Rutgers Teaching/Instructional Assistant

September 2024—Present

As a Teaching/Instructional Assistant, I am given the incredible opportunity to support and foster student learning directly. My official job position is titled “Instructional Assistant (IA),” although I am more commonly referred to as a Teaching Assistant (TA). As a TA for an introductory Communication course, one of my responsibilities is attending the weekly lecture and assisting in-person and on Zoom (the course is considered “hyflex” and students can choose to participate online or in-person, or both). The course usually holds about an average of 250 students. I am responsible for only a portion of students, although I encourage any student to reach out if they need me for support/to assist in understanding the course materials and assignments. I hold weekly Office Hours, where students can attend in-person or online.

A very significant element of my position as a TA is grading student assignments. Thanks to clear and concise direction from the course instructor, I have a very solid understanding of how he expects the instructional team to score assignments. I always provide timely and high-quality feedback, letting students where they did well and where they could improve for next time. I hope to see my students succeed, and it makes me very happy to see many students make significant progress in their learning and communication skills.