A previous grade of A or A- in the course the TA is requesting.
The TA application process will open in May and will involve a formal application process through the sponsoring teacher. During course registration please sign up for the course you would like to take in case TA does not become available for you.
The Teaching Assistant role offers students an opportunity to support the learning of peers, gain experience in presenting in an academic environment, encounter teaching and learning from a different perspective, and gain valuable experience in the field. The TA role is student-driven and self-directed, and often based on students’ own interest and growing expertise in a skill or content area they want to nurture further. Students have the opportunity to gain a new perspective by entering the teaching-learning process from the teacher’s viewpoint, developing an appreciation for others who may learn differently while deepening their understanding within the discipline.
TA Expectations
TAs are expected to be in class a minimum of 50% of the time and could be asked to engage with any of the following activities:
- Prepare formative learning opportunities for the students
- Prepare extension material for students able and motivated to go above and beyond the basic course requirements
- Create study packets
- Design a learning experience for a class or small group
- Serve as a mentor for individual students
- Give individual feedback to students
- Collect data
- Direct before and after school sessions
- Create classroom bulletin boards
- Assist with other teaching duties as required
- Meet with supervising teacher on a regular basis
- Meet with other TAs to collaborate and share experiences
Selection Criteria
- The student must have been taught by the supervising teacher in a prior class.
- The student will have earned an A or A- in the course or discipline they will TA in.
- The student must obtain the recommendation from their counselor and the teacher they would like to work with.
Selection Process
- The student will most commonly be self-identified, although a teacher may approach a student with the option if they think the student would benefit from such an experience.
- Interested students will speak to their counselor and request a TA Application Form.
- Application forms will be submitted to the Associate Principal for Academics
- Assistant Principal of Academics will work with sponsoring teachers to finalize a list of qualified candidates.
- Once classes are confirmed (how many classes are running / class block), the Associate Principal will match the TAs to the course and teacher.
- Not all approved students will become TAs. It depends on scheduling and number of courses.
- 1 TA per class
- The Teaching Assistant List will be announced for next year at the end of May.
- Learning Goals will be established in partnership with the TA teacher advisor. The supervising teacher will give regular feedback on these learning goals.
- Reflection: Every TA will make arrangements to reflect on their experience a minimum of once a week, either through a blog, shared document, or other suitable means. The audience of these reflections will be the sponsoring teacher and the Associate Principal of Academics.
- Final assessment: Reflective paper/ video that highlights personal experience, development, and assessment of teaching culture in their experience as a student and a TA.
*Students can use this document to support their reflection process.
“I was a Teaching Assistant this year for [teacher]’s AP Microeconomics/Macroeconomics Course. I wanted to fulfill the role of a teacher's assistant because I'm very interested in economic theory and wanted to do what I could to help out this year's batch of econ students as well as instill the same passion that I had for the course. If you do decide to Teaching Assistant for a course and are lucky enough to be working with others, I highly recommend that you do as much as possible to coordinate between all of the Teaching Assistants to provide the best service you can to students. I have an awesome team this year (shout out Anshuk, Santi, Yoonjung, Kaira, and Marilyn), and currently have a lot of fun with the role. A couple of things to keep in mind: 1) Try to understand that just because you did well in the class, others may struggle with the same concepts you easily understood. Be patient with students and let them solve problems on their own, don't give them the answer right away. 2) Seek to go above and beyond: create activities for your classes in addition to the teacher's planned lessons. It's a huge help to your teacher and shows that you intend to do more than just come to class every day and sit in on the lecture. Kahoots and trivia games are really fun, while student-created worksheets, review slides, and lectures can be incredibly meaningful. 3) Lastly, pick a course you are first and foremost interested in TA'ing. Don't do it because you think your teacher will “write a good rec letter“ or because of the “low workload.” You'll have a much better time and your students will thank you for it. Best of luck!”
- Mark Gikas (Class of 2023)
“Teaching Assistant for AP Statistics. Being a Teaching Assistant is what you make out of it. Traditionally, Teaching Assistants dwell around in the classroom and provide help when possible, but with a little more freedom in recent times Teaching Assistants are what the student and teacher agree on. You can show up to as many classes as you want and provide as much help as you want outside of class. Since it can become boring to sit through a class you've already been through, I'd recommend only becoming a Teaching Assistant if you are truly interested in teaching/the course. Personally, I've really enjoyed my experience as a Teaching Assistant, and I'd advise any future Teaching Assistants to just take pride in their work and to enjoy it too.”
- Marcus Fong (Class of 2023)