Friday, April 1, 2011

Points On Engaging A Teaching Assistant

By Lanny J. Moll


Most often professors and teachers do engage teaching assistants to help out in the class. In such cases it becomes important that both you and the assistant are in sync with each other and on the same wavelength so that both of you know what is required to be done so that the pupils are benefited.

The job of the teaching assistant is to help you manage the work with the pupils and handle the entire class. But always remember that the responsibility of the students lies with the teacher alone and not the assistant. The assistant can never replace the teacher and would have to strictly work under teacher's guidance and supervision.

Once the teacher and the assistant have worked together in the class for a few weeks, you can begin to see them jelling and forming a team for they now know each other well enough to be able to cover each one's weak spots and team up together.

It helps to build the teaching plan, the lessons as well as the aids and exercises together so that it is clear to both of you.

You can even give some small assignments or independent charge of functions to the assistant to train them better.

It always helps to go through the final project plans as well as the teaching methodology and practice them well in advance and rehearse. Once executed it is also important that you go through each ones performance to see what can be better. Always appreciate and respect your assistant especially in front of the class.

The students always watch the teacher and imitate the attitude towards the teaching assistants. Therefore it is your responsibility to show them the right way of respecting the people.

As a good teacher you should always be open to suggestions and invite your assistant to participate with her own ideas and bring about new changes too.

Never try to overload your assistant with too much of responsibility or too much of work which is not possible for them to complete in the given time. In case if they are not able to complete it will hamper your class and make you look like a failure.




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