BASICS

1
BASICS
Arrive to class on time. On time may mean before
the class period begins if an experimental set-up
is necessary.
Be as prepared as you can be. This requires
reading the lab manual thoroughly in advance of
performing the experiment yourselves, attending
the prep sessions to perform the experiment,
looking up the answers to questions that arise
for you as you prepare to teach.
Prepare an introduction. Many classrooms are
smart classrooms so PowerPoint presentations are
possible. Quizzes may need to be prepared.
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Do not leave the students alone (unattended) for
any length of time in the laboratory classroom
Dress professionally Wear clean clothes No
incredibly-short skirts or shorts Wear deodorant
(labs get hot!) Not too much perfume
Maintain professionalism in your dealings with
students. Dont befriend them by facebook (or
other) while they are your students.
3
Follow the rules set out by the course
coordinator.
Equivalence across the many sections in a course
is essential.

• Do not unilaterally
• - offer extra credit to your students
• - grade with excessive leniency
• - give extra credit questions on quizzes/lab
  reports
• offer review sessions for lecture exams without
  checking
• with the coordinator.

4
Be aware of your responsibilities to the
course (outside of the classroom).
Some examples include - Proctoring lecture
exams - Help in grading portions of lecture
exams - Holding office hours for students to meet
with you - Answering students emails (within
reason)
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Provide your students with a clear set of
guidelines to follow for the duration of the
semester e.g. They will be expected to
1) arrive to lab on time or doors will be
closed 2) read the manual thoroughly in
advance of the class 3) not eat/drink/talk
on cell phone while in lab classroom
4) know how to contact you outside of their
lab period 5) pay attention during
presentations
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You are not alone!
Do not try to handle difficult students on your
own. Immediately report problematic student
behavior (aggressive, unruly, creepy) to the
course coordinator.
Should a student be unsatisfied with your
explanation of grading a report, refer them to
the course coordinator.
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Tips for Effective Teaching
Speak in a loud voice. It is difficult to hear
over the bench tops in many lab.
Ask questions of your students (even during
your introduction) to engage them in the
discussion.
Write on the board. E.g.Outlines for the
experimental procedure, important notes, etc.
Circulate through the laboratory classroom
throughout the entire laboratory period. Ask
questions of them.
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The class can be dynamic If you find, as you
circulate, that many students have a similar
misconception, lack of understanding, or are
making the same mistake, interrupt the experiment
to clear up confusion.
Repeat the question a student has asked before
you provide the answer to allow all students to
benefit from the information you provide. Use
the board if it can help you to explain an answer.
Encourage your students. Show off the exemplary
work of students to others in the lab and have
the students describe/demonstrate how they
achieved their results.
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Learn names of your students. At a minimum,
learn the names of the high responders in the
classroom.
Grade in a timely fashion. Students lose
interest in the material - and handing it in on
time- if they do not receive graded work back
from their TAs.
Observe the labs of other TAs
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A frequent concern of prospective TAs
Are you expected to know everything/anticipate eve
ry question your students have?
Absolutely not. But, telling a student that you
will research the answer to a good, relevant
question, and then reporting that answer to them
the following class period is a good rule to
follow.