This page is based on material created by the Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning.
As a teaching associate at IU Indianapolis, you wear a number of hats. It’s useful to think of your different roles as a necessary part of academic training; each allows you to develop complementary skills and a variety of ways to present your area of expertise. Depending on the course and department, you may find yourself running labs or discussion sections, holding office hours or review sessions, grading papers and exams, constructing quizzes or assignments, or giving a lecture. Good communication is key to meeting your responsibilities as both a teaching associate and a graduate student. These responsibilities—as student, teacher, and intermediary between undergraduates and professors—can be overwhelming, and getting advice from professors and other teaching associates can go a long way toward keeping you sane. Organization is also critical to meeting your responsibilities. Sometimes you may think that your teaching duties interfere with your own studies and research. If that is true, you will need to budget your time very carefully. More often than not, however, your teaching can actually complement your research. After all, explaining basic concepts to others is often the best way to clarify your own thoughts and keep your graduate research in perspective. In sum, maintain good communication with your professors and fellow teaching associates, and organize your priorities carefully to maintain a balance between the many demands made on your time and energy.
This document was modified from material created by the Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning
Welcome to Teaching!
Starting anything new is a challenge. Being successful at a new endeavor requires a combination of skills, knowledge, and the right attitude, as well as access to supportive resources. This document will arm you with some helpful tools for becoming a more effective teacher. Once you’ve digested this, please take advantage of the many other resources for improving your teaching available through the Center for Teaching and Learning at IU Indianapolis and ETTA Online: the CTL website (http://ctl.indianapolis.iu.edu) and ETTA Online (http://etta.indianapolis.iu.edu).
Your Role as TA
As a TA at IU Indianapolis, you wear a number of hats. It’s useful to think of your roles as a necessary part of academic training; each allows you to develop complementary skills and a variety of ways of presenting your area of expertise. Depending on the course and department, you may find yourself running labs or discussion sections, holding office hours or review sessions, grading papers and exams, constructing quizzes or assignments, or giving a lecture. Good communication is key, as is the commitment to meet your responsibilities as a TA and as a graduate student. Your TA responsibilities—as graduate student, teacher, and intermediary between undergraduates and professors—can be overwhelming, and getting advice from professors and other TAs can go a long way toward keeping you sane. Sometimes you may think that your teaching duties interfere with your own studies and research responsibilities. If that is true, you will need to budget your time very carefully. More often than not, however, your teaching may actually complement your research. After all, explaining basic concepts to others is often the best way to clarify your own thoughts and keep your graduate research in perspective. Organize your priorities carefully and strive to maintain a balance between the many demands on your time and energy.