Promising Practices

Gender issues can sometimes inhibit the effectiveness of a Teaching Assistant. If you are a female T. A. and you have a predominantly male class, office hour meetings can be awkward at the beginning of the semester. Encourage students to come to your office in groups. For example, if students are required to meet with you to discuss their upcoming paper topic, you can offer sign-up slots for three to four students to meet with you at the same time. Students tend to be less shy in groups, and they actually learn from each other, as well.