TA TALK
Web-based newsletter of TA/AI issues for
The University of Texas at Austin

TA TALK: Fall, 2001, Edition #2

CTE (and TA TALK) has traditionally focused on how TAs and AIs can improve their teaching and their students' learning. This issue of is dedicated to your concerns as a graduate student instructor in two domains: 1) negotiating difficult relationships with supervisors and 2) successfully managing your own time and work.

Making the Most of Your Working Relationships:
Communicating With TA Supervisors

Frequently, TAs express concerns about relationships within their departments that adversely affect the quality of their work and their academic lives. At the same time, they may feel powerless to make changes, or to even express concerns. What are the options that TAs can exercise to protect themselves while also staying in the good graces of their departments?

TAs juggle many roles. Your responsibilities are sandwiched between meeting the educational needs of undergraduates, while also meeting expectations of your supervising professors. Of course, juggling all these tasks can be precarious, especially if you have the added stress of dealing with a difficult supervisor. So, what are some steps that you can take to have a personally and professionally satisfying experience as a TA?

First, know as precisely as possible what the expectations are for your job. If you're fortunate, your professor will meet with you before classes begin for this discussion. One professor I know of has written a TA Duties packet outlining various responsibilities of the TA throughout the semester.

However, not all TAs are going to have this kind of clear direction. I frequently hear from TAs who receive their assignments at the last minute. They may not even see their supervising professor until class meets. As a result, conflicts may arise because of a lack of clear expectations. Should you attend class? Read all the assignments the students read? Meet with the professor regularly? Develop your own grading criteria? These expectations may vary widely from one professor to another.

When your supervising professor isn't proactive in his or her role, you can take the lead in getting things off to a good start. The Center for Teaching Effectiveness offers a Job Duties Checklist for Faculty and TAs (in printable PDF format which requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader.) You can take this checklist to your professor as a guide to establish your supervisor's expectations, and to also establish "boundaries" for yourself. A discussion of your job responsibilities can also open the doors to good communication early in your working relationship. Effective ongoing communication is one key to successful "teamwork" with your supervisor. If you'd like to meet with the professor and other TAs weekly - or to communicate regularly via e-mail, this is your opportunity to express your needs and preferences. Remember that the goal of everyone on the "teaching team" should be to make the class run as smoothly as possible, and to maximize effective teaching and learning.

Towards this goal, when appropriate, help your professor to understand your situation. If you have one or two weeks of the semester that you know are going to be particularly difficult for you, let the professor know ahead of time, so that you can complete work in advance.

Now, let's say you sit down with your professor to clarify your duties, and he or she is able to list fifteen or twenty duties that need to be completed regularly? Sometimes it's good to know what you should not be expected to do. The Graduate Studies Web site provides information on policies and procedures. (http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/ta_ai/policies.html) It includes the following information:

If conflicts arise in either your initial discussions or during the semester, you can revisit this Web site or your job duties checklist as a source for reiteration or clarification.

Okay, but now it's mid-way through the semester, you haven't had the opportunity to establish expectations clearly and you feel that either the amount or the type of duties that you're asked to do is inappropriate?

First, be flexible. If you're generally only asked to work 20 hours, and one week you go over, you may want to let it pass. If however, you're consistently expected to go "beyond the call of duty" it is your right to express concern.

Second, determine if a problem has resulted from poor communication. If you believe that there is any chance you may have been misunderstood or that you have misunderstood a comment or request, always seek clarification. Don't allow a miscommunication to get blown out of proportion by your interpretations. A simple miscommunication might be able to be solved simply by a conversation or e-mail.

Third, be objective. For example, if you're concerned about the amount of time you're expected to work, keep a time use analysis. If you sense that your TA duties are consistently requiring more than the 10 or 20 hours you're paid for, then keep a log and share it with your supervisor. He or she may simply be unaware that, for example, it takes you 20 minutes to grade one homework set, or three hours to collate an exam. Share the information with him or her informally, and gauge the reaction. Perhaps you will need to be more assertive.

Finally, when a direct encounter is needed - and you feel the need to address concerns, be sure to speak assertively. Don't blame, but use "I" statements. For example, " I understand that you would like to have these tests graded by Monday. As you know, my appointment is for 20 hours a week, and unfortunately, with grading Wednesday's homework assignment and preparing for and conducting the review session (or whatever tasks have taken the 25 hours), I've already put in 25 hours this week. Can you help me figure out how to best handle this so that the students get their exams back in a timely fashion?"

The goal of assertive communication is to make sure that both parties' opinions and needs are considered equally for a solution that is mutually satisfying. If you do not feel "safe" being assertive or you've been assertive and it hasn't worked, then additional steps may be needed. But usually, direct communication with your supervisor is best as a starting point.

