Questions tagged [teaching-assistant]
Questions concerning the use of graduate students as course instructors, usually under the supervision of a faculty member.
219
questions
0
votes
3answers
242 views
If the lecture room is usually full, is it appropriate for a TA to compete with the seat of students?
There is one topic in the course that I am TAing that I felt interested to re-learn (since I forgot most things about it). I also had some questions I want to ask about the topic (that could be ...
40
votes
11answers
9k views
What sort of professional boundary should I set with other students when I am a grader for a class I will be taking?
Next semester, I am going to take a course in which I have some background knowledge. Given the relevance of the course in my research, the lack of available students with sufficient knowledge in the ...
1
vote
3answers
222 views
Is there such a thing as a permanent academic assistantship position?
It's common for graduate students and postdocs to fulfill various "assistant" positions in academia. They may grade papers or conduct research under the direct supervision of a faculty member who is ...
1
vote
1answer
92 views
Referring students to external resources
I am a grad student and this is my first time as TA for a course which requires me to grade essays. I usually grade assignments with more objective answers (think late undergrad science labs). A ...
2
votes
1answer
110 views
TA position in different discipline? [closed]
I was recently notified of an opportunity for a TA position.
The same email went to the whole department.
The position would be helping/teaching a class in a different
discipline than mine.
I only ...
26
votes
13answers
10k views
Students requesting to switch partners mid term
I'm a TA in a graduate level course. Students in the course have to hand in a weekly assignment which is done in pairs.
A few days ago, one of the students approached the professor and told her that ...
23
votes
10answers
6k views
Balancing empathy and deferring to the syllabus in teaching responsibilities
Questions of similar topics have been asked here for the situation of instructing a course and here and here for the situation of 'no late work' policies. Additional questions about balancing teaching ...
2
votes
1answer
109 views
Teaching subjects as an instructor which I scored average grades in
As a final year PhD student, I have been asked to teach a short introductory course on solid mechanics for undergrad students. Now, my PhD research has been applied mechanics where I developed tools ...
2
votes
1answer
177 views
Is it acceptable or normal for professors to ask first semester grad students to teach a class?
I'm currently pursuing a Master's/PhD integrated program at a university in Korea. It's my first semester, and I along with two other first-semester students are TA'ing for our advisor's undergraduate ...
42
votes
17answers
12k views
Should a TA point out a professor's mistake while attending their lecture?
I faced the following situation a few days back. I am doing my teaching assistance work under a professor.
I attended one of his classes as a TA during which he was teaching some technically wrong ...
33
votes
8answers
8k views
Is TA-ing worth the opportunity cost?
If you already have funding, is TA-ing (i.e. being a teaching assistant) worth the opportunity cost of doing more research?
What are the relevant considerations?
I've always heard that focusing on ...
1
vote
2answers
99 views
TA Funding Length in STEM Field in USA [closed]
I understand that depending on the department and the school the duration of the TA funding for a Phd student can vary. However, I’m interested in learning whether it’s common for departments in STEM ...
5
votes
2answers
807 views
Fired from TA position without cause/notice, what to do next? [closed]
I am a post-doc in the USA and was a teaching assistant in the same university. During my TA appointment, I attended a one-week course outside the city. Prior to leaving, I got permission from the ...
1
vote
2answers
137 views
help becoming a research assistant
This is probably me overthinking a lot but I really don't want to screw this up. There was a flyer sent to me by my adviser for a research assistant opening for one of the psych professors on campus. ...
61
votes
11answers
22k views
Is it ethical to tell my teaching assistant that I like him?
I, a twenty-year-old female, have come to admire the graduate teaching assistant for my summer course quite strongly. I'm extremely interested in what he has to say, I always pay attention, never use ...
5
votes
5answers
2k views
Why do departments hire GTAs instead of more permanent faculty? [closed]
I notice departments often hire graduate students as teaching assistants.
I'm curious why departments do this instead of hire a lecturer to do the teaching. I'm sure this is helpful for the GTAs, ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Should marker TA discuss marks with students? [duplicate]
As a marker, there are always some students who will email requesting to meet as they disagree with the marking. According to the professor, the marker should solve students' marking issues but I am ...
