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 Successful
TA-Faculty Partnerships
By Marguerite Brown, TA Services, CIDDE
The working relationship between
teaching assistants and faculty is one of fundamental importance to
the teaching mission in a research university. Successful TA-faculty
partnerships enhance the quality of education for undergraduates, further
the intellectual growth of students and teachers alike, and provide
valuable training for graduate students planning a career in higher
education. Successful faculty-TA partnerships have three main features:
- Clear-cut Responsibilities: It is important that TAs know exactly
what is expected of them, and exactly what they can expect from their
faculty supervisor for the course.
- Open Communication: TAs and faculty should meet regularly throughout
the term (once per week is ideal for most courses).
- Mutual Respect: TAs should recognize the valuable experience faculty
bring to the classroom. Faculty should recognize the enthusiasm for
teaching and eagerness to learn that TAs bring to their departments.
Each of these features can be fostered by following a few simple guidelines.
To effectively establish clear-cut responsibilities, faculty should
consider doing the following:
- Meet with TAs before the semester begins to establish course policies,
grading standards and responsibilities. Ask TAs for feedback throughout
the term on how these policies are functioning in practice.
- Make clear your expectations for lecture attendance, office hours
and student meetings. TAs can plan their time better when they know
well in advance the expectations of their faculty supervisor.
- Let TAs know in advance if they will be needed before class starts
for assistance with tasks like photocopying and making overheads.
To establish and maintain open communication channels, faculty should
consider doing the following:
- Meet regularly with your TAs. Weekly meetings can be used to cover
pedagogical issues as well as issues relating to administrative matters.
- Ask TAs for their feedback on the effectiveness of lectures and
other course components. A well-designed course is one in which all
the parts — lectures, recitations, labs — have clearly defined functions
and meet established course goals.
- Ask TAs to keep you informed about students who may be having difficulty
with the course material. Communication between faculty and TAs about
student progress is an important tool for increasing student learning.
Sometimes TAs know more about how particular students are doing in
the course than faculty. Faculty should exploit this knowledge.
To encourage an atmosphere of mutual respect, faculty should consider
doing the following:
- Get input from your TAs on the design of assignments and/or exams,
and on the grading criteria that will be used. While TAs may not have
much teaching experience, this kind of input can help them to begin
thinking about how courses are designed and how they might do this
when they teach their own courses.
- Discuss the intellectual and pedagogical foundations of your course
with your TAs, and ask for input on modifications. TAs may be closer
to the undergraduate experience, and so may have valuable insights
into how undergraduates learn.
- Let your TAs present a lecture on a course topic of their choosing.
Give them constructive feedback on their lectures. This gives them
valuable experience behind the podium and can help them understand
the course better from the faculty supervisor’s perspective.
- Treat your TAs as junior colleagues – as faculty-in-training. TAs
want to succeed in the classroom, as well as in their research and
writing activities. Give them the opportunity to improve as teachers.
These suggestions can help faculty enhance their teaching and help
graduate students begin to develop the skills necessary to succeed in
the classroom. They can also help undergraduates meet course goals and
improve the overall quality of education at the University.
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