Depending on the politics of your department and the individuals involved, you may first want to talk to another TA, the graduate advisor, the graduate coordinator, or a trusted faculty member before you approach your supervisor. Frequently, they can advise you on dealing with the issues or on how to best approach a certain individual, especially if you don't know this person well.

Extra-departmental resources:

If you feel that you are being consistently mistreated or taken advantage of in your TA role, and you do not feel that your supervisor or department is able or willing to address the problem, the university has other resources and mechanisms that you may pursue.

Each of these agencies have policies of confidentiality. They include:

Mediation:

The Conflict Resolution Center at The University of Texas at Austin offers mediation as a resource for TAs who may encounter difficulties with people with whom they work. Both parties would have to be agreeable to the process of mediation. Mediators from the CRC would facilitate a problem-solving process with which the parties involved in the conflict define the issues and work towards a mutually acceptable solution. The mediators do not act as judges in the conflict, rather, they help parties involved in the dispute to work out something agreeable to both sides. TAs might find this service beneficial when negotiating with a supervising professor about the amount of work that needs to be done or the expectations for their job. For further information contact Susan Szmania at mediate@uts.cc.utexas.edu.

Mediation is also offered through the Office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman acts as a neutral third party to facilitate communication between the TA and the professor. Again, both parties must be agreeable to the process. The Ombudsman can also begin a file on a professor if it is deemed necessary, especially in cases where a student might be harmed, or if there is a violation of UT policy. The Ombudsman compiles evidence by documenting incidents, conducts investigative work, and reports problems to various departments. This office guarantees the UT student's confidentiality. The Ombudsman can be reached at 471-3825 or on the Web http://www.utexas.edu/student/ombuds/.

The Employee Assistance Program, which is staffed by professional counselors, is also available for consultation or to assist half-time or more student employees in mediating differences with co-workers including supervisors, staff, or other TAs. Find them at: http://www.utexas.edu/hr/eap/

Filing a Grievance:

The university also has a grievance policy and procedure that allows for a TA or AI to file a grievance and have it heard by members of the Faculty Grievance Committee. These procedures assure that the grievant is assured "freedom from reprisals for the filing of their grievances." This group is also available for consultation prior to (or in lieu of) filing a formal grievance. This procedure is described in detail at http://www.utexas.edu/policies/hoppm/h0403.html#0403

While it should be reassuring to know that there are resources and policies to support you, remember that the primary key to successful working relationships is communication. In pursuing external interventions, be sure that you proceed cautiously. You should also protect yourself. You have access to your official file in your department. This file contains your original application materials, test scores, grades, etc. Periodically go through this file and make sure information is accurate and in good order.

Forums for your input on policy:

If you wish that you had more of a voice in forming UT policies and procedures involving TAs, get involved (or at least make your voice known) on a legislative body, such as the Responsibilities, Rights, and Welfare of Teaching Assistants and Assistant Instructors Committee. This committee is part of the University of Texas Faculty Council. The Web address is: http://www.utexas.edu/faculty/council/2001-2002/standcom/Stng_cmte_mbrs_C12.html and contact individuals are Marian Barber (mailto:marianj.barber@mal.utexas.edu) and John Dollard (dollard@mail.utexas.edu)

Also consider contacting the Graduate Student Assembly to become more involved or more informed about issues that affect graduate students at UT. The GSA can be reached by phone 475-6900 or on the Web at: http.www.utexas.edu/students/gsa/website/index.html

Your role as a TA is an important part of your experience here at UT. Further, if you're planning to go into academia, it's excellent preparation for your future career. Don't let a bad experience or difficult relationship ruin your semester. Seek support and communicate actively. We hope this article gives you some ideas about how to do that!

Checks and Balances for TA Time Management

As a TA, you already know that your life is hectic: You're committed to work 20 hours per week as a TA, a full-time course load, research, and jumping through one of the obligatory "hoops" that are intended to help you develop as a scholar, such as qualifying exams or your dissertation. Although managing your time is probably something that you've mastered to some degree as an "expert" student, many graduate students (and especially TAs) can still benefit from self-reflection as a way to monitor your time management skills.

One of the most common problems for all students, including graduate students, is procrastination. Research indicates that 90% of all students admit that they procrastinate at one time or another. Though it's easy to admit, it's much more difficult to remedy (otherwise, it wouldn't be such a common problem). Unlike undergraduate students, who usually substitute social activities for work, graduate students usually procrastinate by substituting one type of work for another. For example, many TAs find that grading papers, holding office hours, and teaching review sessions takes over time that would otherwise be spent working on personal coursework, doing research, or writing. For most TAs, finding that free afternoon or couple of hours to work on personal assignments becomes more and more difficult as they progress through their program.

