Teaching Assistants' Training Program

Kathleen Ogden, TATP Humanities Trainer
David Chan, TATP Sciences Coordinator

Being a Teaching Assistant is a challenging job that requires balancing the needs and priorities of the course instructor with the needs and expectations of your students; while being asked to be an undergraduate TA is a great opportunity, it comes with an extra set of challenges that can be difficult to manage. These include navigating the various power struggles between yourself and the CI and/or department; the challenges that come from teaching and evaluating members of your peer-group; and balancing the demands of your TAship with the demands of your own coursework. This workshop will present some strategies for navigating these complex relationships: we will discuss strategies for establishing and maintaining boundaries inside and outside of the classroom; for developing ways of balancing the different demands on your time; and of asserting yourself within your role as a TA. In addition, this workshop will be an opportunity for undergraduate TAs to talk with other students who hold similar roles at UTM, and to share stories and trade advice about their work expectations, their relationships with their CIs, as well as to discuss the challenges and difficulties that come with being an undergraduate TA.