Teaching assistants are instrumental to the undergraduate and graduate educational experience at the University of Windsor. Being a graduate assistant (GA) or teaching assistant (TA) provides a unique opportunity to become involved in teaching and to gain valuable life and professional experience. No matter your career aspirations, the skills you will take away with you from being a GA/TA are sure to help! Some skills you can expect to develop and/or refine are – critical thinking, communication, confidence, and problem-solving.

GA/TAs at the University of Windsor are hired to provide support to instructors with teaching or related duties. While the duties of GA/TAs will vary depending on the course, instructor, and/or department, the work that you will contribute will be vital to the success of the course and student learning experience.

To help you prepare for your role as a GA/TA, we have put together this introductory handbook. The handbook is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather a starting point for you as a GA/TA.

Throughout this handbook, you will find important information about being a GA/TA. Chapters include common GA/TA roles and responsibilities, grading and effective feedback, leading labs and tutorials, teaching strategies, inclusive teaching practices, and a whole lot more! Explore the chapters that are most relevant to you. Throughout each chapter there will be videos, linking to past teaching and learning workshops, and clickable links embedded throughout that will provide additional resources. We hope you find this handbook useful as you begin your time as a GA/TA!