them personally.  With many students in each class there will be a diverse array of backgrounds and experiences that affect the classroom environment.  By talking to your students you can gauge what materials they do or do not understand.  What is important about talking to your students is that you must also listen to what your students have to say.  They often can teach you more about the topic at hand than you can read out of a book.  By listening to their questions you can develop yourself as an academic and understand their struggles.  Because of their varied experiences students have differing needs from an instructor when it comes to their own personal learning style.  By listening to your students you can be more aware of these demands.  It is also easy to become jaded and “blow off” students concerns after hearing innumerable excuses (and there will be days when you feel this way), but take students seriously and treat them with respect.

I’ve found it helpful to show up early and stay after lecture.  One of the easiest ways to build rapport with students is to demonstrate that you care about them as a student in your course.  Arrive at lecture several minutes early, chat with students, answer questions for them, and help those that are in need.  These simple gestures demonstrate to students that you are passionate about the material and willing to help them learn.  When you are in the presence of your students act as a model, be attentive, and show them how a college student should act. 

Do not be afraid to make mistakes.  Working as a teaching assistant is just a different form of a learning experience.  Ask your faculty members for opportunities that will develop your skills as a professional.  These could be a simple as creating a test, grading essays, or as complex as teaching several lectures.  Use these experiences as places to make mistakes in an atmosphere where faculty can give you feedback to improve your own skills.  This is also a time for you to experiment with different teaching techniques and receive feedback from both students and faculty.   By having a good relationship with your mentor you will receive the feedback that will help you develop as an academic and begin your career.
 
Write down and save tentative ideas.  This suggestion has less to do with the actual tasks you need to perform and more with your academic development.  A database these tentative ideas will help you to reflect on problems that you encounter and issues about how to teach subject matter to students.  This type of record will allow to you change lectures and may lead to new ways of teaching the same material.  This reflection and evaluation of past successes, failures, and possible ideas enables you to teach yourself how to become a better lecturer and academic.

Be yourself, have fun, and remember to be humble in your interactions with those around you. 

James DiDomenico
Nutrition (Summer 2008)

 Succeeding as a TA for a large enrollment course at UD

 Being a TA in a large enrollment course can be intimidating to a new TA. A large class setting poses different challenges than a small seminar might have. What's probably the biggest concern is that some students don't respond well to the impersonal nature of large lecture classes. Students do tend to be more motivated in class, however, if you seem genuinely interested in their learning. Here are some strategies to help you succeed in overcoming the particular challenges of large classes:

Make sure the students know who you are

Introduce yourself to the class on the first day. If you are perceived as friendly and approachable, your students will be more likely to seek out your help. Tell them the best way to contact you (I prefer email because it leaves a written record), and remind them of the time and location of your office hours. It also helps to let them know what your role in the class will be, whether it be lecturing, grading, holding office hours, or providing extra help for students who need it. It saves a lot of frustration if the students know whether to ask their questions to you or to the professor.

Get to know the students

Before the class begins, look to see who is in the class: are they freshmen or upperclassmen?, are they majors or non-majors?, is this the first class they've taken in the field, or do they know a little already?

Respond to students' questions within 48 hours

Few things are more harmful to the students' learning process than seeking out help and being ignored. When students feel they are being ignored, their motivation to learn and do well in the class drops. And if you can't give them a definitive answer immediately, explain why and point them in the right direction to where to go for more help.

Email the class list when you need to make an announcement

When you have to cancel your office hours for the week, or when you change the date an assignment is due, you want to make sure you reach everyone in the class and have a written record of this course modification. The best way to do that is to use the University's class email lists (at http://www.udel.edu/pobox), even if you make an announcement in class as well.

There's a lot more TA work in a large class—budget your time wisely

In a large class, there are more assignments to grade, more questions to respond to, and more students who need help. You must be able to manage your time well, if you want to succeed as a large-class TA. I've found it very helpful to plan ahead chunks of time when I'll only be doing TA work, and not looking at my own work for research and courses. I'll have another block of time when I'm only working on my research, and another block when I'm only working on assignments for my own courses, and not on TA work.

Wilkey Wong
School of Education (Summer 2007)

Coming from the School of Education , I feel especially privileged to have had explicit training in educational psychology and pedagogy. One deep realization that I've come to appreciate is that knowledge of content is necessary but not sufficient for one to achieve a high degree of teaching effectiveness as evidenced by student learning. That said, in this document, I seek to provide some practical tips as well as some deeper insights into being a teaching assistant.

Pillars of TA-ship

Exercise charity and compassion – Remember that your students are not simply brain-based learning machines. They are individuals that each bring a unique background and experiences to the classroom. These particularities as well as ongoing personal situations can affect how ready or motivated a student is to learn. A charitable mindset means that you recognize that if a student is struggling it is not automatically because she is lazy or immature. Indeed these are attributions that can close you off from the student and diminish your motivation to do your best to help her learn. A compassionate heart tempers us to the genuine struggles a student may be facing both inside and outside of the classroom. It gives us the fortitude to be patient and to try alternate and multiple approaches to teaching.

