Graduate Teaching Assistant

Graduate school is a huge step forward in furthering one's career, but it also can be a time of financial hardship. In order to help mitigate the costs of tuition and the costs of living, many universities help students find positions as a teaching assistant, a position that requires the student to help an instructor teach a course. In some cases, a teaching assistant teaches the course him or herself under the guidance of a professor.

There are three main duties of a teaching assistant: helping students understand course material, grading and keeping records, and collaborating with the instructor.

Helping Students Understand Material
A teaching assistant can be a great resource for the undergraduates taking a course. In order to maximize understanding, the graduate student should have a good grasp on the material. This can be accomplished by reading the textbook for the course, even if the assistant feels comfortable with the subject matter. If teaching the course independently, the assistant should keep regular office hours where students can ask questions.

Grading and Keeping Records
Teaching assistants can be a huge help to busy professors by keeping track of grading and student scores. Students feel more comfortable knowing exactly where they stand, so if possible, the grades should be posted online using the university server. If students have questions about their grades or scores, the teaching assistant can answer them. Teaching assistants need to be comfortable dealing with conflict, as students can easily get upset if they are not performing as well as they would like.

Collaborating with the Instructor
If the teaching assistant is working with a professor, it is important that he or she lets the professor know of any budding problems or conflicts. The assistant can also shed light on what students are having difficulty understanding. If possible, the teaching assistant and professor should have weekly or bi-weekly meetings to discuss the course. If the assistant is teaching independently, he or she should still stay in contact with other people teaching the course to brainstorm solutions to problems and more creative ways to present material.

Being a graduate teaching assistant can be a very rewarding endeavor. To find out if you are well-suited for the position, try taking an aptitude test or a career assessment. This will shed light on your leadership style, and give you an idea of what needs improvement.