0
votes
1answer
259 views
As a TA, Should I allow students to ask their doubts without schedule? [closed]
In the first or introductory lecture of a course, either associate professors or professors of my university tells to students to clarify doubts with teaching assistants. Faculty do not say to ...
34
votes
4answers
8k views
My student in one course asks for paid tutoring in another course. Appropriate?
I'm a teaching assistant for an introductory programming course. A student in the course approached me and asked if I would tutor them for a different discrete mathematics course in return for payment....
0
votes
3answers
544 views
Helping TA's creativity when writing exercise sheets
Teaching assistants (TAs) often have the task to compile exercise sheets for the students and need to come up with new problems for such sheets.
Let's assume that in the lecture, two methods for a ...
26
votes
5answers
5k views
What do I do when my TA workload is more than expected?
Last year I was offered full funding for my PhD program to TA two courses a semester for the duration of my program (education psychology). Key words, Teaching Assistant. I expected this to mean I ...
2
votes
1answer
85 views
Getting a funding position as a foreign MSc student in Finland [closed]
I got an admission for a master’s programme in data science at the University of Helsinki, Finland. However, because I am from Asia, I don’t get a tuition-fee remission. Is it possible for an ...
36
votes
4answers
10k views
Should I tutor a student who I know has cheated on their homework?
I am a Ph.D. student and I do private tutoring on the side for extra income. Recently a new student contacted me for help with a class, and I met them for one session, which went well overall. They ...
16
votes
5answers
4k views
Are student evaluations of teaching assistants read by others in the faculty?
Are student evaluations of teaching assistants read by faculty who assigns teaching duties to TAs or by the primary instructor of the course for which the TA is assisting?
I recently met the ...
4
votes
1answer
291 views
Whether to strike? [closed]
I'm a graduate student teaching assistant; I run discussion sections. Our department has just initiated a strike. I'm half way through the last semester of my PhD. Do I show up and "work" and get paid ...
5
votes
3answers
423 views
Do I need to report that the professor I have been assigned to TA hasn't assigned any work for me to do?
The professor I have been assigned to TA hasn't assigned any work and has stonewalled me. I have sent three emails to check in and he hasn't responded. How should I respond? Should I bother reporting ...
19
votes
3answers
9k views
PhD: admitted with TA with 5h a week, is it standard?
it is my first time applying to a (pure math) PhD program and I just received my first admission letter (yay!). It says I'm considered for TA and "Teaching duties consist to up to 5 contact hours a ...
0
votes
1answer
70 views
For a TA, is a recommendation from his employing university helpful for a PhD?
A friend of mine finished his Master's program a year ago and started working as a Teaching Assistant at a university. He will be granted assistant professorship this year but he is in the process of ...
3
votes
3answers
397 views
How to politely request payment for extra hours of TA service rendered?
My TA letter indicates 90 hours working. However, I worked for 120 hours due to the volume of the students. Now my work is finished I want to let them know by writing an email to the professor. I want ...
2
votes
5answers
478 views
What do you call a “practice” class that accompanies a lecture?
In my country it is very common for courses to consist of two types of classes: lectures primarily focus on theoretical aspects of a topic and then after each lecture comes a corresponding “practice” ...
0
votes
2answers
297 views
TOEFL Score and Teaching Assistantship
How does my TOEFL score affect my odds of being granted a TA in US Universities? I'm an international student BTW.
3
votes
4answers
255 views
Misconduct report [closed]
I am teaching at the university, and I am giving Calculus 1 for first year engineering students.
I am having a problem with some students, their behavior in the class is inappropriate: making noise, ...
4
votes
2answers
465 views
Professor blatantly taking course material from internet (other schools) [duplicate]
I am TAing for a CS course. The professor I am TAing for, I took the same course with him one year ago. In that semester and this current semester I am TAing, he has been taking lecture slides and ...
1
vote
2answers
173 views
Most recommended automated way for conduction university exams
In most of the universities of India, conducting exams such as mid terms and end terms for a semester is as follows:
1) Designing question papers and taking print of them
2) Distribute it among ...
