23 Preparing for the first TA meeting
What information did you prepare for your first meeting with TAs?
ES: I didn’t prepare information so much as questions. I asked about their experiences with grading, knowledge of course content, comfort with Avenue to Learn, and their areas of expertise. I quickly learnt that there was not a lot of experience with grading, but significant knowledge of the readings. After making sure to hear from each marker, I reflected on my own memories of being an inexperienced TA/marker. I knew that we should use rubrics, but realized that the markers would have a better understanding of what I was looking for from each assignment if we partially built the rubric together. Working together while explaining my intentions behind the goals set for the students was the best way to help the graders/markers gain experience.
EG: I really wanted to emphasize a teaching team, and to make sure that new TAs (many of whom were also new grad students) felt supported. I budgeted a lot of time for meetings, all included in their hours of work.
Here’s an overview of our initial meeting agenda:
- Overview of course (confirm the lecture/tutorial schedule, info on enrollment, etc.)
- Outline of main course objectives, goals, and philosophies
- How we’ll commit to TA support, learning/development opportunities, and working rights (invitation to share learning/working needs, invite to touch base about material)
- Guest lecturing opportunities (can take multiple forms; invite to get in touch!)
- Introductions to the class (had TAs prep for a casual introduction in first lecture)
- Overview of tutorials (technical Zoom details; asked if additional training hours were required; reminder to contact Angie for class lists)
- Shared tip sheet for fostering discussion online/anti-oppression pedagogy in tutorials (made by student assistant for remote learning, Emily Meilleur-Rivers)
- Reminder about visits to tutorials in late September/early October*
- Discussion of assignments, marking, and hours
- Introduction and scheduling of group marking sessions**
*As per the TA handbook, instructors are required to visit the tutorials of all first-time TAs in the first half of the term. I clarified that this was not about performance, but about support, and gave TAs the option to have me join for the full tutorial or join immediately after, when the hour was fresh in their mind, to discuss strategies for discussion and other tutorial matters.
**We held these for each assignment. I’d have TAs (different ones each time) send me assignments they’d tentatively (from a quick read only) place in an A, B, C, and D/F range. After, we’d each review, order, and prep a rationale for the final grade, and then meeting and discuss together. These meetings, with lead time for reviewing the samples, were included in the hours.