So, you’ve completed the necessary paperwork and met with the course instructor to discuss your role and responsibilities. The course instructor has indicated that you will be a “Laboratory Leader” and a “Marking Assistant”, but what does this likely mean for you? The chapter outlines duties you may have in your GA/TA role.

Marking Assistant

Marking assistants are responsible for grading. This may include grading assignments, quizzes, and/or exams. Markers provide oral and/or written feedback in accordance with a rubric or marking guide, and may be asked to respond to student questions, hold office hours, and communicate student performance and grading process with the course instructor. In this role, it is important to use consistent grading practices to ensure fairness. Tips for grading are available through this interactive workshop recording on grading and effective feedback. 

Tutorial Leader

Tutorial leaders meet with students regularly to facilitate additional components of a course outside of lecture hours. These sessions are usually designed to provide additional context to the material discussed in lecture. While the nature of tasks completed in the tutorial will vary by department and course, tutorial leaders may be responsible for creating tutorial materials, reviewing concepts, facilitating discussions, administering assignments, evaluating participation, and leading question-and-answer sessions. Tips for leading effective discussions can be found through this interactive workshop recording.

Laboratory Leader

Laboratory leaders may attend, facilitate, and support students in laboratory sessions. Duties may include: creating laboratory activities, teaching, grading laboratory assignments, demonstrating laboratory techniques, ensuring students adhere to safety policies and protocols for the given laboratory space, answering student questions regarding experimental procedures, assisting students with collecting data, and ensuring students adequately clean and organize used laboratory equipment following completion of the laboratory session.

Providing Additional Student Support

Sometimes, students struggle with course materials. If this is the case, GA/TAs can act as a support system to improve student understanding of course material. This may include holding office hours where GA/TAs work one-on-one or in small group settings with multiple students. Office hours may be held in set, consistent locations that are decided by the department or course instructor, or at a mutually convenient area that is decided through communication between the GA/TA and the student.

Additional Roles and Expectations

Other common responsibilities of GA/TAs include: 1) attending class, 2) communicating with students via email, 3) communicating course expectations with students, 4) facilitating course activities (e.g., electronic learning activities), 5) delivering guest lectures, 6) proctoring examinations, 7) managing the course learning management side, and 8) recording and calculating grades.

It is important to note that these are not necessarily all of the tasks that may be assigned to you as a GA/TA and that your experience may differ. If you find difficulties with your assigned roles and responsibilities, we encourage you to communicate openly with your course instructor about any questions or concerns you have.

References:

1. Moon A, Jung H, Marbouti F, Rodgers K, Diefes-Dux H. Undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants’ perceptions of their responsibilities – Factors that help or hinder. 2013 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). doi: 10.1109/FIE.2013.6685103.
2. Weidert JM, Wendorf AR, Gurung RAR, Filz T. A Survey of Graduate and Undergraduate Teaching Assistants. College Teaching 60: 95–103, 2012. doi: 10.1080/87567555.2011.637250.