Here are some things you should check with your supervisor or graduate secretary to make sure that your new year is off to a good start.
- What are the pre-requisites for the course? Is this course open to non-majors? What is the usual student demographic (first year? second-language etc?)
- When are the classes? Am I to attend each class?
- How many students will I be responsible for?
- Do I have to hold office hours? How many hours a week? What do I cover during this time?
- What are my responsibilities during class? (do I lecture? lead discussion? take notes? lead labs?)
- Are there any materials or resources that I can read to prepare for the course?
- What is the departmental policy for late papers? plagiarism? absence? etc
- What should I do, or who do I contact if I will be absent?
- Will I be evaluated? If so, by whom? how often?
What other questions do you/did you have as a new GA or TA?
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This is an important issue to address, and I do hope that GA/TAs take this advice to heart, as it could mean the difference between getting the semester off to a promising start or floundering in confusion.
I just found a reminder to myself to do the accessibility training I didn’t do yet (because I wasn’t teaching last semester, and that was the first semester it was mandated). Even though it is mandated, the information is so valuable it might be worth reviewing periodically:
http://www.uwindsor.ca/equity/accessibilitytraining
The training also has many useful things that can help us ensure that all of our students can get to a good start. I am very glad that this training is mandatory, and I hope that our campus continues to reduce barriers to education.