TA Guide: Establishing the instructor-TA relationship
Help sustain an effective working relationship
Seek clarity early about your responsibilities
Before meeting with the instructor for the first time, plan to clarify which tasks the lead instructor will handle and which they expect you to handle. Since TA roles and responsibilities vary widely, use your first meeting with the lead instructor or supervisor to learn how the course is run and understand their specific expectations of you or the team of TAs.
Ideally, this first meeting will happen after the contract start date and before the start of classes. If your TA appointment begins late, contact the lead instructor as soon as possible to request a brief check-in.
If there are other TAs for your class, this may be a full team meeting, or it may be one-on-one with the lead instructor or supervisor.
There may be things that you are unsure about – this is okay. Ask questions to clarify. This shows that you are taking a professional approach to teaching and care about doing good work.
Establish a clear communication plan
A good communication plan often includes:
- Regular meetings every week or two weeks
- How to reach the instructor/supervisor in an emergency
- How to notify the instructor and arrange coverage in case of illness
- How to reach the instructor/other TAs in between meetings with questions or concerns
Some instructors may prefer email or Teams over regular meetings. Regular messages can provide a different way to stay on the same page and up to date with the progression of the course.
Seek to understand:
- The tools the instructor prefers you use to ask questions or provide updates in between meetings or regular emails (e.g., email, Teams chat, or other tool).
- The response time TAs can expect from the instructor and the instructor expects from TAs when responding to the instructor or to students.
- The types of questions or situations the instructor deems appropriate for written communication email or Teams chats, and what items are better handled during meetings for more detailed discussion and advice.
- Items the instructor may not need or want TAs to tell them. For example, if a student tells a TA about a personal situation with the assumption that the TA will keep these details private, the instructor might recommend that the TA seek advice but avoid disclosing personal details to the instructor.
“At our in-person teaching team roundtable meeting at the start of the semester, our team established a clear and appropriate communication plan. Having this structure from the beginning was not only helpful in easing first-time TA nerves, but also provided a tangible framework to refer to throughout the semester.”
Match the instructor’s level of formality
Instructors will vary in the level of formality they expect when you are writing or speaking as a teaching team or communicating with students. It’s best to start with a formal tone to establish yourself as a respectful teammate, and then follow the instructor’s tone from there. A formal style of communication involves things like using their official title (e.g. Dr. or Professor) and signing your name at the end of emails until you learn from experience how they expect you to communicate with them.
What if the instructor or supervisor has not contacted me?
Email them in a respectful manner to asking to meet.
Maintain healthy practices
Even with thoughtful planning, the dynamic nature of the semester means that things can still get complicated. Expectations set in week one don’t always hold up against shifting deadlines, evolving course needs, or unexpected student issues.
In addition to the proactive strategies above, these practices can help prevent small misunderstandings from turning into bigger frustrations.
Develop your awareness of the big picture
As you move through the semester, seek to develop your understanding of how the lead instructor or supervisor approaches course management, course policies, grading and feedback, and appropriate support for students. Many if not most instructors are teaching two or more courses with varying levels of complexity, so they may approach things differently from what you might expect or prefer.
Consider this bigger picture by asking a few questions about it with a curious and nonjudgmental tone. This will help you successfully navigate challenges with the course and conflicts in the teaching team.
Maintain regular communication
Often, the most effective way to maintain regular communication is to have regular meetings. If your instructor hosts a regular meeting, the meeting topics will vary based on your role and responsibilities. Common ones include:
- Student questions that arose since the last meeting or communication during that week
- Progress updates on grading
- Brief observations from class or office hours, including concerns about specific students
- General feedback on the flow and structure of activities
- A preview of content and responsibilities for the upcoming week
“Our instructor made sure to host a weekly meeting with all of the TAs. During these meetings, he would discuss the topics that were covered in lecture that week and what would be covered the next week, along with any upcoming assignment deadlines or exams. This helped me stay organized and tailor my own teaching during discussions to make sure I was matching the material they saw in lecture or otherwise filling in any gaps.”
Take notes on instructor and student conversations
Taking notes helps in many situations. For example, writing down something the instructor asked you to will help you remember to do it.
Situations in which notes are helpful include:
- When a student requests an extended deadline, a regrade, or accommodations. If this comes up in conversation, ask the student to email you so that you can more easily review the request and (depending on the communication plan and role expectations) consult with the instructor for a decision.
- Student issues such as academic integrity concerns or major classroom disruptions.
Keep the instructor informed
As a TA, you are likely to observe student patterns, behaviors, and issues that the instructor may not see as closely. Ask what types of student patterns or issues the instructor wants to know about and keep them informed. This may include:
- Which activities are well received by students, and any specific parts or broad topics that cause confusion.
- Academic misconduct or other concerning student behavior.
Receive feedback
It is appropriate to ask for feedback from your instructor, especially if you have specific aspects of your teaching that you’d like to develop.
Your instructor or the department you’re working for may ensure that TAs receive a course observation. This means that the instructor or someone else comes and quietly watches you conduct a class session, typically with the goal of providing you with feedback to highlight effective practices and opportunities for improvement. Typically, they will inform you in advance that they intend to come on a particular day and how they will share their feedback with you, such as in writing or in a scheduled conversation.
You can also email your instructor to request feedback on your teaching performance.