Teaching Assistant Responsibilities and Expectations

Working with TAs: Guidelines for Faculty Student TAs are teachers in training, and TAships are a crucial step in the preparation of students to take independent responsibility for courses of their own design. The primary goal of the TAship is pedagogical training and professional mentoring. For many students, the TAship will be the first classroom experience as an instructor. The following guidelines are designed to support a successful mentoring and a rewarding working experience:

Before the first class, review the syllabus with the TAs, clearly outlining teaching goals and expectations. Discuss in advance all tasks that will be the responsibility of the TAs in relation to the lecture, sections (if applicable), office hours, grading, and any planning meetings. Identify important dates, deadlines, and anticipated absences.
TAs share in grading but do not have responsibility for all the grading for the course. To support a shared grading practice that helps TAs learn best practices and ensures consistency across sections, consider a norming exercise where the instructor and TAs grade the same small selection of papers and then discuss how to align grades and written feedback for the course.
Since a TA is not simply a grader, try to provide opportunities to engage in as many different aspects of the teaching process as is possible. These may include discussions of course-planning, effective strategies for lecturing, leading discussions, time-management, and navigating conflict. TAs may lead a regular recitation section, give one or two lectures, design and implement an activity, etc.
TAs must not be taxed with excessive work burdens or sudden, short deadlines to accomplish work. In general, a TA should be expected to perform about 10-12 hrs. of work per week for a course, on average, including class time.
While TAs are required to attend class meetings, it is anticipated that they may need to miss a class or two to attend professional meetings, to meet unavoidable requirements of courses in which they are enrolled, for religious observances, or for illness.
Have a plan for emergencies.

Working as a TA: Guidelines for Students

The TA-instructor relationship supports both pedagogical training of the TA and the instructor’s educational goals for the course. TAs should take their responsibilities seriously, complete assignments fully and on time, communicate promptly with students and the instructor, and be a constructive member of the team led by the instructor. The TAship is a supportive setting for developing teaching expertise and confidence, while benefiting from one of the most rewarding aspects of academia.
TAs commit to the responsibilities that come with the role of educator: to show up to classes, office hours, and scheduled meetings on time; to communicate with students in a timely manner; and never miss class, except for exceptional professional, religious or personal needs that have been agreed to in advance by the instructor.

In teaching undergraduates, TAs understand that they are engaging with students who are not their peers. TAs set a tone of mutual respect and strive for equity and fairness in all interactions.

TAs respect the confidentiality of student information and do not discuss student performance or other personal information with anyone beyond the instructor, the other course TAs as necessary, and administrators as appropriate.

TAs take full advantage of this learning experience by reaching out to the instructor for help and advice in a timely fashion.

The Grad Division of the School of Arts and Sciences sets the following Principles for Graduate Teaching and Mentoring: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/graduate-division/current-students/principles-graduate-teaching-and-mentorship