New TA? Questions to Ask Your Faculty Supervisor
Each TA assignment is unique, so whether you are a new or an experienced TA, you will benefit from getting as clear as possible on your role and responsibilities. These questions can help you and your supervising faculty member start the semester with transparency and a set of shared expectations.
To help the semester go smoothly, it’s important that you and your supervisor are on the same page, whether you are a first time or experienced TA. Your supervisor will probably provide you with a lot of the information you need to understand the course and your role, but they may not know what you don’t know. These questions can help you identify what more you need to know to be a successful TA. Keep in mind that not all questions will apply to all types of TA assignments.
About the Course:
- What are the learning goals and objectives in this course?
- How is the class organized (especially with respect to discussion or lab sections, if relevant)?
- What concepts and/or assignments have students struggled with in the past?
- What did students really like about the course in the past?
- What aspects of the course have students been less enthusiastic about?
- What resources are available to get up to speed on the material?