Practice honesty and humility – Students respect honesty and humility and this respect is essential if you are to be maximally effective as their teaching assistant. When you don't know something, say so but do it in a manner that is positive and models for them that not knowing is not something of which to be ashamed or afraid but the first step toward learning. Humility is the antithesis of arrogance. Coupled with content and instructional competence, humility helps to foster respect and the power bases of expertise and legitimate authority that you will need to teach.

Model integrity – Be forthright in your dealings. When you make a meeting commitment, keep it. When you promise to provide a resource by a certain time, do so. If you agree to bring an issue to the attention of the supervising instructor, do it and report back. When your students come to learn that your word when given is a priority and a commitment, then they will understand that this is something you value and that you will value in them.

If these three pillars of TA-ship sound like positive character traits, it is because they are. Together, these values and the behaviors they foster will help to establish a classroom environment and TA-student relationships that support high expectations and high performance. In turn, these conditions will enhance student learning and your effectiveness as a teaching assistant.

Practice-based tips

1. Always be prepared. Know the material and know where the faculty member is as far as progression through the course materials. When conducting reviews or discussions, have all the materials, worksheets, readings, and texts with you for ready and efficient access. The Absent Minded Professor might have been a funny Disney movie, but is makes for a poor TA and student experience.

2. Be a resource for resources. If a student needs help, whether it is academic or otherwise, be well acquainted with departmental and university level resources. Also, become familiar with some particularly useful online resources or references in your content area. You need not be concerned with knowing everything but it is helpful to know where to go to find out the things that need knowing.

3. Take care of yourself so that you can take care of your students. TAs are students as well as teachers. When you are comfortable and in control of your own learning and coursework, then you are better prepared to help your students in their learning. You need not sacrifice your own academic and scholarly success for the sake of your students. If you find yourself in a pinch, do not hesitate to talk to the course instructor.

4. Strive to be personable. Help your students feel comfortable coming to you to ask questions or to get help. Be as friendly as you feel appropriate and are comfortable with. Exercise your own particular personal charms. If you're not bubbly, as I am not, then subtle and topical humor may be an approach you choose. Be real, be yourself and it'll be easier to connect with your students.

5. Get to know your students. When students feel you know them as individuals and not just as a seat assignment, then they are more likely to view you as an interested individual as well. The point, of course, is to become more instructionally effective, but if your students can feel less anonymous, your objectives become easier to achieve.

6. Be organized. Whether the instructor uses course management software or not, you may be responsible for keeping track of grades, papers, or other artifacts or assessments. Students' confidence in you is going to be due in part to how well you have a handle on their products and production. Always be accurate and current with their grades.

7. Share your experiences. Your students will likely have their fill of theory, prefabricated examples, and casework in the class. But nothing brings a point home quite as effectively as a well-told, related personal experience with the topic at hand. If you have experiences or anecdotes to share then do so as an educative device or as method of making connections and personalizing the content. Either approach has merit.

8. Remember that the first half of the role “teaching assistant” is, in fact, teaching. Begin to see yourself as a teacher, instructor, professor-in-training and you will feel more professional, more empowered to actively participate in your students' learning. This will also give you some perspective as to what mentoring you may eventually want to provide your TAs in the years to come.

Yuning (Bonnie) Wu
Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice (Summer 2006)

Who says, “Interest is the best instructor?” Simple, but true. As a TA or a course instructor, I keep reminding myself that delivering knowledge is not my only purpose—arising students' interest and motivating them to learn by themselves is more important. It is analogous to giving them the key to an unknown building, and it depends on them to explore this new building. Following, Ill share with you a few thoughts about how to make a class engaging for both the students and yourself.

Class discussions . If you are an instructor in the social sciences and you have a small to mid-size class, it is helpful to engage the students in discussion about the content. Sometimes discussions may evolve into debates, which is excellent, as long as the students respect each others' idea s and talk with each other in a respectful manner. I use class discussions to provoke the students to think. For example, when the students agree with one theory or policy, I would tell them the opponents' argument, thus lead them to think about the other side of story. As we know, in the social sciences we do not find absolute right or wrong answers to questions as the social world is fascinatingly complex and so are the players. Take the concept of justice for example. Is there justice for all? Does justice mean the outcome of a case? Does it mean the process? Should justice be focused on the defendant's side? Should it be focused on the victim's side? You will be amazed how quickly students learn to think critically about the content.

Active learning . Besides discussion, I found active learning activities helpful. For example, I may give the students a case and ask them to engage in mock jury deliberations. Using role playing, they get a better understanding of what a jury deliberation is like and what being a juror entails. In addition, showing documentaries or movies works well as visual images can be more powerful than words. After watching the movie, I will ask students to relate what they saw to what they learned in class.

Sense of humor in presentation . It is helpful when the instructor includes humor in her or his presentations. This is easier said than done though, especially for someone whose native language is not English. I consider myself quite a boring person when speaking in English. I try to memorize some fun details related to class topics, such as what physical test you need to pass to become a police officer, or what a Chinese courtroom looks like, or how the Supreme Court Justices are seated when the Supreme Court is in session. Such stories allow for fun breaks in the middle of a lecture and help make the materials more interesting and memorable for the students.

On a final note, be passionate about teaching and show your interest to your students. Passion and interest definitely help you connect with your students and tend to be contagious.

