Employ Teaching Associates (TAs) effectively

Teaching Associates (TA’s) are a valuable resource for your teaching. If utilised effectively and supported well, TAs can make a significant difference to the student learning experience and learning outcomes in your classes.

Prepare your TAs and set expectations

Find time to sit down with your TAs prior to class commencing and make sure they have the essential ‘need to know’ of what their role will be during your class sessions. This may include:

  • Informing them of the concepts, facts or information you will be presenting.
  • Briefing them on how you would like them to assist you in presenting new skills that you want students to learn, apply, practice or extend during class.
  • Outlining how any specific activities you’re running will work, so they can confidently field questions and troubleshoot.
  • Discussing what the intended learning outcomes of your lesson will be.
  • Discussing how you would like them to facilitate student feedback for you.
  • Communicating specific TA tasks and timelines.

Make your TAs part of the lesson

Both you and the TAs should move between the various groups when tasks are being undertaken and support the students’ learning. Get them to supervise student group activities and prompt discussion and collaboration within the groups.

Provide TAs with clear instructions

Give your TAs clear instructions on the tasks you want them to undertake during your lesson. Include their tasks in your lesson plan and share this with them before class commences.

Make TAs a more visible part of your teaching while in the classroom

For instance, you could have them scribe on the whiteboard, demonstrate equipment, etc. This will provide more opportunity for you to gauge students' reactions and maintain eye contact with them so they know you are still available.

Rotate roles

Both you and the TAs should move between the various groups when tasks are being undertaken and support the students’ learning. Get them to supervise student group activities and prompt discussion and collaboration within the groups.

Use your TAs to provide ‘teaching triage’

Have them move around the classroom looking for students who are having difficulty with a particular task or need extra help. They can help you identify common issues students are having with the course material. Remember to address common issues to the whole class during the session.

Provide support to your TAs

Here are some other ways that you can support your TAs to ensure that they understand their role and can support you effectively during the semester. You can’t assume that they will act without your guidance or know how to support your  best, so having those clear lines of communication is essential to a successful collaboration.

Some TAs will be new to teaching so they may need extra support in learning how to teach effectively and support active learning. You can share this resource with them as a starting point, but it is also important that you discuss the pedagogical approaches you want to undertake in your unit.

Arrange regular meeting with all your TAs to discuss and share thoughts on:

  • Pedagogical approaches.
  • Teaching strategies.
  • Problem solving for common student issues.

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