University of Oregon - Oregana Yearbook (Eugene, OR)

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THE TEACHING ASSISTANT: HIS AWARENESS OF THE FRESHMAN'S RESPONSE COPY BY TANA LANE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOB DENNISTON I think my TA is great. He's human; he doesn't like Saturday classes any more than we do. Ring, the bell sounds faintly above the chatter ot the classroom. Grudgingly, notebooks flap open and pens appear as the youthful instructor enters the room. Another day of classes has started for the TA and his students. TA? What's that? Looking through the college slang dictionary used on most campuses today, one discovers that the abbreviation TA stands for teaching assistant. In further definition, the dictionary states that the TA is a student working for either an MA, MS, or PhD degree, has a BA in the field he's teaching achor practical experi- ence, and usually his ultimate goal is college teaching. While the TA's goal may be college teaching, chances are 50-50 that he's never been in front of a classroom audience before. Because of this, the TA's iob ranges anywhere from grading papers and straightening the library to actual classroom experience. But practical experience is stressed, and hence most TA's spend between 3-5 hours a week teaching class, 2-4 hours a week holding ottice hours, and un- tolcl numbers of hours a week grading papers and preparing for the next day's classes. In addition to preparing for the next day, the TA often carries as many as 12 credit hours a term in which he must maintain a B average in order to fulfill requirements for a higher degree. He receives no credit for the hours he spends teaching, but rather receives a salary ranging from $1800 to $2500 for the nine month school period as well as a reduction in his tuition. Furthermore, he receives the praise or scorn from his students as to whether he's doing a decent job or not. HMy TA is cruddy. Aw, you're full of it, my TA is a great guy. Nuts to both at you. l felt like I was part of an experimental group. I didn't learn a thing. l0 These are iust a few of the reactions some freshmen have concerning their TA's. Essentially, students felt that it they got a bad TA, they really got a bad one. The maior complaint seemed to be that some TA's were apathetic; they weren't concerned with the student or the classroom problems. They iust talk in parables all the time, one girl mentioned, Hand they never give any specifics. Another said, HThey just lock enthusiasm. They don't even bother to come to class pre- pared, and when we question them on something they just get mad. But, perhaps, the feeling is best summed up by the freshman who said of one TA, 'il've no respect for the guy. The maiority of students telt ditterently though. As one girl men- tioned, HI think my TA is great. He's human; he doesn't like Saturday classes any more than we do. But disliking Saturday classes was not the only criterion for a good TA. Most students liked the way their TA's presented the material. liHe gives examples and ties them in with things that are amusing, one girl said. HI thing it helps to laugh in a Camp. class. HMy TA was over in Germany, one fellow mentioned, iland sometimes he'll spend part of the hour talking about some phase of it. I really get enthusiastic about German then. HAW, heck, still another fellow mentioned, 'iTA's are better than profs. The profs are crusty; it's been so long since they were students. My TA is aware of students' response. Not only was the TA aware of classroom response, but most fresh- men felt their TA's were also fair graders. Tests, neither tricky nor easy, but straightforward, were usually marked on a curve, and the TA asked what the student would know. liThere are no reprisals for not knowing something, but you sure feel like a crumb it you don't, one freshman explained. Karen Royce: Italian

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'They're very serious about their iob and won't allow any mickey-mousing around in class, one student mentioned. The general consensus agreed that the TA had few discipline prob- lems and essentially had a weII-structured class. Occasional flaws were found in rhe material presented how- ever, but Hwhen the class mentions it, he doesn't try to take his way. He'd tell us he didn't know the answer and then go look it up, one freshman commented. I respect him most, I guess, be- cause he knows so much about the subiect, one girl said. You can talk to him and you'll come out understanding the problem better. Primarily, most students felt as this freshman girl, iil'm sure glad I got him; he dresses like we do so he seems closer to us. Per- haps, the ultimate compliment though was this one from a fresh- man fellow, iiHe knows everyone's names, in fact he learned all our names almost before I had a chance to learn his. I guess I like him, because he seems to care about us. But what do TA's feel about freshmen? HFreshmen are definitely people in a new situation, and they don't quite know what to expectf' one TA mentioned. HThey realize though, he continued, that college is a serious situation. Hence, they are genuinely concerned about their studies and grades.