Swaleha Hudaa Neetoo
Department of Animal and Food Sciences (Spring 2005)

Being an international student and a recipient of a British education, the concept of “Teaching Assistant” was totally foreign to me until I started my studies at UD. At first, I thought that “TA-ing” meant being a substitute for a professor and the idea terrified me wholly. However, I realized that the duties of a TA are department-specific, i.e., what is expected of a TA from one department may be different for someone from another.

The class for which I was a TA was relatively small. However that did not mean that the duties were in any way less. My duties with respect to undergraduates involved coaching them with their homeworks and lab reports and also sometimes doing mini-tutorials on weekends. The professor also expected me to set up the lab prior to a practical session. Sometimes I was also asked to perform trial experiments beforehand to make sure that the session went smoothly without any disruption.

On the whole, I found the experience very enriching and definitely something to put on my resumé. I also found that going to the TA Rap sessions, offered by CTE, particularly useful because one gets to meet TAs outside of one's department. It also helps to listen to other TAs' anecdotes of certain unfortunate classroom situations that occasionally arise and to find out how they effectively coped with such situations.

Some tips that I would give new TAs are:

· Know your students' strengths and weaknesses. During review sessions, it usually helps to know which topics the students are more apt to do and start from there. By discussing those questions which they are more comfortable at, you can help build their confidence.

· Know to say “I don't know.” If a student asks you a question about a topic and you are unable to provide a satisfactory answer, the best response in my opinion is “I don't know but I will definitely look it up and get back to you.”

· Be prepared when you plan the review session or office hour to give a student some practice questions. It is better if you can ask him/her in advance the topics in which he/she is facing difficulty and needs help. By doing the questions beforehand, you are more prepared and confident to help him/her.

Cathy Stragar
Department of Biological Sciences (Spring 2005)

I came to the University of Delaware with some teaching experience at the elementary school level but no experience with teaching adult learners. I taught lab sections in biology for non-majors. I think the most important thing to keep in mind when you are teaching college students is that people come to this course with a wide variety of skills and experience. Teaching lab was a great learning experience for both my students (I hope) and me. Here are some suggestions and things to keep in mind as you begin your semester.

Respect your students. That means, not only should you try to learn their names, but that you should be very clear about what you expect from them, including course policy. Read the syllabus to them and be explicit about things like tardiness or absences. You can be very clear without being harsh. It's important on that first day to let the students get to know you. Talk about yourself, especially things outside of school. Give them time to talk about themselves and ask them to share something about themselves.

Return work as soon as possible and be organized. This really lets the students know if they understand the concepts that you are teaching. They will have time to ask questions before exams. And you will get an idea of how everyone is doing. Being organized and having a system of how you prepare for class, how you make assignments and grade student work will save you lots of time. Set a time limit for yourself to complete these tasks. Understand exactly how you will grade a quiz or assignment before you begin. Be able to explain why and how you gave the grade that you did. List the criteria that students' work will be graded on.

Provide opportunities for students with different learning styles. Some students do well in solo endeavors. Some need to talk or work with a group. I would put people in groups for the first few sessions, just so everyone would get a chance to work together.

Respect yourself . Everyone has limits to their knowledge, experience and time. Know this and accept it because it will make your first semester a bit easier. Use the great resources around you, especially senior TAs who have taught the lab before. Ask questions about course content, concepts and procedures. Attend all the meetings that you can. When it comes to making assignments and quizzes, don't try to reinvent the wheel, look at previous quizzes to model yours after. Always make sure to budget the time you need for your own classes and research.

Be yourself . If you are, then the excitement you have for the subject is evident. Modeling an honest enthusiasm may be the best teaching tool you have. This may be especially effective for students who are in your class only because it is required for their studies.

Adebanjo Oriade, 2003 UD Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Department of Physics & Astronomy (Spring 2003)

The environment at UD is rich in opportunities to develop yourself as a graduate student, researcher and teacher. The following tips are based on my experiences as a graduate TA at UD and they are intended to help you become an effective TA.

Reflect on what works well for you in class and what doesn't work well and find ways to further develop your teaching skills.

Utilize resources both in your department and on campus.

 I learned a lot from attending programs that were offered by my department and by the university. Before the semester started our laboratory coordinator gave an enlightening talk and during the following fall semester I participated in a course focused on teaching Physics and Astronomy. I remember in that course I learned things that still serve me.

Before ever meeting the students, I contact the professor in charge of the course and others involved in the course to learn as much as possible about my particular responsibilities and how the course would be organized and taught. Most professors have meetings with their TAs before classes start.

The first time I meet my students we agree on how the key things should work within the constraints we are under. I come with a draft that has a number of   degrees of freedom. I begin to learn of them as they fix the free degrees in the draft and a final MO emerges. I make them part of the rules and what goes   on to encourage team spirit.  I talk to my colleagues and friends to learn from them as we share teaching experiences.

Develop effective communication skills.

Offer as many opportunities for communication as you are comfortable with. For example, my students can reach me by calling, sending an email message,   dropping work or notes in my departmental mailbox and by coming to my office hours. They know when and where they can find me. I can reach my students via email or by calling them depending on the need. WebCT, an online course management system, provides further means of communication.

Try to communicate in a variety of ways based on your audience's needs. Different people speak different "languages." Some of us like to listen to   information, others rather read the information, others prefer to have it demonstrated or acted out and others may prefer to discuss things.

