Guest post by Danielle Bechard and Rod Turton

In order to become a Graduate or Teaching Assistant (GA/TA), one must demonstrate an exceptional level of academic accomplishment. Yet, to go beyond the traditional role of GA/TA and develop a community takes much more. The path towards becoming more than ‘just’ a GA/TA is one that requires persistence, determination, focus, and passion. The following article highlights the experiences of undergraduate students from the Mentorship and Learning Program in Faculty of Arts and Social (FASS) at the University of Windsor, and the steps they took to transcend their role of teaching assistants to become community-building peer mentors.

Background

group of mentors from Mentorship and Learning

The Mentorship and Learning program is a 400-level interdisciplinary course in FASS. The goal of the innovative program is to pair first year FASS students with upper-year students to establish a mentee-mentor dynamic. The first semester of Mentorship is devoted towards research and elementary training in such areas as feedback, inclusive teaching, and cultural diversity. The following semester is geared toward practical learning, as the students are placed in first year classrooms across FASS. To date, student mentors have been placed in first year History, Drama, Political Science, and General Arts courses. Students continue to develop their skills as they ‘mentor’ a small group of first year students under the supervision of their designated professor. Though the majority of students in Mentorship and Learning come from different disciplines, the goal of the program is universal: to develop a sense of community between mentor and mentees, resulting in a memorable and successful learning experience for both parties. Following personal and professional success in the two-semester course, a few students are invited by course instructors to assist with the new mentors the following year as Teaching Assistants, or in Mentorship terms, ‘Senior Mentors.’

What’s in a Name?

The first day of your GA/TA position may be an overwhelming experience. To make sense of the chaos, it is imperative to learn the names of your students. This can be a challenging venture, but it is crucial to foster a relationship between yourself and the student. In lab settings, when possible, it is also advantageous to encourage students to learn each others’ names. This helps to abolish the stigma of being ‘just a number’ as a university student, and promotes the idea of student-centric teaching and learning. Suddenly, the students’ feeling of anonymity is replaced with a sense of personal connection to the GA/TA and other students, thus providing students with encouragement to attend class.

To accomplish this goal, be creative! If you are afforded tutorial sessions with the students, devote time throughout your first few sessions for student introductions and name-learning exercises. If you do not have the opportunity to facilitate a lab, e-mail is an excellent way to initiate a relationship with each student, from which you can begin to establish a sense of openness and community. In short, be accessible.

Help! I Need Somebody

Accessibility is an essential quality of an effective GA/TA. Office hours are not enough. Accessibility means being available to every student, even outside of the classroom. A GA/TA should regularly email students with reminders, suggestions, and encouragement. Take the time to meet with students to give them feedback and ideas, and give them opportunities to discuss personal and academic obstacles with you. It is up to the GA/TA to create a comfortable, approachable environment. This reciprocity allows the students to learn from you in a casual way and also allows you to learn frm your students. Remember: you are their peer, and they should not be afraid to approach you with difficulties or inquiries. Going the extra mile will contribute to the success of your students; your ultimate goal.

Take a Boring Lesson and Make it Better

After you’ve established a bond with your students, you can expect them to approach you with questions about the course material. So, know your stuff! Once you have a firm and complete understanding of the readings, assignments, and course outcomes, you can continue to go the extra mile by bringing innovative strategies into your facilitation. Keep in mind that you are not the professor; instead, you are there to shed light where the professor cannot. Develop your own facilitation style so that you are confident in your role in the classroom, whatever that role may be. If you are allotted lab time with the students, think of ways that you can engage them whilst delivering course content. Get them on their feet, ignite a discussion, use visuals – find some way to put the ‘fun’ back into fundamental learning, and give the students a unique and exciting classroom experience. Cater to your community by recognizing the differentiated learning styles that exist within your group of students, and make use of different tactics which could appeal to a wide variety of learners.

We’re All in This Together

The goal of becoming more than ‘just’ a GA/TA is to create an interpersonal community to enhance the success of the students and GA/TAs alike. It is important to note that learning communities come in all shapes and sizes, each unique with specific goals and aspirations. The practices mentioned here have proven invaluable for both parties, and by creating a community in this way, you can be confident that students will begin to feel a kinship amongst each other and with you, the GA/TA. The atmosphere of the classroom becomes one of comfort, and within it even the most timid of students can find the courage to contribute to discussions or engage in activities. If your community is successful, its influence will carry beyond the final exam.

Now What?

These strategies should help you on your path to becoming an excellent GA/TA. This road is not without obstacle, but with the proper community-building strategies and determination you shall undoubtedly meet great success. Luckily, you are not on this road alone. Find past and current GA/TAs to share your successes and struggles with. They are all members of your community.

Let’s review:

  • Learn students’ names.
  • Make yourself accessible.
  • Use creative techniques to engage.
  • Be mindful of varying learning styles.
  • Make community your goal.
  • Find other GA/TAs for support.
  • Have fun!

Helpful Resources

Cameron, B. Active Learning. London, ON: Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

Guo, S., Jamal, Z. Cultural Diversity and Inclusive Teaching. London, ON: Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

Kustra, E., Potter, M. (2007). Leading Effective Discussions. London, ON: Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

Piccinin, S. (2003). Feedback: Key to Learning. London, ON: Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.