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TA TALK Issue #12
December 2002

Welcome to TA TALK! TA TALK is an on-line newsletter published by the Center for Teaching Effectiveness at UT. Its goal is to provide timely information for TAs and AIs regarding teaching, learning, and university resources. If this is the first Fall 2002 edition of TA TALK that you've received and you'd like to receive future editions, subscribe to receive three electronic copies of TA TALK each semester by following the directions at the end of the newsletter.

In this issue, we'd like to touch on a couple of relevant topics for TAs this semester: dealing with end of semester TA concerns and planning for next semester. Please e-mail me, Michelle Achacoso, Ph.D., (mvachacoso@mail.utexas.edu) if you have suggestions for topics for future articles. A special thanks to Tammy Tomberlin, MA, TA Programs Intern at the CTE and co-author this issue of TA Talk. Also, thanks to Stephanie Corliss and Steve Knoll for their help with Web design and HTML.

End of Semester Concerns

The end is near. A time when the weather changes and both teachers and students start looking forward to a nice long break from the pressures and demands of life at a university. But before they can get there, they have to get through the end of the semester.

You may have noticed a few more e-mails in your Inbox and a few more students approaching you before and after class. You may even begin seeing students showing up in your office! It's that time of year when students have started noticing that the semester is drawing to a close and that there are not many more opportunities left for grades in their classes. It can be frustrating as a TA to field all of the different type of student requests that you may be receiving so here's a bit of help from some TA's who've been in the trenches.

First, there are different types of requests that you will be dealing with these last few weeks of the semester:

Re-grading: Students are looking back over their work and may come to you for an explanation as to why they missed points and they may ask you to re-grade some assignments.

Extensions: Many classes have projects that are due at the end of the semester, so students may be bombarding you with requests to extend the deadline. This could also happen if late work is accepted.

Incompletes: Some students that have missed a majority of work may come to you to ask you to assign them a grade of incomplete (X) for the semester so that they can make it up next semester. Incompletes are usually only given in the most extreme circumstances, such as illness, and are regulated by the university. For more information, please consult the Office of the Registrar: http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/grades/#tempdelay.

Extra Credit: Students are busy calculating their grades so far for the semester and estimating what they will probably make in the class. Some students who are not happy about their grade may come to ask for any extra assignments that can be used to add points to their overall score or replace an existing assignment.

Extra Help: As students are calculating what they will need to make on that final project or exam, they may decide to come to you for some extra help in studying or preparing for that exam or project.

Most of the issues that students come to talk to you about are legitimate, and most students will handle them in a civil manner. However, there are those students who believe that unpleasantries and yelling are the way to solve some of their problems and this can create a stressful situation for a TA. There are strategies that you can use to handle both types of situations.

Handling Concerns from Students Acting Appropriately

When a student is sincere and concerned about their grades and the situation behind them, it makes it a lot easier to discuss and resolve any problems or concerns:

The first step is to listen to what the student has to say.
Next, you should gather information about the situation, their progress in the class, and any other info you think could help you in making a decision.
Remind the student of the course policies. It may be that there is a misunderstanding of the policies that are in the syllabus (such as no extra credit given).
Depending of the situation, you might need to refer the student to the professor of record. Some of these decisions, especially an incomplete, can only be given by the professor so it's important that the student discuss the problem with the professor (or do so via you).
Do not make a decision right then and there. Tell the student that they will receive an answer to their request/concern within 48 hours. This gives you the time to do a few things:

a. During this wait time, consult your resources. Talk to the professor or other TA's who have either taught this class in the past or have a lot of experience in dealing with student issues. Look over that student's prior work in that class and different options that could help solve the problem.

b. Formulate a decision and be able to lay out all the details of it, including the reasoning behind it. Also, figure out how you plan on answering and what you will say to the student.

c. Communicate your decision to the student. It is important that you emphasize the finality of this decision so that they cannot come to you and re-negotiate the decision you made.

Handling Concerns from Students Acting Inappropriately

The above steps work in most situations, but what do you do when a student is rude, yells, and is otherwise inappropriate? The best advice is to wait to reply to that student and not to get defensive. This is great for e-mail when you can just walk away from the computer, but it's not so easy when a student is in your office, face to face.

E-mail. For e-mail requests and concerns, when a student is inappropriate, do not hit the reply button right away. Take some time to think about what was said and how to handle the situation. Now, the same steps as above apply. Figure out exactly what the student is asking and why. If you need more info go ahead and e-mail them back with your questions and let them know you will be getting back to them soon. Then consult your resources, formulate a decision, and spend some time constructing a reply. You may want to start off asking the student to treat you in an appropriate manner and explaining why. It is also important that you send a copy of both the original e-mail and your reply to the professor and save each e-mail.

Face-to-Face. For face-to-face confrontations, it is especially important that you do not get defensive. Take a deep breath and try one of the following phrases:

"I would appreciate it if you would treat me in an appropriate manner"
"Please don't yell at me"
"Please change your tone of voice"
"I understand that you are upset. Why don't you have a seat and we'll talk about it"
"It's not going to serve either one of us if you raise your voice/are rude"

If after saying something similar to the above phrases, the student is able to calm down, then you can discuss the issue using the advice above. However, if the student still seems very upset or is still acting inappropriately, politely ask them to leave your office and come back later when you can discuss the issue in a civil manner. If they are still demanding that you speak with them now, just say no, and be firm. Nothing productive will come out of discussing an issue with a hostile student. It is tempting to just say fine and give the student whatever they want, just to get them out of your office, but it is really not the best way to handle the situation and lets the student know that inappropriate behavior will resolve any situation. They might also spread the word that if students yell, the TA will change their grade, and this will only make a more stressful working environment for you. For more information on incivility, see the November issue of TA Talk: http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/tatalk/tatalk-n11.html

Requesting Extra Help

If a student comes to you and requests some extra help, you can use your discretion in offering your assistance. You might suggest some strategies that the student can use in studying or completing a project. Or you might just answer some questions about content. But remember that you are not a substitute for attending class or reading the book and you cannot answer all the questions on the review.

