At a large university such as Binghamton, registering for classes is both stressful and annoying. Not only do students have to be constantly vigilant about the date and time they have to sign up, but they have to compete with other students who steal and save spots in desired classes due to higher credits. Registration also involves a search for interesting classes that might fulfill the major and picking out professors, but what’s not given to students, until the first day of class, is the teaching assistant. After all, who doesn’t love to see “TBA” under “Instructor”?
The Web site Ratemyprofessors.com is usually used in figuring out which professors are worth taking and which professors are better to avoid. Let’s face it — the professor is an important part of any class. Any professor with humor, integrity and a giving nature — curves — is a gift from God, yet, no one credits that most of our personal interactions are with teaching assistants.
The importance of a TA is understated. TAs not only happen to hold our grades in the palm of their hands, but they decide how much work we ultimately do in each section. Most TAs are attentive and passionate about the subject they’re teaching, and because of that, undergraduates are grateful, but there are always some TAs who make going to discussion feel like going to hell.
Some TAs make class harder than necessary, perhaps because they believe that giving us exhausting work will give us the kind of education that we paid for. These are also usually the same TAs that grade more harshly because in their sadistic world, seeing an undergrad bawl is amusing.
Then there are the TAs that are clueless as to how to direct the class, filling the room with awkward silence, and with bumbling comments and suggestions. Understandably, TAs need to pay for graduate school and the ratio of professors to students is far from satisfying, but it doesn’t excuse TAs from making discussion class as dull as a box of rocks (my apologies to geologists). I’ve been in situations where the snoring of another student was the only interesting sound.
However, the worst are the TAs that waste an hour of our lives away every week by reiterating everything a professor has already said. Repetition is helpful for exams and essays, but repeating what a professor has thoroughly explained already is unnecessary. There is a myriad of ways to relate to and teach students, and being creative never killed anybody.
Basically, there are a few dos and don’ts that it would be nice for TAs to learn. The TA should not be socially awkward, because then the class will be socially awkward. A TA should also bring meaningful insight to discussion, because discussion should evoke boisterous conversation and a more precise understanding of material at hand. Most of all, a TA should switch methods every so often over the course of their reviews, and find teaching methods that might appeal to students.
That said, I’m still waiting for Ratemyteachingassistants.com.