• Introduction

• Content of the Learning Community

• Structure of the Learning Community

• Rationale for the Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Model

• Compatibility of Teaching and Learning Needs

• Recruitment and Selection of the Teaching Assistants

• Preparation of the Teaching Assistants

• Roles and Conflicts

• The Teaching Team

• Evaluating the Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Model

• The Experiences of the Teaching Assistants

• The Pedagogic Value of the Model

• Printable Text of Article

© Copyright 2000 by Kimberly Eby (keby1@gmu.edu) and Paula Gilbert (pgilbert@gmu.edu). The right to make additional exact copies, including this notice, for personal and classroom use, is hereby granted. All other forms of distribution and copying require permission of the author.

Everything we have described up until this point in the paper was in preparation for including the undergraduate TAs as members of our teaching team. In fact, our real work together had not yet begun. Once the semester started, we met weekly for three hours. At these team meetings we would review the past week's progress (within the classroom and with respect to the individual responsibilities of each teaching assistant), discuss issues and concerns for the following week, and troubleshoot any problem areas. 

We worked hard to ensure that this was truly a collaborative effort. In some situations, for example, a student may have approached the TAs to ask about a problem with the class or with her or his group, and the TA might have been unsure of the appropriate feedback. If it were appropriate for them to respond, then we would all discuss the potential strategies for intervention and determine how to approach a particular student or issue. The undergraduate TAs were never asked to deal with any student issue with which they felt uncomfortable, and we, as the professors of record, would then respond. In such a scenario we would often discuss our strategy or policy first as a group.

In effect, these energizing weekly seminars were a combination of learning from each other with respect to reviewing course content, discussing pedagogical strategies for approaching specific course content, debriefing the past week's classes, problem-solving any student or classroom issues, and team-building among the faculty and the TAs. This is exemplified in the reflections of one of the TAs who wrote:

The weekly team meetings provided the most satisfaction for me. It was here that I most felt I was a contributing member of the class and that I discovered the learning experience provided by my interactions with the students. Drs. Eby and Gilbert were always respectful of our concerns, yet guided us towards an understanding of the teaching process at the same time. Issues that begin as personal failure and conflict were examined and possible solutions presented. Each team member was involved in this process. Within these interactions there existed an intrinsic level of respect that was never lost.

We also agree that the team meetings were the most rewarding moments of our collaboration with the TAs. It was at these meetings that the intellectual stimulation and energy surpassed all expectations. After teaching the second three- or four-hour class period of the week, along with other teaching responsibilities on the same days, we would come to these meetings physically and mentally drained but would leave re-energized and enthusiastic. Although we both have always taken our responsibility to mentor students quite seriously, our appreciation of the benefits of this relationship for both student and faculty member has deepened. In addition to these weekly team meetings, we were in constant communication with each other via e-mail, in discussions before and after class, and around campus.

In addition, we had written requirements for the TAs. They completed weekly progress reports that documented their hours, summarized what they had accomplished in the previous week, established goals for the following week, and raised any issues or concerns. We required the TAs to write four reflective essays throughout the semester, with a final, cumulative reflection and analysis at the end of the semester.

Next Section: "Evaluating the Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Model"

Previous Section: "Roles and Conflicts"