Overall, the end of the semester is a busy time for both teachers and students, so remember that you are both a TA and a student. Hopefully the suggestions presented here will help make your job a bit easier in dealing with end of the semester concerns from your students.

Good luck and have a great winter break!!

Planning for Next Semester

As you finish your semester, it is a great time to begin thinking about the upcoming semester and make plans for changes you would like to make. Below are some ideas to consider when reviewing and planing for next semester.

Reflection: Although examining our own teaching can be uncomfortable, it is important to do this in order to discover what needs to be changed. First of all, ask yourself some key questions: What went well for you this semester? What did not go well for you? Consider some of the following areas when reviewing your semester:
- Grading: Do you need to make any improvements in your grading efficiency? Are you reliable and accurate? Do you give your students useful feedback?
- Office Hours: Were your office hours useful and productive to both you and your students? What changes would you like to make for next semester?
- Relationship with students: How did you get along with your students? Are there any aspects of this relationship that you would like to change?
- Relationship with supervising professor: How did you get along with your supervising professor? Are you responsibilities well defined? Will you be working for the same professor next semester?
- Syllabus: Do you need to make changes in your syllabus? Was everything clear for the students?
- Teaching: What is your opinion of your teaching this last semester? What did you like and what did you dislike? What areas would you like to improve? Will you have new responsibilities next semester?
- Other dimensions not listed: Is there anything else not listed that you might like to change for next semester?
Identify goals for next semester. After taking an inventory of the things that you liked and did not like this semester, take a few moments to identify some goals for next semester. Remember to make these goals specific, realistic, and measurable. Also, be sure to commit yourself to a timeline. For instance, a goal such as "I'd like to get to know my students better" might not specific enough. A better goal would be "I will learn the names of my students by the 4th week of class." Setting specific goals will help you to see if you are making the specific changes you envisioned for yourself, especially when the semester is over.
Implementation: Develop a plan to help you reach your goals. To do this, you might need to consult outside resources. The following is a list of possible resources readily available to you on campus:
- Attend the Expanding Your Tools for Teaching Seminar for Experienced TAs/AIs on January 25th, 2003. Hone your teaching skills! Find out how your TA/AI position will help in your career after grad school, academic or non-academic. Learn about negotiating relationships with your students and supervising professor. Learn about the latest technology used in college classrooms. Meet colleagues in other departments. Registration information will be available on the CTE homepage soon!
- There are some wonderful books written to help you hone your teaching skills. Resources such as these can help with classroom management, motivation, instructional design, creating a syllabus, writing a test, grading, and other aspects of teaching, Three books that we would recommend are the following (All are available at the University Coop):
  
  Tools for Teaching by Barbara Gross Davis.
  Teaching Tips by Wilbert McKeachie
  Classroom Assessment Techniques by Thomas Angelo and K. Patricia Cross.
- Take time to talk to colleagues. Do you have a support network of colleagues who are willing to share their experience and wisdom? Have you ever considered visiting their classes? Your colleagues can be an excellent resource to help you improve your teaching next semester.
- Consider a midsemester evaluation. Why wait until the end of the semester to get feedback on your student's opinions? CTE has various forms you could use available at the following link: http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/getfeedback/. It is possible to make improvements in your teaching during the semester. Make your plans now so you can be sure to get the appropriate feedback well before Course Instructor Surveys are administered at the end of next semester.
- CTE Consultations. Would you like someone from CTE to observe your class and meet with you to give you feedback? Have you ever seen yourself on videotape? If so, contact Michelle Achacoso, Interim TA/AI Program Coordinator at mvachacoso@mail.utexas.edu.
Evaluate your progress. How will you know if you are meeting your goals next semester? How will you know the changes that you have made are helping your students to learn? Be sure to check in and see how you are progressing and make needed modifications as the next semester progresses.

Best of luck in planning for next semester!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Services for TAs at the Center for Teaching Effectiveness

Seminars: On January 25th, 2003, CTE and the UTLC will again cosponsor a seminar for experienced TAs to help them hone and develop their skills as instructors. Registration will be on the CTE Web page in just a few days: http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/.

Departmental Consultations: Would you like to see changes in the TA experience in your department? Would you like more feedback on your own teaching? Contact Michelle Achacoso, Ph.D., Interim TA Program Coordinator at the CTE. (mvachacoso@mail.utexas.edu) She would be happy to reply to your e-mail questions or concerns, or to meet with you or a group of TAs to brainstorm ways to enhance your teaching or to improve student learning.

Do you want additional ideas on teaching and learning? Check out the CTE web site at http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/. Here you'll find suggestions on everything from how to encourage student participation to methods for assigning grades.

Finally, do something for yourself. Check out the self-help opportunities through the Counseling Center's Food for Thought groups: http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/outreach/ffttops.html

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