Any experience being a teaching assistant?

[tharsan]

I got a teaching assistant for CSCC09 (Programming on the Web) at UTSC for this fall.
I'm wondering if anybody has any kind of TA'ing experience they'd like to share, as this will be my first time TA'ing.

[trusoulja2g]

I was a TA last year. Being a TA is very easy. If you speak English properly, you're already ahead of the pack.

Are there other TA's for your course? Try talking to someone who has TA'd the course before. Be kind in marking. If a student asks you a question about grading, do not give a definite answer unless you have verified it with the prof or are 100% sure. Also, IMO, don't refer students to the prof (makes you look bad)...ask the prof anything you don't know and then get back to the student.

Make your email known. If you want to be really nice, put extra study material on the course website, or make your own website. If you can give advice on what to study for the tests based on personal experience, it will be appreciated. If you have the time, hold extra office hours a couple days before the tests. Reply to emails promptly.

Don't feel bad if you can't answer all the students' questions.

BTW, how much do TA's make at UTSC?

[tharsan]

BTW, how much do TA's make at UTSC?

$26.50/hr.

Thanks for the advice, what did you TA?
My primary concern is probably not being able to answer all questions

[passpass]

Do some homework. Understand xhtml, Javascript, JSP, Servlet, Tomcat, XML. You donot have to be an expert on all these areas. Basic syntax should be enough.
It is not easy to get a TAship for a undergraduate student. You are good. It should not be hard to handle a tutorial. Just prepare it well. Prof. will supply all tutorial documents to you. Good luck.

[Headhunter]

$26.50/hr.

WOW.

[ttt]

WOW.

what's he doing in rfd?

[Seveneighty]

If you speak English properly, you're already ahead of the pack.

Ha, ain't that the truth..

[trusoulja2g]

$26.50/hr.

Thanks for the advice, what did you TA?
My primary concern is probably not being able to answer all questions

WAH!!?!?!?! Undergraduate? How many hours are you paid for per term?

At Mac, even with the new contract we just signed, we only get $18.50 per hour for 96 hours. I TA'd for accounting last year.

Don't worry about not knowing the answer to every question. Being a TA is a reward for your academic performance. You know way more than any of the students, that's all that matters. Just be a nice guy and help them with their assignments/test prep.

[tharsan]

From http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~csms/jobs_ta.html:

Pay Rates are in accordance with Article 21 CUPE Local 3902 Collective Agreement.

A simple Google query can locate the document, which states that beginning September 1, 2004, salaries are:

Undergraduates (UG) - $7,420.00 per session ($26.50 per hour)

The rate used to be actually posted on the website, but it's been since replaced by the reference to Article 21 CUPE Local 3902 Collective Agreement.

But the hours for computer science are ~ 65.

I know the material in the course pretty well (I did pretty well when I took it last year), but I'm sure I will be stumped sooner or later

Thanks for your input, trusoulja2g.

[weedb0y]

Nice, what about Laurier ones?

[trusoulja2g]

I read the document.
I see that the $7420 is based on 280 hours over the entire academic year. Is that how long you're hired for, and are you guaranteed the $7420? Or are you just paid $26.50/hour for the actual number of hours used in the course (~65)?

At Mac, we're basically paid $1780 for the course regardless of hours worked (usually less than the 96 that we're paid for).

[tharsan]

I read the document.
I see that the $7420 is based on 280 hours over the entire academic year. Is that how long you're hired for, and are you guaranteed the $7420? Or are you just paid $26.50/hour for the actual number of hours used in the course (~65)?

At Mac, we're basically paid $1780 for the course regardless of hours worked (usually less than the 96 that we're paid for).

I'm not actually sure, but I highly doubt we're guaranteed the $7420, I suspect we're just paid the hourly rate of $26.50, for the 65 hours over the term.
I'll be signing the contract in a couple of weeks, so I'll have a better idea then...

[Headhunter]

Yeesh, I should have pushed a lot harder to tutor while in college. There were certainly enough people who got my assistance for free...

what's he doing in rfd?

Mocking us with his big money ways...

[nsd]

As a TA, if you can't answer the question, don't forget to answer it the next time a tutorial comes around. I've had terrible experiences with TAs saying "I'll get back to you on this one". Of course they never did

[trusoulja2g]

As a TA, if you can't answer the question, don't forget to answer it the next time a tutorial comes around. I've had terrible experiences with TAs saying "I'll get back to you on this one". Of course they never did

My typical response as a TA: "send me an email"