Being a TA in Philosophy
at Western
Cameron Fenton
PhD Program, Philosophy
Lead TA 2014-2015
Ice Breaker!
• Name
• Program (PhD/MA)
• Undergrad or MA institution
• GTA assignment for this year
• Something fun you did over the summer
Agenda
• 1. Lead TA Program
• 2. Basics of being a TA for Philosophy at Western
• 3. Instructors
• 4. First Day
• 5. Professionalism
• 6. Question Period
Yak… Yak… Yak…
• I will be doing a lot of talking today.
• Future workshops will be much more interactive.
• Please bear with me for today.
1. Lead TA Program
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The focus for the Lead TA is to facilitate your professional development as teachers.
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Some of the services I can offer:
-Workshops
-Help with lesson plans
-In class observations
-Resources
-Information about who to contact
Lead TA Program
• Last year was the first year for the Lead TA program.
• It was very successful and will be continued this year.
• It is jointly run by the Teaching Support Centre (TSC), Public Service Alliance
of Canada (PSAC) Local 610, and the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral
Studies (SGPS).
Teaching Support Centre
• The Teaching Support Centre is located on the first floor of the Weldon
Library.
• http://www.uwo.ca/tsc/
• If you are interested in developing your teaching skills they are a great
resource.
Western Certificate in University Teaching
• This is a great document to have in your teaching portfolio.
• You can satisfy part of the Future Professor Series workshop requirement by
attending my workshops.
Things I Can’t Do
• Resolve disputes with professors
• Do your preparation work for you
• Anything not related to your role as a TA (course work for example)
2. Basics of Being a TA for Philosophy
• Contract/Duties Specification
• Tutorials
• Grading
TA Contract
• 140 hours per term (average 10/week)
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Be mindful of your hours, don’t go over
Max of 20 hours in one week
Set up a timecard. Keeping track of your hours is very important!
You can find a blank template on the Lead TA OWL site
Duties Specification Letter
• You have to determine how your time will be spent each term in
consultation with the course instructor.
• You often have some say here, but it varies by instructor.
• If you have a year-long assignment, then you can renegotiate this document
before the start of second term.
Tutorials
• If you have a tutorial, then you will be expected to lead a discussion each
week in addition to grading for the class.
• Exactly how the tutorial is structured varies by course and instructor.
Grades
Target averages approved by philosophy department:
1000 level
68%
2000 level
68%
2200 level
74%
3000 level
76%
4000 level
78%
I recommend not thinking about this too much while grading. It
usually works itself out. However, do try to use the full range
of grades. Don’t clump everyone in the 60-80 range.
Grade Scale at Western
University-wide grade descriptors for undergraduate courses:
Grade
Percentage
Range
Description
A+
90-100
One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A
80-89
Superior work which is clearly above average
B
70-79
Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C
60-69
Competent work, meeting requirements
D
50-59
Fair work, minimally acceptable
F
<50
Fail
Resources
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Andrew Botterell, Assistant Chair and Undergraduate Counsellor, Andrew.botterell@uwo.ca
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Undergraduate Philosophy Department Policies
http://www.uwo.ca/philosophy/undergraduate/policies.html
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Undergraduate Appeals Procedure
http://www.uwo.ca/philosophy/undergraduate/academic%20procedures%20.html
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Student Development Center
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
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Writing, Study Skills, Psychological, Disabilities, etc
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Equity and Human Rights Services http://www.uwo.ca/equity/
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Student Success Center http://www.success.uwo.ca/careers/
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International Student Services http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/int/services/?services_main
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Indigenous Services http://indigenous.uwo.ca
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Office of the Ombudsperson http://www.uwo.ca/ombuds/
Activity
• Split into pairs and write down some of the questions you have about being
a TA that you might want to ask your instructor. Write each question on a
separate piece of paper. (5 minutes)
• Get back into the larger group at your table and pick two questions you
think are most important. (5 minutes)
3. Interactions With Instructors
• When you next meet with instructors there are a few things you should
clarify.
• 1. Are you required to attend lectures?
• 2.Are you required to hold office hours (specific time/by appointment)?
• 3. How much preparation time should go into each week?
• 4. When and how much you are expected to grade.
• 5. How should you handle grade complaints?
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Here are some other things you might ask about:
1. Will the course use anonymous grading? If not, is it acceptable to use it for your
section? (My next workshop will be on grading and will have a large component on
implicit bias and anonymous grading).
2. Ask them if they are planning to introduce the TAs on the first day of class.
3. If you are interested, ask if you can present a guest lecture sometime during the
term.
4. Ask what to do if you are sick or otherwise unable to lead your tutorial.
As the Year Goes on
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Try your best to maintain communication with the instructor. They will generally be
interested in how the students are doing and you often have a better sense of this
than they do.
Try to get everyone on the same page when it comes to grading and student
troubles. It’s bad for everyone if each tutorial has completely different rules.
Regular meetings help with this.
If you don’t know how to deal with a problem, then ask the instructor for help.
Don’t feel put on the spot to answer a student’s inquiry if you don’t have a good
answer.
4. First Day
• It’s a good idea to go to the room you will be teaching in before the first
tutorial.
• Be sure to introduce yourself and ask them to do the same.
• Explain to them what a tutorial is and how it will help them learn.
Discussions skills are something that they can really improve in your
tutorial.
Setting Expectations
Activity!
①
What can your students expect from you?
Things to think about:
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Professionalism?
In tutorial?
In their assigned work?
Interactions (in class, e-mails, group work, etc)
What are some things that you expect from your students?
Things to think about:
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Before they come into your tutorial?
During tutorial?
In their assigned work?
Interactions (in class, e-mails, group work, etc)
Turn it over to them! Ask your students what they expect from you.
What is the point of doing this?
Some Suggestions
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Let the students know what to do if they miss a tutorial. For example, if you use
PowerPoint you could direct them to the OWL site.
Be upfront about what technology you allow in the classroom. Be aware that some
students might require technological aides.
Let them know that they can contact you if they have problems and how long they
should expect to wait for a reply. They need to know that you aren’t a robot who
can respond instantly at all times.
5. Professionalism
• It is very important that you conduct yourself as a professional.
• Students will be more likely to respect your authority and that is important
for any TA.
Basics
• Maintain a respectful environment
• Be prepared
• Have integrity and be consistent
• Be on time and ready to go
• Dress appropriately
• Western Code of Student Conduct
Question Period
• Ask us anything!
Thanks!