Guide to Teaching Assistants
Guidelines for Teaching Assistants are a very important part
of the Department of Geological Sciences. They improve classes in
several ways including actively teachingstudents, serving as peer
counselors, acting as role models for intellectual growth, and
helping to improve the efficient useof faculty time. A rich and
diverse curriculum requires an active and engaged group of
teaching assistants. Late in every term weask students to
volunteer to be teaching assistants for the following quarter. We
commonly use undergraduate teaching assistants in our
introductory classes and a few of our upper level classes for our
majors.
- You should be on time and ready to work through the entire
laboratory period.
- You will have to establish some office hours and keep to
the schedule. * Depending upon the course, you may be asked to
help with field trips.
- All teaching assistants will help keep equipment clean and
returned to storage, keep specimens organized and returned to
storage, and with general cleanliness in the laboratories.
- Drivers need to pick up and return vans.
- Some professors will expect you to help grade labs or
quizzes, set up equipment, prepare samples, and so on.
- You will need to keep current about the course so that you
can be as helpful as possible.
A teaching assistant is a personally rewarding job. Many
students discover a love of teaching and commonly remark about
how much better they understand the subject having tried to teach
it to someone else. Lastly, there is the satisfaction of helping
to make the Department of Geological Sciences a stronger
community of learners.
If you are interested in becoming an undergradaute teaching
assistant, speak with your professor or see Nick Zentner.
|