Occasionally projecting an air of drama has worked for me in communicating with most of my students. Today dull and boring things are as good as   invisible in my view to the average UD student.

Presentations: Keep your presentation simple, exciting and challenging and adjusted to your audience's background, knowledge level and interests. Know   your audience and consider the needs of the different groups in your audience to help them learn. Create opportunities for them to participate.

Feedback: Students love to get feedback; it needs to be prompt. Grade student work in a consistent fashion and return it promptly. I allow my students to   reclaim some of their points if they can present a convincing argument or prove that the error they made is realized and that they now know how to do it   right.

Smile. Be affable.

Try to make others feel comfortable around you.

I am enjoying myself while doing most of my TA duties, and I don't keep my enjoyment to myself. It turns out that it can be infectious--I see signs that some   students are having fun too or maybe they are just entertained by those of us having fun. I feel more learning takes place when students enjoy being in class.

One can still enforce rules and standards without looking like a mean guy.

I hope my thoughts stimulate ideas that work for you.

Being a TA is hard work and often emotionally draining, but it's well worth the effort.  As a third year TA in the social sciences, I have seen my role as that of a bridge between faculty and students.  I've found the fun of being a TA lies in the awkward situation within which we find ourselves -- both students and teachers at the same time.  Students will probably see you as being able to relate better to them than the professor and therefore feel more comfortable approaching you with requests, complaints and the like.  While as a TA it's important to establish relationships of trust with students, the temptation to be a buddy should be avoided.  I've found that not making a clear distinction between student and TA compromises your effectiveness when it does come time to be the authority figure in the classroom.  Certainly TAs can go the opposite route and see themselves as only a more draconian extension of the professor.  Doing this often limits one's ability to develop the relationships with students that makes the TA-ship such a unique opportunity.

Juggling the TA responsibilities with your own grad student demands is no easy task, especially in your first semester of being both.  While I never used a date book before grad school, I now can't live without one.  Organization is the key to success here.  You will have to keep track of your own classes, the TA class which you'll have to attend the lectures (and keep notes), office hours which you'll hold as well as additional appointments for those students who can't make your office hours, meetings with your TA faculty advisor and all of life's other demands.  In addition, you'll want to know when the grading will hit so you can block out some time for it; grading is a time-consuming activity.

There are many resources on campus to assist you.  The TA conference provides invaluable insight and the CTE offers ongoing sessions that are both relevant and useful.  Don't hesitate to ask senior TAs in your department for advice when you run into troubles.  Most importantly, I've found that the best TA experiences emerge when I have an open line of communication with my TA professor.  I try to be honest and up-front about when I have the most time for different tasks.  Remember, your own classes are the most important and professors, for the most part, will understand that.  Since teaching is a skill I personally want to develop further, I have made a point of asking my TA professors for additional responsibilities like helping to write exams as well as getting to lecture during the semester.

From my personal experience, if a TA cares (or at least seems to care) about the material being taught, is readily accessible to the students and seen as dependable by the professor, the experience will be quite rewarding and useful to you.  Good luck and most importantly, have fun doing it!

Keith Corbitt, 2002 University of Delaware Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Department of Foreign Languages & Literature (Summer 2002)

When I was invited to share my thoughts about the position and my own teaching experiences as a TA I was simultaneously thrilled and scared.  I thought to myself, “What an honor this is, yet who am I to write on such an important issue?  What have I done?  After team teaching for two semesters and teaching my own course during winter session, am I supposed to know the secret to being an effective TA?”  The answer to that question is a profound NO. “Then, what do I write?  What is it that I can share with you, my fellow TAs?”  After pondering the issue for quite a while, it hit me.  I can share with you that even though we may not know the secret to being an effective TA, once we acknowledge that, it can make all our lives as TAs easier.  So I begin…

Obviously, as TAs we don’t automatically know everything about teaching.  If you are like me, you came into your TA position new to the entire concept of teaching.  Trust in knowing that your department realizes this as well.  Don’t feel as if you need to be an expert TA at this point; relax!  We are all on a learning curve, some faster and some slower than others.  This is a golden opportunity to take advantage of your departmental faculty and staff, advisor, and of course, your fellow TAs.  Their knowledge is priceless and most of them were in your shoes at one time or another.  They will not only sympathize with you, but can empathize with your situation.  If your department is anything like mine, and I expect it is, you’ll find an incredibly efficient and kind group of people who are more than willing to point you in the direction where you need to go.  So, my advice is to keep the lines of communication open.  Chat frequently with your “chain of command” (e.g., faculty supervisor, faculty advisor) and take advantage of the training programs that are offered periodically by your department and the Center for Teaching Effectiveness.

You are not expected to be everything to everyone all the time.  Your department realizes this, and believe it or not, so will your students; however, the problem is that we do not always realize it ourselves.  Set boundaries and limitations for yourself.  Try to keep to the schedule you set for yourself.  Where pertinent, make sure all those who need to know specific parts of your schedule (i.e. your students with respect to your office hours) are informed.  Most importantly, make time for yourself.  Don’t forget that you are a student with a personal life.

