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Last-Minute Course Assignments

Occasionally, a TA may get a last-minute course assignment. Departments try not to assign TAs right before or after the term begins but when it happens, the late course assignments are generally given to an experienced TA. 

If you receive a late assignment, you are certainly at a disadvantage and you must start preparing yourself right away. Orientation and first sessions may already be past, but you should speak with the professor about the objectives of the course and obtain all required course materials. Delay will only mean that you will have to devote a lot of time to catch up. You should also seek out other TAs or those who have worked on the course before, to learn about their experiences and receive some helpful tips. 

Staying Organized

There are two related problems involved in keeping organized during the semester. One is devoting too much time to your TA job; the other, doing only what is necessary to survive the next day or the next week. 

The following tips may help you stay more organized as a TA: 

• Set objectives for yourself and arrange them in order of priority. Keep a daily list of things to do based on the priority list. 

• Make a schedule but keep it somewhat flexible. Budget your time among assignments, giving your most productive hours to the most onerous tasks. Make sure to reserve some time for breaks. 

• Try to avoid making your schedule too monotonous. Keep both large and small items on your agenda, it will allow you to complete your work without losing momentum. 

• Track your TA working hours per week. If your TA working hours are often over the expected time, you should have a conversation with your TA supervisor about how to work more efficiently or to adjust your TA workload. 

Coping with the Crunch

The problem is exacerbated around midterms and finals when students need the most help. Being accessible to your students while balancing your responsibilities is key. A helpful way to prevent surrendering the semester to a thousand small demands is to inform your students very early on in the semester about crunch times and that they should prepare themselves accordingly. It is not the TA’s job to accommodate to each disaster that arises for individual students. There will always be some students who truly need extra time with you, but your emphasis on students’ self-responsibility, if stated early and often, should reduce the workload later. 

You can also help your students by informing them about resources available on campus. These include Academic Support and Learning Resources, Access Services, the Dean’s Office, Peer Tutoring, the Writing Center, and Library & Information Technology Services. For more information, please see section 11.11 Undergraduate student resources or consult the Undergraduate Student Handbook. You can do a better job of teaching if you make use of college resources, and you will be doing your students a great favor if you can help them to plan for themselves. 

Grading

Grading can be particularly time-consuming among the rest of your TA’s duties. Some TAs have grading as their primary responsibilities during the semester, some do not grade at all. It is usually a good idea to get your own work cleared away before the onslaught of midterms and papers. A good practice is to set a limit on the amount of time you will spend on each essay or exam. You should also find out from the professor how many exams and assignments will be required during the semester and what their deadlines are. Some professors will also meet with TAs to talk about the students’ responses and to decide precisely what the grading standards will be. 

Writing Letters of Recommendation

Although it is not part of TA’s regular duties, you may be asked by your students to write letters of recommendation. Writing recommendations for students is a time-consuming and sometimes perplexing task. You are not obligated to write letters of recommendation for your students, and it is inthe best interest of the students to have letters of recommendation from their professors. The Career & Civic Engagement Center (located in Student Life and Wellness Building; Tel: (610) 526-5174) maintains files of recommendations for students which can be quickly reproduced and sent to graduate schools or employers and has standard forms for instructors’ letters of recommendation. The Career & Civic Engagement Center staff can help you to set up a recommendations file. 

Below you can find some suggestions to help you decide when, and how, to write letters of recommendation: 

• Since letters from professors are especially valuable for graduate and professional school applications, you and the student should explore which faculty member they know best. You should do everything in your power to convince the student to request a recommendation from a faculty member rather than yourself, as it will be a stronger support for their future endeavors. 

• When a student asks you for a recommendation, you are under no obligation to write one. If you feel like you are not able to write a strong letter of support, you should decline the request without hurting the student’s feelings. For example, you could say something like, “I’m not sure I know you well enough”. 

• Sometimes you may know the student better than the professor for whom you work as a TA, then you might agree to contribute to the letter from the professor. 

• If you agree to write the letter, make sure you are given plenty of time, usually about 4-6 weeks. 

• A student should provide you with all the forms you need to complete the letters. They should also include a draft of their personal statement and proposal. 

• Since most letters of recommendation are written enthusiastically, neutral ones are interpreted as negative. Naturally, you wish to be honest, but an honest negative evaluation can have consequences far beyond what you may intend. If you are uncomfortable writing positively, you might consider declining. 

• Omissions tend to be construed as negative. Make at least brief mention of your student’s academic skills, motivation and commitment, and interpersonal skills. 

• Avoid explicitly negative statements, no matter how many disclaimers are attached.