This type of procrastination pattern usually emerges for two reasons: Over-commitment and the inability to say "NO." Many times, students run into problems managing their time because they have too many commitments, especially TAs. In order to remedy this pattern of procrastination, TAs need to analyze how they currently spend their time and how much time is needed to be successful on certain tasks that have personal priority. One suggestion for self-reflection is to log your time spent during a typical week to compare the number of hours spent doing TA work with the number of hours spent doing personal work; you may find that there is a conflict between your goals as a graduate students and your goals as a TA. For instance, TA's frequently schedule office hours with the intention of getting their own work done, but frequent interruptions from students and/or a short time frame doesn't allow the right kind of quality time that's needed to accomplish personal work. A well-respected scholar in my own field suggests that graduate students set aside specific times in their schedules for personal work: he takes time to write at home every day from 9-12, calling it "an appointment" and treating it as such by not answering the phone or making other appointments at that time.

Now, most TAs feel that they cannot take such liberties with their time, claiming that their time is "not their own - it belongs to my adviser/supervisor." To some extent that's true - you have committed 20 hours per week to being a TA. As the previous article points out, TAs are wise to sit down at the beginning of the semester with their professors and work out a schedule that suits everyone. Once that's planned, the trick is to stick to it and maintain a commitment of 20 hours a week to your professor as well as yourself. If things are not working out and you are spending over 20 hours with TA responsibilities even after coordinating with your supervising professor, perhaps your schedule(s) are worth re-evaluating and you need to sit down again mid-semester to rearrange your schedule.

Finally, many TAs have difficulty keeping a "balanced" schedule. In other words, when you're not being a TA, you spend so much time in the lab, writing, or doing research, that you have no time left over to relax or for recreation. In order to prevent "burnout," you MUST find time in your schedule for activities that help you decompress! Otherwise, when burnout hits, you may not be able to carry out your regular academic activities. Some of the most successful professionals in your field probably have very balanced lives. Many students enjoy simple daily activities, such as walking or yoga, others insist on pushing themselves to the limit by running a marathon to channel any negative energy that's accumulated during the semester. Whatever physically and emotionally healthy activity you choose, it will help you cope with stress and burnout in the long run.

If after self-refection, you find that you fall into patterns of procrastination or suffer from an imbalanced schedule, evaluate the way you are currently spending your time and decide if you can make some positive changes to the way you spend your time. Overcoming fear is frequently a starting point for overcoming procrastination and managing time. We put off many jobs because they seem overwhelming. Start with just a little piece of the job and build on it. Here are some statements, call it the "time-management mantra" if you will, to get started:

1. Since we cannot actually control the passage of time, it makes sense to think of time management as self-management.

2. Planning tools can assist you guiding yourself through an as-yet-unknown reality (weekly and monthly planners, to-do lists; being mindful of peek times of alertness, long-range deadlines).

3. The biggest time-saver is to start now.

4. A balanced load is easier to carry.

5. Learn to use time that would otherwise escape you.

Helpful Links: (found at http://studyweb.chemeketa.edu/resources/time/index.htm) http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/study/schedule.html
http://www.bucks.edu/~specpop/sched.htm
http://www.yorku.ca/admin/cdc/lsp/tm/time.htm
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/plan_ho.html
http://yorku.ca/admin/cdc/lsp/tm/tm3.htm
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/htimesug.html
http://www.uoguelph.ca/csrc/learning/tasklist.htm
http://www.mtsu.edu/~studskl/tmt.html
http://www.gmu.edu/gmu/personal/time.htmlhttp://www.sla.purdue.edu/studentserv/learningcenter/handouts/tentpstm.htm

Announcements:

Acknowledgments:

Thanks to our guest contributors to this edition of TA TALK, Mickey Achacoso, CTE TA Program Intern, and Jessica Summers, CTE Research Assistant. They are also graduate students in Educational Psychology.

We'd love to have your feedback, and look forward to hearing from you. You may reply to this message and the list administrator, Joanne Holladay, will receive your message. Or, you may reply to her directly at jholladay@mail.utexas.edu.

Upcoming Conference for Experienced TAs

Mark your calendars! Friday, January 11th is the tentative date for the upcoming (and second annual) Conference for Experienced TAs. This one-day conference is an opportunity for those of you who have some experience teaching to refine your methods, solve problems and get new ideas for the spring semester from other TAs, faculty and staff. More details, as well as information on on-line registration will be provided in the December issue of TA Talk. If you have teaching methods that are "tried and true" that you'd like to share with your colleagues, or if you'd like to help with the conference, please call (232-1775) or email (jholladay@mail.utexas.edu) Joanne Holladay, TA Program Coordinator.

CTE Web Site:

If you haven't taken a look at the Center's Website, go to http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/resources/for resources on a wide variety of teaching and learning topics.

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