The Teaching Assistant's role in the Department of Environmental Sciences typically involves presenting and overseeing the laboratory exercises in several of our Department's lab courses. It is a role that our Department takes very seriously. In this role, the TA is responsible not only for the safety of the students and laboratory equipment, but also in successfully transmitting the material covered in the laboratory to the students taking the lab: you are a teacher, a mentor, and an authority figure. The challenge for TAs is to transmit not only information, but to make your students think and in doing so, experience the excitement that presumably we all feel as graduate students or faculty in the Department of Environmental Sciences.

You are a valuable extension of the Department's faculty. You are responsible for setting and enforcing laboratory rules, for assuring the academic rigor of the laboratory and assessing the students' grasp of the material, and for making the whole experience FUN!

In this role you are also an important role model. UVA students are sharp. They can pick-up vibes from instructors that signal "This stuff is great!" or "Gosh, I wish I wasn't here!" (you know--you've been there). The way you present yourself is important. In other words, the way you set about solving problems, the thought processes you go through, the methods and tools you use, and the creativity you exercise are all important. Your students will learn by example.

The UVA Teaching Resources Center is a valuable asset for you as a TA; use this resource! Talk with faculty and with fellow TAs about how to be effective. And if you have questions about difficulties that may arise in the laboratory, talk to the faculty member in charge of the parent lecture course for guidance.

Last Modified: 9/24/96