Teaching Assistant's Role In The Teaching Chain
Is More Important Link Than What We May Think
by Prof. M. Kostic
www.kostic.niu.edu or
Ideally, teaching and learning environment should be comfortable and resourceful with curious, enthusiastic and excited participants with high expectations. Excitement is a sign of caring and building motivation. The best way to spread excitement to the learners is by the teacher being excited about the subject himself or herself. Students expect their instructors, and yes, their teaching assistants (TAs) to be knowledgeable and to care about learning process. It is much better for students if they could turn for help to both, instructor and TA, and often they feel more comfortable to discuss their questions with TA first. A number of our TAs are not excited about the assigned subjects, often are behind the teaching process and are reduced to passive graders and menial supporting staff. A TA, who does not know subject well, sets a bad example to students about our professionalism and educational values. Why would a student be motivated and think that something is important if his/her TA does not know the subject!? If a TA is not up to the job, it does not only increase the instructor's load, but more importantly, it will lower students' morale and frustration of all involved.
It is damaging and unprofessional to marginalize the TA's role in the educational process. The TAs have to be trained and explicitly told about their role in the education process before they start to work with students. They are already qualified and gifted professionals (with required BS degree and accepted to our graduate program), and it should be easy for them to review the subjects ahead of students and be ready to discuss the subject matters and enthusiastically help the students. They should attend the lectures with students and at least know the subject as an A-grade student in the class. With appropriate involvement, they will become motivated and eager to discuss subject matters with the students. They actually may contribute significantly to the learning environment. The TA job should be much more than a minimum-wage, menial job. It should be a respected job with invaluable learning and teaching experience in addition to the benefits of tuition waiver and a specified financial reward/salary (which now totals to about $20/hr). This is especially important since a TA works with students. The communication, professionalism, and confidentiality issues are important and sensitive. Therefore, it is appropriate and profitable to have an orientation session and appropriate handouts for the new TAs-to-be, with specifics about TA's job description (expectations, duties, responsibilities, rights and benefits). High quality planning, recruiting, and managing of TAs should be a high priority on our administrators' lists.
See also Teaching Assistant Work Description