Teaching assistants (TAs) play a vital role in shaping the educational experiences of students. Ed Himelblau, a professor of biological sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, describes many of the challenges TAs face in their line of work, and how to overcome them, in his forthcoming book The Teaching Assistant’s Guide: Essential Skills for College Lectures and Labs.
This week in Inside Higher Ed, Himelblau writes about the tension that many TAs experience between the demands of teaching and honoring their personal and professional needs. The article explores how TAs can set firm boundaries while still being a resource for students, and how TAs can respond in an appropriate and measured manner when boundaries are being crossed. Read the article here.
The Teaching Assistant’s Guide: Essential Skills for College Lectures and Labs is a Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press publication and will be available for purchase on July 30. To learn more visit TheTAsGuide.com, which includes additional resources like templates and worksheets that can be used in the classroom. The Teaching Assistant’s Guide is available for preorder on Amazon.