12
votes
6answers
1k views
Professor not giving solutions to exams and assignments that I need to grade
I am a grader for a CS course at the college institution I attend. The professor I am TAing for is a full-time employee at a company. He is teaching this CS course on top of doing that. The first exam ...
4
votes
3answers
425 views
Is anything wrong with hiring TA as a private tutor?
I'm an undergraduate student and recently I've been trying to find a private tutor to help me further expand my knowledge (outside of a scope of my courses). I've discovered one of the TAs advertises ...
72
votes
7answers
29k views
Dating former student?
Here's the situation: She was an undergrad, I was a grad TA. At that point, our interactions were totally professional and limited to the classroom. However, she and I both since graduated and left ...
97
votes
19answers
23k views
Professor does not care about cheating, what should TA do?
I am a PhD student, working as a Homework marking TA in a school where cheating is extremely blatant. The university has an extremely strict policy against cheating. Hundreds of students in math ...
1
vote
1answer
177 views
English requirement for Teaching Assistantship for Ph.D students [closed]
I am applying to Ph.D programs of universities of America as an international student.
I currently have an 8.0 IELTS with 7.0 Speaking, and a TOEFL with lower points: Reading, Listening and Writing:...
1
vote
1answer
143 views
For each of these cases which is the designation that best describes my role in class
Since I've finished my PhD I've been asked to perform some teaching duties. These duties correspond roughly to the three cases I describe below briefly.
1) So in this one course I was responsible for ...
25
votes
6answers
4k views
Is it a good practice for teaching assistants to sit in the lectures?
Has anyone tried this technique and how has it worked out for you?
Essentially, there are several problems with doing teaching assistant work (TA),
You might not even be from the institution where ...
asked Aug 24 '18 at 7:37
Carlos - the Mongoose - Danger
10.2k9 gold badges53 silver badges80 bronze badges
3
votes
3answers
260 views
Recitation Grades
I'm a Graduate Teaching Assistant in a Mathematics at a large state university. In the fall semester, I will be expected to be a TA for Calculus I, which will be taken by first year students. The ...
4
votes
3answers
418 views
Should graduate students who are graders help undergraduate students with homework?
In my department, we hire graduate TAs as both graders and teaching assistants. The teaching assistants are assigned to lead discussion sections that meet twice per week. The graders are assigned to ...
0
votes
2answers
187 views
PhD student working as a substitute teacher | interview tips
Our university is looking for a substitute teacher in Computer Science and I have an interview for the job this week.
My academic profile is making me a little bit nervous and makes me think that I ...
4
votes
3answers
431 views
Would being a teaching assistant influence your research?
I see that a TA position requires 20h every week which almost equals 2.5 days workload. Wouldn't that be too heavy for a Ph.D. student? If I don't do the TA, I could save the time to do high-quality ...
9
votes
2answers
601 views
What should a TA do if they cannot do all of the assigned homework for a class?
I'm a TA who is assigned to help grade papers for an upper level course. In the first assignment, I realized that I do not know how to do one of the assigned problems. The professor has requested that ...
1
vote
1answer
189 views
Should PTAs be allowed to mark exam scripts? [closed]
PTA - Postgraduate Teaching Assistant
Because I love information (I'm at university, right?), I was looking through some manifestos of my department, and came across a proposal to allow PTAs to mark ...
0
votes
1answer
836 views
What to write in the followup email to a professor for a graduate teaching assistantship [duplicate]
I will be pursuing masters from UT Austin this fall.I have mailed professors for the position of a teaching assistant. Some of them replied and some did not.
What should I write in the followup ...
6
votes
1answer
189 views
Dealing with mistake in scheduling an extra lecture
I am a TA for an undergraduate class, and I have the following situation:
Usually, I give my (one-hour) lectures (which consists of solving exercises and reviewing theory as needed) at Thursdays 12 p....
4
votes
1answer
90 views
Can I ask a prof (alumni of my college) to recommend me to another prof for a TA position?
I was looking for a TA position and mailed prof A, who is an alumni of my college, for a TA. He replied saying that he would not be taking any courses this year so will not require a TA. Can I ask him ...
