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Many institutions this time of year are gearing up for new TA arrivals. There are several Research One schools around the country who offer fine orientation programs for new teaching assistants. Our three-day inaugural has a spot for new faculty (former TAs) and ABD-TAs (that just looks weird) to provide their "Wish Lists" or, "Best Recommendations" advisories. As I open up TA Confidential this year, I'd like to post a set of recommendations from former TAs , now MSU faculty or on the verge of getting their degrees, which I think might be helpful for those of us just beginning the TA experience. I am grateful to Jim Lucas, PhD; Angelika Kraemer, PhD; Walter Sistunk, PhD; and Daisy Levy, PhD Candidate, for their following recommendations. See also, 2010 MSU Teaching Thoughts # 19: Outstanding MSU TAs Talk about Their Teaching "Best Practices" http://tap.msu.edu/teachingthoughts/docs/TT2010.pdf
What might you add?
Jim Lucas, PhD – Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
Teaching tips
1. Put relevant class policies in the syllabus whenever possible (e.g., attendance and tardiness, late assignments, formatting guidelines, disability information, classroom etiquette, etc.).
2. Good, clear organization can go a long way in helping students learn and keeping them engaged.
3. Try to make the material practical and engaging (e.g., leave time for discussion, insert activities, connect the material to real world problems or issues, let students know how what you are teaching them will be important later, etc.).
4. Students have very different learning styles and abilities, so vary your teaching technique or delivery methods when possible (e.g., use visual aids with your lecture, post notes to ANGEL, give practice exercises, etc.).
5. Address problems and expectations early.
Getting through your program
1. Do something fun or for yourself at least once each weekend.
2. Take advantage of all the events, activities, and opportunities available to you on campus, inside and outside of your department.
3. Build yourself a support group of peers and don’t ever think that you are alone in thinking or feeling what you are going through day-to-day.
4. Overestimate the time it will take you to write your dissertation or thesis.
5. Do not compare yourself to your peers. Your program is your own, and your work style is unique.
Walter Sistrunk, PhD
African American and African Studies Program
Top Ten Pointers
1. Prepare: Don’t assume because you know the subject that you know it well enough to explain it to a person who does not understand. If you know your subject well, you should be able to explain it and its importance to you mother. Just because your subject is hard, its complexity does not excuse you from not being able to explain it.
2. Explanation: Use explanations that do not include the concept that you are explaining. Often times, students have trouble relating disciplinary jargon or categories to the concept or phenomena these terms describe. In other words, repeating to students that a “tesseract” is an “octachoron” does not mean that you have adequately explained what a “tesseract” is.
3. Train: Teach students how to be students. Our ultimate goal is to replicate ourselve.
A part of our job is to teach students how people in our field think about or approach our subject matter. The human body is going to be viewed differently by an oncologist, sociologist, and postmodernist.
4. Get help: Don’t hesitate to ask colleagues for help (professors, fellow students, administrative assistants).
5. Establish a reputation for being on time: It is important that you be on time for the first half of the semester. Things will happen in the latter half of the semester that may cause you to be late. Students will not remember the few times you were late if you establish a habit of being on time.
6. Be assertive not confrontational: When you have to enforce a university policy, simply repeating it is asserting it. There is no need to argue with a student, be polite, even apologize then recite the policy again.
7. Expect mistakes: Expect to make mistakes, don’t take yourself so seriously that you cannot admit that you made a mistake. Also if you don’t know the answer to something admit it. You don’t have to be the authority on everything.
8. Boundaries: We naturally have interest in our professors so expect students to want to get to know you. Setting boundaries will make the task of mentoring and teaching much easier. Sometimes students will share personal information with you. Often they do so because they do not think of you as their friend. Since you have maintained a distance, they feel it is safe to share this information with you.
9. Show you Care: Relate to students that your aim is to build onto their person and that the materials from your class enables them to understand the world “mo’ betta” which makes them a better person.
10. Be flexible but consistent: If you say you are going to do something, do it; if you cannot you better have a good reason why you can’t. However, don’t be so rigid as to not make adjustments that will collectively benefit the entire class.
Daisy Levy – Doctoral Student, Rhetoric and Writing
Top Ten, or How to Sort Out a Graduate School Life
1. Listen first, Think second, Speak third. This will help with just about everything you have to do as a graduate student, and also as a teacher. The context of your life will be shifting constantly, even within one day. Keeping your different roles straight is really REALLY important. Give yourself time.
2. Be flexible. This one may seem like it conflicts with the other entries on the list. But it’s super important. One minute you may have very clear ideas of what you want your students to do, or what you want your dissertation to be about, and the next minute you’ll read something that will completely change your mind. Be open to it.
3. Make boundaries. At the same time that you are striving to stay loose, consider what you have to give, who you want to give it to you, and when you want to give it. You can always readjust, but thinking this through ahead of time will save you time and energy. Be clear with yourself about your limits.
4. Make friends. Someone very smart said to me once, “No one gets through a PhD by herself.” You’ll need your peers, your faculty, and your GRADUATE SECRETARY.
5. Ask for help. This is a huge campus with tons of resources for pretty much anything – academic, tech support and training, counseling, health care, professional development, social life, teaching, financial support, how to get from one end of campus to another. Use it.
6. Strive for a regular schedule, even if you know it won’t happen. ‘Nuff said.
7. Relax.
8. Remember why you are here.
9. Enjoy yourself.
Angelika Kraemer, PhD
Office: Dean of Arts & Letters
Curriculum Development Specialist
1.a. Time management: Set aside certain hours for studying, teaching/grading, research, AND fun.
1.b. Keep in mind, you are student first, and a TA second.
2.a. Teaching: Be strict during the first weeks, set clear rules on day one, dress professionally. You can become more "personable" later in the semester. Be friendly, but not a friend.
2.b. Talk to experienced TAs in your unit for advice on grading, preparation, classes to take etc.
2.c. Be flexible.
3.a. Department: Be nice to the secretaries. They hold the keys to many things! A smile can go long ways.
3.b. Go to your professors' office hours. It's a great way to get to know them, learn more about their research/teaching interests, and it shows them that you care.
4.a. Professionalism: Attend functions in your department/college. See and be seen!
4.b. Be involved and network. Think about serving on department/college committees in later semesters, join area specific regional/national/international organizations, find out more information about the GEU and RSOs.
4.c. Read unit handbooks and know about dos and don'ts.
4.d. Talk to graduate students and professors in other units. Great for networking, learning about courses that might interest you, finding potential research topics.
5.a. Balance life: Eat healthy, do something to keep your sanity and health.
5.b. Take advantage of university resources. Check out the surplus store, university stores, student farmers market.
5.c. Sign up for dental insurance.
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