Common Teaching Problems:
Strategies for Graduate Student Instructors
Academic Integrity
Without academic integrity, neither the genuine innovations of the individual nor the progress of a given field of study can adequately be assessed, and the very foundation of scholarship itself is undermined. Academic integrity, for all these reasons, is an essential link in the process of intellectual advancement.
The perfect TA has boundaries. They know who they are, they know what they are supposed to do - what they're responsible for - but also what they are not responsible for. For example, a TA is not responsible for the mental health or well-being of their students and therefore shouldn't try to become their therapist, parent, priest or girlfriend/boyfriend. It's important to remember that while this may be your first opportunity to help students in a concrete way, it is also an experience that can help you set and maintain boundaries that will be useful to you in your future career. Should you decide to join the professoriate then you could face very serious professional issues teaching students who are maybe only ten years younger than yourself unless you know how to maintain authority and limiting your personal involvement. As a TA you are beginning to be the professor you may eventually become. You get to choose right now what kind of person you want to be. |
Promising PracticesStandards of Conduct for the University Community
Students at the University neither lose the rights nor escape the responsibilities of citizenship. They are expected to obey and conduct themselves in accordance with both the penal and civil statutes of the local, state, and federal government and the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents, University regulations, and administrative rules, and to observe standards of conduct appropriate for an academic institution.
How to Work Effectively with Your Supervising Professor
TAs typically juggle many roles in concurrently being students as well as teachers. If you experience the added stress of dealing with a difficult supervisor, the normal stress can become tremendous. What steps can you take to establish and maintain a positive relationship with your supervisor?
Resolving Difficult Situations
There are a number of situations and issues all instructors must deal with at some time or another. Here you will find some tips and techniques for dealing with those challenges.
TA Talk Highlights
TA TALK is a publication of the Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment (DIIA) at UT Austin. TA Talk provides information for GSIs regarding teaching, learning, and university resources.
- The Mid-Semester Blahs: How to Create a Motivating Classroom
- Managing Incivility in the College Classroom
- Making the Most of Your Working Relationships
- Checks and Balances for TA Time Management
- Stress Management
- End of Semester Grading Concerns