Maybe you’re an undergraduate or graduate student who’s just been appointed a TA. Or maybe you’re a postdoctoral student or a new hire with limited teaching experience. In either case, you’ll be expected – with little to no training – to excel at teaching and to enhance the learning experience of your students.

Kathy Nomme and Carol Pollock recognize this gap between expectations and preparation and draw on decades of experience in teaching and TA training to offer practical advice on:



interacting with course instructors
dealing with nerves and anxiety
preparing for the first session
supporting student learning
developing learning exercises
engaging students with diverse needs and backgrounds
using technology in the classroom
assessing student work and providing feedback.

The lessons and scenarios in this short, accessible guide can be applied to any discipline or teaching venue – from large lecture halls to smaller labs, studios, seminars, and tutorials. It not only demystifies expectations for TAs, it sets the stage for developing a lifelong teaching practice.