Before standing up in front of 60 expectant students for his
first discussion section, a new teaching assistant can shed his
nervousness by leading his fellow TAs through a mock discussion
section, where they can practice eliminating shaking hands and
awkward pauses.
At a university with more than 24,000 undergraduates, TAs have
become an integral part of UCLA’s academic life.
TAs grade students’ papers, lead discussion sections, and
are often sought out by students before they will turn to
professors for help.
Though there is no campus-wide requirement that all Ph.D.
students at UCLA must work as TAs, most departments require
graduate students to TA about three classes during their stay at
UCLA.
It is up to professors to determine the function of their
discussion section, whether it is mainly for class discussion, if
the section gives homework help to students, or if the section is a
lab, as well as whether discussion sections are mandatory.
And the differences in the role of discussion sections across
campus mean that TAs will have different job requirements within
different departments.
In lower division humanities courses, sections primarily serves
as forums for student discussion and elaboration on topics covered
in lecture.
For example, in the English 10 series, Professor Michael North
said the only time students can discuss and debate is in
discussion, so TAs are required to generate discussion, elaborate
on material mentioned in lecture, and sometimes develop additional
homework assignments.
North said he requires his TAs to attend lecture because the
subject matter is open to different interpretations and emphases
among English professors.
But North added that “if you have a course where a
professor teaches out of the text it may not be necessary to attend
lecture.”
Professors have ultimate say over whether TAs attend class.
Chemistry Professor Kendall Houk said his TAs attend lecture
because a student may have a question about something specifically
brought up in class.
Each professor also decides how often he or she wants to meet
with the TAs, how TAs find a consensus when grading, and if TAs
help develop the midterm and final exams.
UCLA offers training services to TAs across all disciplines, but
each department can choose whether or not it wants to use those
services.
Incoming TAs can attend a course where experienced TAs in their
department ““ called teaching assistant consultants ““
focus on equipping them with the skills needed to teach their
particular subject.
Departments that choose to offer these courses receive funding
from the TA Training Program office, but exercise complete
authority in determining the structure of the course, according to
the TA Handbook.
Traditionally these courses, called 495s, focus on providing TAs
with a basic understanding of how to teach, but since departments
focus on what is most relevant to their TAs, the nature of the
courses varies across campus.
In the classics 495 course, Moss Pike, a teaching assistant
consultant, focuses on providing classics TAs with practical
teaching techniques. Specifically, Pike said most TAs struggle to
develop the skills to lead active discussions.
“What trips people up the most is … how you get students
to talk for 75 minutes,” he said.
The only definitive campus-wide requirements for TAs are
outlined in a contract between the TAs and the union that
represents them. According to the union contract, TAs are normally
employed for a 20-hour work week, which the union designates for
reading, grading, holding office hours, meeting with the professor,
and attending lecture.
Some undergraduates appreciate TAs who are approachable and are
available outside of class for academic and other help.
“One of my TAs is always available, one time I showed up
before his office hours … and he was able to talk with me,”
said Irina Yakubin, a freshman undeclared student.
Besides the optional training, all UCLA departments are required
to periodically evaluate their TAs, according to the TA handbook,
but the handbook does not specify that the evaluations must be made
by students.
The Evaluation of Instruction Program provides departments with
questionnaires that students fill out about their TAs. Around 65
departments out of 124 choose to evaluate TAs in this way.
Departments that do not use the Evaluation of Instruction
Program can gather student feedback on TAs through their own
surveys or not seek student opinion at all.
“To my knowledge, there are no student evaluations (of
TAs) in the courses I have taught,” said James Lucania, a TA
who teaches undergraduate management classes.
“I think it would be really helpful if we got feedback
from students,” he said.