My teaching does not come before my studies.  As a TA I walk a fine line.  Many people wonder what comes first, the chicken or the egg.  Although, “each to his own”, I personally believe it is the egg.  For myself, I cannot be an effective teacher if I am not an effective student.  As a student of foreign language pedagogy, I study the different methodologies of teaching.  If I haven’t mastered my own studies I find it next to impossible to implement what I have learned in my own class.  At times, the class that I teach is the one I learn from the most.  Throughout the semester you will find times when you will need to wear the “teacher’s hat” and times when it will be more conducive to wear the “student’s hat.”  The trick is knowing when and where those times will pop up.  Know your syllabus and class schedule.  Plan ahead and structure your tasks accordingly.  For example, identify busy times in the semester when you may be grading students’ work and needing to complete your own assignments as well.

In conclusion, there is no magical secret to being a TA.  But there are certain steps each one of us can take to help guide our way to success.  The first step begins with knowing our limitations, and with the help of others turning our deficiencies into strengths.  As I said before, it is an outstanding honor to have been selected as a TA even though the task can seem quite daunting at times; however, it shouldn’t be.  It is an outstanding opportunity and a “no lose” situation.  We are students in the disciplines that we enjoy, teaching other students.  Even though it may seem incredibly basic, I am certain when I say, “Go with the flow and have fun with it.  It is an opportunity of a lifetime, so take advantage of it and get to know your students and your teachers.”  With that, I bid you good luck!
 

Jascha Fields
Department of Communication (Summer 2002)

Being an effective TA involves knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are, and using your strengths to your full advantage.  For example, one of my strengths is to initiate class discussions and acting as a moderator in a class debate.  I often ask my class questions and try to stimulate discussion.  At 8AM, this can really help keep the students' attention!  One of my weaknesses, on the other hand, is lecturing.  I do not consider myself someone who is most effective at standing in front of the class and speaking for fifty minutes.  I feed off of discussion and debate, and I would rather learn from my students and hear what they have to say, and share with my class anything that I may want to add.  Lecturing the entire class period, to me, is the perfect recipe for bored and unmotivated students who will not participate when asked to do so.  If you show interest in your students, your students in turn will show interest in you.

I also learned is that I have a lot to learn.  Being a TA is an ongoing learning process and a test in adaptation.  You learn to manage your own schoolwork and your TA work; you learn how to adapt your teaching style to different classroom environments; and you learn that there is no one right way to make a class interesting.  Remember that, regardless of how hard you try you cannot make all your students happy.  Be firm yet remember to be open minded and to listen to your students before interjecting your opinion.  Being open minded, constructive and fair to all parties is the best thing you can do for yourself and your students.
 
 

Styliani Kafka, 1999 University of Delaware Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Department of Physics & Astronomy (Summer 1999)

When I was invited to write about my teaching experience with American students at the University of Delaware, I was happy to do so because I’m going to share with you lessons that I learned from my students.  Both semesters, Fall and Spring 1998-99, I was a lab and discussion session TA for Physics 202, a course for science majors (not including Physics or Engineering).  I will share some tips with you that made my students’ learning easier and my job interesting and enjoyable.

First Day

For most of us, the first day in class is difficult, even for faculty.  It is the first time you will meet your students, it is the first impression which determines your relationship with them.  But this is also a time to talk about yourself and for the students to get to know you.

Introduce yourself.  If you are an international TA, talk a little bit about your country.  Talk about your interests, your plans for the future, your research interests.  Mention to your students what made you pursue graduate study, what you find exciting in your field.  I am not afraid to show my excitement.  It is a part of my personality, and I can share it with my students.  For example, I would say, ”Hello, my name is Stella, and I am from Athens, Greece.  I am a first-year graduate student at the University of Delaware, actually, this is my first year in the US, and I want to get a Ph.D. in Astronomy.  I am interested in stars, especially the last stages of stellar evolution.”

Guidelines

Set guidelines.  You will work with your class for a semester, which means that you will meet these students two, three or even four times a week.  Make things clear from the very beginning.  Let them know what your expectations are, what they have to do in order to get a good grade, what you are going to do during the semester and how you want things to be done.  The most important thing is to write everything down.  Although the professor distributes a detailed course syllabus at the beginning of the course, make a supplementary syllabus for your students and hand it out on the first day of class.  Include your name and e-mail address, your office hours, your grading policy (confirm with the professor first), how you want students to write the homework assignments, how you want them to write their lab reports, how you will grade each part of the homework and the lab report.  I also include the point that there will be unannounced quizzes and bonus questions and that the students will be expected to work in groups.  I also make transparencies and discuss these guidelines on the first day.  The guidelines help avoid misunderstandings and complaints.

English Language Skills

I also talk about my language skills.  I admit that I have a strong accent, and I tell the students that I try hard to improve my English.  I admit that I find it difficult sometimes to understand their slang, and I ask them to let me know if they don’t understand me.  During both semesters, there were moments when I felt that I had to repeat myself two or three times, because the students could not understand the way I was explaining the content. It turned out OK, they understood at the end and my English improved dramatically after each semester.

Get to Know Your Students

I take five minutes before the end of class to learn some things about my students.  I distribute blank index cards and I ask them to write down some things about themselves, such as name,
e-mail address, major, one thing they like and one thing they dislike in physics.  Since I will work with them, I feel that I need to get to know them and their thoughts about physics.  The first time I did that activity, I was disappointed when I read their responses.  The most positive response was that physics is interesting.  I had to respect the fact that my students had their own majors and preferences in science.  Since they didn't expect me to like biology or chemistry, why should I expect from them to like physics?  On the other hand, I appreciated their honesty and learned later that one reason why they disliked physics was because they didn't understand its math.  This was a good start for me to be able to help them.

