<p>My D is getting her Masters and has agreed to be an unpaid TA for Fall and Spring for 2 different professors. She will get 3 credits for each class that she TA's. Anyone have any experience doing this? Would like to know a bit more about it--I am sure responsiblities vary widely, but if you have TA'd, please respond or if you have had experience being taught by a TA, please respond. Thanks.</p>
<p>Why don’t you just ask her. I’m sure she’s had TA’s before, and if she agreed to do a job, she should know more or less what it entails.</p>
<p>I was a TA and it involved leading a class section once a week and grading … lots of grading (given grading instructions from the prof). But as others said as your daughter as she is the only one who knows the specifics of this situation.</p>
<p>depends on the class. they are literally the ‘teacher’s assistant’. Whatever the teacher doesn’t want to do regarding maintaining the class, the TA does for them.</p>
<p>Yea, I know generally what TA’s do…just wondering if anyone had experience as a TA or any insights. I have talked to D a lot, but realize that responsibilities probably run the gamut from a to z.</p>
<p>I was a TA about 25 years ago, lol. My major professor in grad school couldn’t put me on as a research assistant (in terms of funding on her project) my first year there as she already carried too many grad students. So, I was paid by the biology dept to TA while I took classes I needed. This was at Purdue University, and I TA’d for an introductory biology undergraduate class. I taught two sections of what might be considered the small group time. Students met in the huge auditorium for the main class, and then twice a week for an hour they met with me (about 30 students/class). I was responsible for a curriculum that i had to present. We had TA meetings for the class w/ the TA coordinator, and we were given the syllabus which told us what we had to teach each meeting time. I was responsible for prepping my own lecture, grading all quizzes, helping the students prepare a research project and write up a technical research paper on that project, which included grading all sections of the project. (Again, this was for two sections, so approx 60-70 students total). I also had to carry office hours and meet with students, proctor exams that were given in the “lab” class, as well as proctor the large group exams. After this year, my major professor graduated a couple of her grad students so I became an RA for her.</p>
<p>I remember that TA’s for different classes had different responsibilities. So, I think her specific class will dictate what she can expect. Also, some professors were better to work with than others, as I imagine is usually the case.</p>
<p>I will say I had to be disciplined to keep up with my own graduate classes and to be prepared for the two sections I taught. But I enjoyed it. :)</p>
<p>Zebes, feeling really really OLD</p>
<p>Thanks, zebes! D just found out that she can TA another class in the spring, in addition to Fall class. Her Masters program advisor recommends that she drop one of her electives for fall so that she will not have too much work in addition to being a TA. Since she would like to be a prof at a small college, this will be great :)</p>