When Teaching Meets Learning: The Role of a TA During the First Year Of Graduate Studies
Steven M. Battaglia, SA-5246 Northern Illinois University
As a first-year graduate student in your geology department, you may be placed into the position of a teaching assistant (TA). The job(s) of a TA can vary greatly from department to depart- ment at different colleges and universi- ties. You may work with an instructor in a lecture course by grading exams and homework assignments, answering student questions via email or during office hours, attending lectures to assist in proctoring exams, or finishing other work the instructor may need through- out the semester. This type of TA posi- tion is more “behind the scenes” work for which students will not directly see you in front of the classroom lecturing the course material. Perhaps instead you might be required to instruct a weekly physical geology lab; a single credit hour course that introduces the basic concepts of geology to undergraduate students. This position requires you to be “in the spotlight”—directly in front of your stu- dents and lecturing.
Now, imagine this situation for a minute: you just started graduate school without an ounce of teaching experience and are immediately placed in front of a small lab filled with undergraduate students whom are expecting to hear your expertise in the subject. It seems you are required to pick up this “how- to-be-a-teacher” thing—and so quickly too! Your first thought is likely to panic. You should NOT panic! You are adept to instruct a group of undergraduates and pass your first semester of graduate coursework at the same time, unscathed, whether you are assisting a professor behind the scenes or in the spotlight instructing your own lab.
I, too, was a first-year TA in graduate school (immediately following under- graduate) and was required to instruct a weekly, one-credit hour physical geol- ogy lab. I had to conquer some initial fears right from the start: the pressure of transitioning from undergraduate
work to graduate work and teaching undergraduate students at the same time. My supervisors at the time knew that I was capable of succeeding in this position during my first semester. In the end, I survived (and slightly thrived in my personal opinion), and you will too!
Try to remember this: you were select- ed (over other graduate students who also applied for an assistantship) by your department’s faculty members to be in a TA position for a reason! When you applied to be a teaching assistant, the faculty recognized something in you, beyond just your credentials that made them trust in your competency to instruct an introductory geology labora- tory.
I currently have the position of TA Coordinator for the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences at NIU. This position requires that I instruct at least one introductory physi- cal geology lab and supervise the remain- ing TAs who are instructing the other introductory labs in our department. [Disclaimer: I also am under supervi- sion by a designated faculty member from the department!] The TAs that I work with might not have experience teaching a geology lab, or (more likely) may have never taught in their academic career, especially as they enter graduate school for the first time. It is my duty as the TA Coordinator to guide new graduate students in the transition from undergraduate to graduate student with minor, yet significant, teaching responsi- bilities while simultaneously beginning graduate school.
Here, I will share five pieces of advice which I have found to be extremely help- ful, regarding being a first-year graduate TA. I hope at least one of these offers you some perspective on what to expect as you kickoff your new TA position.
(1) Take time to make your own lab presentations. I place this piece of
advice first because I found it to be the most valuable in my graduate school career. When you start as an incoming TA, you may be required to formu- late PowerPoint presentations for your weekly lab. Do it! At some point during the semester when you are overloaded with coursework, you may be tempted to ask a former TA for their lectures, but this you should not do. Structuring each of your lab lectures yourself and putting thought into how you would like to present the information will allow you to retain the information more efficiently as you instruct your students. By prepar- ing your own presentations, you also will make subsequent semesters instruct- ing the same lab easier since you have already formed your presentations and understand the material.
(2) Be direct with your students about lab structure from Day 1. Students should know exactly how the lab is structured from the first day to the end of the semester. You do not want a student to be lost or to misunderstand logistical information. To prevent mis- haps, provide as much information on your lab syllabus as possible, including week-to-week topics, exam dates, pos- sible field trip dates, office hours, grades and grading criteria, etc. [This informa- tion likely will be provided to you by your faculty supervisor from your depart- ment.] Undergraduate students make a common misconception that the TA is there to answer questions at any time of the day. This is completely untrue! You are a student too! Inform your students that you also have regularly scheduled courses and homework, and an immense research project to complete. Be clear that they are welcome and you are open to discuss lab-related topics during lab, during your scheduled office hours, or that you will reply to their emails in a timely manner.
(3) Be friendly (to an extent) with your students. You do not want to be
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