Leading Discussion Sessions

I used different ways to help the students, but most importantly I helped them help themselves.  I appreciated every effort they made to understand the material.  The students worked in groups.  In the discussion sessions, I asked them to prepare their homework problems in advance, and I assigned every group a problem that they needed to solve and present in front of the class.  A different person from the group was at the board every time to present. Students had to answer any questions that the rest of the class had, or any questions that I would have.  I let their classmates point out errors in the problem’s solution and correct them.  I intervened only when it was needed.  My students knew how to explain a problem and even debate whether the solution was right or wrong.  Sometimes I had two students with two different solutions to the same problem, and the same answer.  Not only is that acceptable in physics it also happens all the time.  Sometimes, when I recognized a difficult problem, I solved it at the board and asked students for their help.  We ended up solving the problem together.  I only needed to explain some new or difficult concepts that confused the students. I paid attention to their expressions.  I was never tired to explain a problem again and again, if needed.  I’d rather spend the whole hour solving one or two problems and making sure that the students understand them than solving ten problems and not knowing if they understand anything.

There were some times when the weather was so nice, that no one wanted to go in the classroom to do the discussion session.  I was lucky enough to have small white boards and erasable markers, and we did the discussion session in the Mall, outside of Sharp Lab.  You can't imagine how much we all enjoyed it!  The discussion was so relaxing and pleasant that the students forgot all about hating physics.  You never look at your watch when you are having fun, right?

Leading Lab Sessions

I enjoyed teaching lab more than leading discussions.  Since physics is a science based on experiments, the lab was the perfect place to discuss physics problems.  At the beginning of each lab, I explained the lab exercise briefly, and told the students what kinds of tables, plots, and results I wanted them to get.  In the sciences it is easy to misunderstand something.  I always went from group to group, explained the problem they were facing, helped them understand why they had to take measurements and tried to leave them with a challenging, even tricky question.  I usually gave them ten minutes to think about and discuss the problem.  Then, I would go to the same group, and discuss their answer with them, explain why they were wrong--if they were wrong--and give them

another solution if I had a different one.  I made it clear from the very beginning that there were no stupid answers.  I wanted the students to get into the logic of physics, and every answer they gave was a clue to their thinking. Sometimes, when the experiment was not too long and the equipment not too dangerous, I let them do their own experiments, always following what they were doing. If they found the particular lab setting interesting and they wanted to work with it a little more, why not let them to do so? That is how students learn!

Bonus Problems

From time to time I gave the students individual bonus problems.  These problems were not very difficult, but they were more complicated than the ones that they had for their homework, and they could get a bonus point if they made a serious effort to solve these problems.  Surprisingly, the students started to ask for more bonus problems themselves!

Making Mistakes

If, during a discussion session or a lab session, you are asked a question and you don't remember the answer, admit it: "I am sorry, but I don't remember the answer right now; please let me look at it, and I'll answer next time we will meet."  You do have the right to not remember something, as long as you will give the students an answer the next time you meet with them.  You may also convert the particular question into a bonus question.

Discussion with Faculty

What I found helpful during both semesters were the discussions that I had with the instructors of the course.  I discussed any problems that I had in the classroom with them, asked for their opinion or their advice.  When they made some changes to the course, I asked them to e-mail me those changes that they wanted to make.  This way, I could go back and see whether I forgot to announce something. I have collaborated on a professional basis with the course instructors, and I have learned a lot from their experience in the classroom.

Office Hours

Try to be available to your students at least two hours a week.  Discuss with them what are good times for you and them to meet.  I ended up having office hours twice a week--one hour each time--in order to be able to meet with my students.  In addition, I had extra office hours the day before midterms.  These office hours were quite popular, and they helped my students a lot.  I also encouraged student questions by e-mail.  I encouraged them to send me e-mail if they had any difficulties with the course, and some of them did so.  There is an advantage to being a TA: you are closer to your students in age, you are more likely to understand their problems, and you do have the knowledge to help them with the course.  Students will listen to your advice, and they will follow your guidance.  My students knew that they had my support, and that they could have my help any time they needed it.  Our relationship was based on mutual respect.

I am proud to say that I believe that at the end of each semester I managed to make my students realize that physics is not something alien and difficult.  It is a science that deals with our everyday world.  I emphasized applications of the physical laws to their disciplines.
 

You may wonder why you should bother with these suggestions.  You came to this university to study towards your degree.  Many of you may never teach in your professional career, and you all care about are your own research and courses.  That is very true, but, for me, being a TA was another way of getting away from my courses and my problems, and focusing on something pleasant.  And, since I had to teach, why not enjoy it?  However, the bigger motivation for me was the example of my own professors.  I never had TAs as an undergraduate student, and I appreciated any moment I spent with my professors, asking them questions about physics, getting help on complicated issues, getting advice for my studies.  I wanted to give back a part of the help that I got.  As a TA, I had a chance to do so, and I enjoyed it a lot.  The students can be fun and they work hard when they realize that you do care about their progress. They also have their own unique way of showing their appreciation.

