Nobody starts out as a completely effective and creative teacher. . . . The desire to teach and the ability to teach well are not the same thing. With the rarest of exceptions, one has to learn how to become a teacher. - Herbert Kohl

Balancing Teaching Duties with Your Responsibilities as a Student

Remember the ASSISTANT in Graduate Teaching Assistant. If your teaching load is imposing on your role as a student, ask for help from your department.

Rely on your fellow GTAs for support and advice. Ask them for ideas that they have tried and found helpful. Seek out both new and experienced GTAs.

Set a limit on grading papers and keep it. When you’re grading projects or essays, set the timer for ten minutes. When it goes off, leave that paper and move on to the next.

Ask students to submit drafts on disk so that you can respond quickly with typed comments. Set up a computer program with a code for common errors. An added benefit: students will be able to read typed comments better than hand-written ones.

Have a grading session with others who teach similar courses (consider both GTAs and faculty). You’ll pick up useful ideas, even if your tests aren’t alike. Plus, you’ll enjoy the comradery.

Contact the CTE. We’d be glad to talk with you about balancing your dual roles.