TA Roles and Expectations: The TA’s Perspective

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TA Roles and Expectations: The TA's Perspective 

Purpose: This resource helps TAs understand their role in supporting instructors and students by outlining core responsibilities, encouraging proactive communication, and clarifying expectations for workload, grading, and student interaction. 

Good communication between instructors and TAs is crucial. 

See Support Teaching Staff Hiring, Roles, and Eligibility provided by Faculty Engagement and Academic Affairs (FEAA) for more details.

You may be asked to: 

  1. Answer students’ questions via discussion boards, email, or during class

  1. Support students who need help

  1. Be a liaison between the instructor and students

    1. Some students are hesitant to approach the instructor

    2. Alert instructor about students who are having difficulty

  1. Grade student work

  1. Manage and monitor discussion boards

  1. Manage and organize the Canvas course website

    1. Manage modules

    2. Create assignments

    3. Upload files and publish materials

    4. Send announcements

    5. Make sure materials meet accessibility requirements

  1. Attend class

    1. If online, manage breakout rooms, chat, routine tech tasks

  1. Run section meetings

  1. Occasionally hold a special section to demonstrate a tool needed for the course  or explain a difficult concept

  1. Hold office hours

  1. Assist with exams and projects

    1. Hold extra sections or office hours to prepare

    2. Be on call if students experience tech difficulties or have questions

  1. Advise students about resources

Discuss Expectations with Your Instructor

  1. Number of hours you will work each week

    1. The amount of time you should devote to each responsibility

    2. If more time is needed at the start of the semester, mid-term or at the end

  1. Additional responsibilities you may have at different times during the semester

  1. Grading

    1. If you will grade together or if you will grade first and the instructor reviews

    2. How the workload will be divided

    3. Make sure you understand the instructor’s grading standards and policies

    4. Bring questions about grades to the instructor

  1. If you will hold sections

    1. If the instructor will decide topics to be discussed, or if you will

  1. How often you will meet with the instructor

  1. When you should bring something to the attention of the instructor

Discuss Expectations with Your Students

  1. We firmly support you in setting boundaries

  1. You should set expectations around

    1. The ways students can contact you (no need to give your phone)

    2. The channels by which they should contact you

    3. The amount of time in which they can expect to hear back from you

Resources

  1. Teaching and Learning Website 

  2. Canvas TA Community

Student Resources

  1. Writing Center

  2. Math Question Center

  3. Career and Academic Resource Center 

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