Many thanks to all my students, in Physics 202, Fall 1998 and Spring 1999

The University of Delaware values both academic excellence and personal development. The Blue Hen's Pledge of Personal and Civic Responsibility manifests these community values among, students, faculty, staff, and administrators. All members of the campus have the personal responsibility to promote and atmosphere of civility. As a member of the Blue Hen's community, we expect you to affirm and practice the following commitments.

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The University provides information and services to assist students in achieving their educational and professional development goals. However, I must actively seek out information and use academic, career, and extracurricular services. I will actively become knowledgeable about the relevant policies and procedures of the University, college, and my academic program through meeting and consulting with my advisor.

I pledge to practice academic honesty and integrity.

Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental tenets of all academic activity at the University of Delaware . Students are expected to be honest and exercise integrity in all their academic endeavors. In accordance with the University's Code of Conduct and Code of the Web, I will be honest and exercise integrity in regard to all of my academic assignments.

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The University of Delaware is a learning community that encourages the pursuit of scholarship and free exchange of ideas. I will demonstrate social and personal responsibility by adhering to the University's Code of Conduct and all other University policies. I understand that these academic and behavioral guidelines are essential tools for my development.

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The University is committed to creating and maintaining an educational community that is intellectually, culturally, and socially diverse, and enriched by the contributions and full participation of people from different backgrounds. I will demonstrate respect for individual and cultural differences. I recognize the need to seek to understand others as an initial step to developing a mutual appreciation, caring, and respect.

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Resident Life

Starting out as a TA can be very frightening. Not only do TAs have to learn how to get around campus: they also struggle to understand what they are supposed to be doing as TAs and as graduate students and trying to learn to be an effective teacher at the same time. There's a lot to learn rapidly.

 Learn Your Way Around

DEVELOP A NETWORK. Your Department TA Coordinator,supervising faculty member secretaries, and other graduate students can help answer questions like: Where is my mailbox? How do I get lab space? What's the procedure if I need to make overheads or copy something? What are the departmental expectations for TAs?

While most faculty/TA relationships are cordial, sometimes difficulties arise. A TA who does not develop an effective relationship with his or her supervising faculty member can allow tension and frustration to build on both sides. Let's look at some specific things graduate students can do to foster a healthy faculty/TA relationship.

• DISCUSS ALL THE FACULTY MEMBER'S EXPECTATIONS very clearly at the beginning of the semester. Some of the questions to ask are:

   

  1. Will I be lecturing?
     • On a regular basis?
     • •Occasionally
     • When the instructor is absent?

      

  2. Will I be leading discussions?
     • On a regular basis?
     • Occasionally?
     • When the instructor is absent?

       If yes, should I:

       • Stay close to the textbook or reading materials?
       • Stay close to the lectures?
       • Encourage all students to talk?
       • Do most of the talking?
       • Deal only with students' questions from the lecture?

      

  3. Will I be tutoring and/or giving individual assistance?
     • How much is too much?
     • What kind of assistance shouldn't I give?
     • Should I organize group help/review sessions?

      

  4. Will I be conducting or supervising laboratories?
     • Obtaining supplies and materials?
     • Keeping track of supplies and materials?
     • Designing or revising experiments?
     • Giving demonstrations

      

  5. In case of emergency or accident, what do I do?

      

  6. Will I be using AV material, or computer equipment?

      

     • What equipment?
     • Am I responsible for getting and returning it?
     • Whom do I call to schedule equipment?
     • What equipment can the classroom accommodate/support
  7. Will I be evaluating or grading papers, projects, reports, quizzes, examinations, student participation?

      

     • Are the criteria for assigning grades clear?
     • Is the process for determining the final course grade clear?
     • •What portion of the grade will I be responsible for?
     • Will the instructor review disputed grades?
     • Will I review disputed grades given by the instructor?
     • How much time will I need to set aside for grading?
     • Should I make two copies of all grades?
     • How do I keep records of students' grades?
  8. How much autonomy will I have?

      

     • To try different teaching practices?
     • To present parts of my research?
     • To present perspectives different from the instructor's?
  9. What about my office hours?

      

     • How many hours per week?
     • When should they be offered?
     • Should they be coordinated with the instructor's?
     • If my TA work is taking more than the required 20 hours per week, what is the best way to tell tell the supervising faculty member so as not to create conflict?
  10. Who will supervise me?

       

      • How?
      • How often?
      • How will my TA performance be assessed?

       

  11. What should I do, whom should I contact, if I can't come to a lab, will I receive feedback on my teaching, discussion section, problem-solving section, office hour?

       

  12. What other responsibilities will I have?

   

• GET TENSION OUT IN THE OPEN AND DEAL WITH IT. Tensions generally escalate when you ignore problems in faculty/TA relationships.  Try to confront  these problems early on, although difficult, is often necessary.

• TALK ABOUT PROBLEMS IN FACULTY BEHAVIOR.  When a faculty member behaves in a way that interferes with a TA's ability to do the job or perform as a graduate student, those issues should be tactfully discussed with the faculty.

• COMMUNICATE FREQUENTLY WITH SUPERVISING FACULTY. Be clear about your schedule and give early notice about conflicting needs.

Adapted with permission from The Seven Principles Resource Center, Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota.

