Working with Teaching Assistants

….Ideas for recruiting, preparing and working with TAs

Recruiting:

  • Determine whether TAs will be paid or get credit
  • Identify critical skills and knowledge for the role of the TAs in your class
  • Establish expectations with respect to attendance, workload, timelines for TAs up front.
  • Help TAs know what they can expect to gain. Make it explicit (write it down).
  • Let potential TAs know that you will help them develop the skills they need to be successful and how you plan to do that.
  • Consider how formal an application process you think you need.
  • Create a structure that will allow you to replicate your recruitment in future semesters, but is not so formal that is burdensome
  • Consider having even “assigned” TAs do an application so you can find out what kind of TA you’re working with

Preparing:

  • Consider making a written “handbook” or “set of guidelines”
  • include expectations and information the TA might need to refer to during the semester
  • Put things in writing helps people begin on the same page and have something to refer back to as the class gets underway
  • Establish expectations with respect to workload, work quality, timelines, confidentiality, professionalism etc
  • If the TAs are getting credit, use a syllabus, define learning outcomes, and create modest assignments for your TAs; consider how you will grade the TAs’ work
  • Plan to have a meeting (or several) before the class begins.
  • Set the tone for the teaching team
  • Create opportunities for students to reflect on and/or practice the most critical parts of the work they will do
  • Provide TAs with strategies for setting appropriate boundaries with students (especially peers, or near peers) and for responding to incivility

Working with:

  • Involve TAs as instructional team members
  • Define teaching as “any interaction with undergraduates about the content of the course”[1] (help TAs to see what they are doing as teaching).
  • Meet regularly with your TAs
  • Review how the course is going, troubleshoot as necessary
  • discuss upcoming content, communicate expectations about upcoming tasks
  • Use an organizational structure for the course that helps make the team’s work effective and efficient.
  • In a large course, consider how students in the class can get individualized support by building rapport with a TA
  • How can the course structure aid tasks like handing out exams, entering grades, etc.?
  • Find a balance between structure and autonomy for TAs.
  • This will depend on their maturity and skill level.
  • Use the TAs work and perspective to help you
  • Consider engaging TAs in identifying students who are in academic trouble, editing/generating rubrics or exam questions, etc.
  • If the TAs are getting credit for their work, consider making TA assignments ones you can use to improve the course.
  • Find efficient ways to provide feedback to the TAs and help them process it.

Example documents from others using TAs at Boise State University:

Some additional Resources

Strategies for Teaching Assistant and International Teaching Assistant Development: Beyond Micro Teaching, Eds. Catherine Ross and JaneDunphy, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007.

A collection of “workshop” activities, most about 1-1.5 hours in length that can be done with TAs to help them develop skills or awareness in particular areas. Excellent resource for planning TA preparation/training.

Civikly-Powell, Jean and Donald H. Wulff. “Working with Teaching Assistants and Undergraduate Peer Facilitators to Address the Challenges of Teaching Large Classes,” Engaging Large Classes: Strategies and Techniques for College Faculty. Eds Christina A. Stanley and M. Erin Porter. Boston: Anker, 2002, 109-122.

An excellent overview of best practices with some great references.

Deithloff, Leta F. “Maintaining Intimacy: Strategies for the Effective Management of TAs in Innovative Large Courses” Engaging Large Classes: Strategies and Techniques for College Faculty. Eds Christina A. Stanley and M. Erin Porter. Boston: Anker, 2002, 123-137.

A narrative account of a particular structure that has worked in a very large course context (1000 students).

Firmin, Michael W. “Utilizing Undergraduate Assistants in General Education Courses”

A narrative account of some of best practices developed by the author for utilizing undergraduate TAs in general psychology

“Chapter 4: Managing Assistants and Graders, “ Teaching the Large College Class. Frank Heppner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007.

Some do’s and don’t’s related to the logistics of managing teaching assistants

Working with Teaching Assistants Planning Document

….Ideas for recruiting, preparing and working with TAs

RECRUITING TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Things (tasks) you do to facilitate student learning / Tasks that a TA could do to facilitate student learning / What might the TA gain from doing these tasks? / What does the TA need to know and be able to do? / Which are things the TA will already have and which are ones you’ll help them develop?

PREPARING YOUR TEACHING ASSISTANTS

What kinds of things should your TAs be prepared for?

What should you do to prepare these students?

Which things do you need help to plan?

When should you prepare students?

WORKING WITH TEACHING ASSISTANTS

While you are teaching the course how will you…?

Communicate with TAs
(get everyone on the same page) / Include TAs members of an instructional team / Monitor TA’s work and provide feedback / Support TAs to reflect on their own practice/ learning

[1] Civikly-Powell and Wulff, 2002.