The following principles are anchored in extensive research about teaching, learning, and the college experience.

1.  Good Practice Encourages Student – Instructor Contact
Frequent student – instructor contact in and out of classes is a most important factor in student motivation and involvement. Instructor concern helps students get through rough times and keep on working. Knowing a few instructors well enhances students’ intellectual commitment and encourages them to think about their own values and future plans.

Implementation Ideas:

• Share past experiences, values, and attitudes.
• Design activity that brings students to your office during the first weeks of class.
• Try to get to know your students by name by the end of the first three weeks of the semester.
• Attend, support, and sponsor events led by student groups.
• Treat students as human beings with full real lives; ask how they are doing.
• Hold “out of class” review sessions.
• Use email regularly to encourage and inform.
• Hold regular “hours” in the students’ building or residence halls where students can stop by for informal visits.
• Take students to professional meetings or other events in your field.

2.  Good Practice Encourages Cooperation Among Students
Learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race. Good learning, like good work, is collaborative and social, not competitive and isolated. Working with others often increases involvement in learning. Sharing one’s own ideas and responding to others’ reactions improves thinking and deepens understanding.

Implementation ideas:

• Ask students to share each other’s backgrounds and academic interests.
• Encourage students to prepare together for classes or exams.
• Create study groups within your course.
• Ask students to give constructive feedback on each other’s work and to explain difficult ideas to each other.
• Use small group discussions, collaborative projects in and out of class, group presentations, and case study analysis.
• Ask students to discuss key concepts with other students whose backgrounds and viewpoints are different from their own.
• Encourage students to work together.

3.  Good Practice Encourages Active Learning
Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just sitting in classes listening to instructors, memorizing assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves.

Implementation Ideas (encourage active learning):

• Ask students to present their work to the class.
• Give students concrete, real life situations to analyze.
• Ask students to summarize similarities and differences among research findings, artistic works or laboratory results.
• Model asking questions, listening behaviors, and feedback.
• Encourage use of professional journals.
• Use technology to encourage active learning.
• Encourage use of internships, study abroad, service learning and clinical opportunities.
• Use class time to work on projects.

4.  Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback
Knowing what you know and don’t know focuses learning. Students need appropriate feedback on performance to benefit from courses. In getting started, students need help in assessing existing knowledge and competence. In classes, students need frequent opportunities to perform and receive suggestions for improvement. At various points during college, and at the end, students need chances to reflect on what they have learned, what they still need to know, and how to assess themselves.

Implementation Ideas:

• Return examinations promptly, preferably within a week, if not sooner.
• Schedule brief meetings with the students to discuss their progress.
• Prepare problems or exercises that give students immediate feedback on how well they are doing.  (e.g., Classroom Assessment - _ - I - _ Techniques, T. Angelo, 1993)
• Give frequent quizzes and homework assignments to help students monitory their progress.
• Give students written comments on the strengths and weakness of their tests/papers.
• Give students focused feedback on their work early in the term.
• Consider giving a mid-term assessment or progress report.
• Be clear in relating performance level/expectations to grade.
• Communicate regularly with students via email about various aspects of the class.

5.  Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task
Time plus energy equals learning. There is no substitute for time on task. Learning to use one’s time well is critical for students and professionals alike. Students need help in learning effective time management. Allocating realistic amounts of time means effective learning for students and effective teaching for instructors.

Implementation Ideas:

• Communicate to students the amount of time they should spend preparing for class.
• Expect students to complete their assignments promptly.
• Underscore the importance of regular work, steady application, self-pacing, scheduling.
• Divide class into timed segments so as to keep on task.
• Meet with students who fall behind to discuss their study habits, schedules.
• Don’t hesitate to refer students to learning skills professionals on campus.
• Use technology to make resources easily available to students.
• Consider using mastery learning, contract learning, and computer assisted instruction as appropriate.

6.  Good Practice Communicates High Expectations
Expect more and you will get it. High expectations are important for everyone—for the poorly prepared, for those unwilling to exert themselves, and for the bright and well motivated. Expecting students to perform well becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when instructors hold high expectations for themselves and make extra efforts.

Implementation Ideas:

• Make your expectations clear at the beginning of the course both in writing and orally.  Tell them you expect them to work hard.
• Periodically discuss how well the class is doing during the course of the semester.
• Encourage students to write; require drafts of work.  Give students opportunities to revise their work.
• Set up study guidelines.
• Publish students’ work on a course website.  This often motivates students to higher levels of performance.
• Be energized and enthusiastic in your interaction with students.

7.  Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning
There are many roads to learning. People bring different talents and styles of learning to college. Students rich in hands-on experiences may not do so well with theory. Students need the opportunity to show their talents and learn in ways that work for them. They can be pushed to learning in new ways that do not come so easily.

Implementation Ideas:

• Use a range of teaching activities to address a broad spectrum of students.
• Provide extra material or exercises for students who lack essential background knowledge or skills.
• Identify students’ learning styles, backgrounds at the beginning of the semester.
• Use different activities in class – videos, discussions, lecture, groups, guest speakers, pairwork.
• Use different assignment methods – written, oral, projects, etc. so as to engage as many ways of learning as possible – visual, auditory.
• Give students a real-world problem to solve that has multiple solutions.  Provide examples, questions to guide them.