Teaching Assistant Appointments in AAE
The department has two Teaching Assistantships available per year to teach discussion sections associated with undergraduate courses.
Hiring Criteria
All graduate students are eligible for Teaching Assistantships. Selection will be carried out by the Director of Graduate Studies and the supervising professors and will be based on the student possessing sufficient expertise in the subject area of the course and the ability to communicate effectively to undergraduate students. Students must be making satisfactory progress, as defined in the department’s graduate student handbook. International students must demonstrate adequate proficiency in English.
Training
Teaching Assistants will attend the fall or spring training sessions offered by the College of Letters and Science. In addition, they will meet with the supervising professor periodically throughout the semester to discuss pedagogy and areas for improvement. TAs are encouraged to participate in the training offered by the Office of Equity and Diversity.
Supervision
Teaching Assistants will be supervised by the professor teaching the course. Problem areas that cannot be resolved between the TA and the professor are handled by the Graduate Committee.
Evaluation
First-time TAs will be evaluated in the 6th or 7th week of class by means of a written evaluation conducted in discussion section in which students rate the TA’s general ability on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high). A score of 3.5 is deemed satisfactory. In addition, the supervising professor will observe a class section and provide feedback mid-way through the semester. Another evaluation will be administered at the end of the course, and a written evaluation by the supervising professor will be placed in the student’s file.
Resources for Teaching Assistants
UW Resources and Training
Resources for TAs, College of Letters and Science
Letters and Science TA Training
Graduate Assistant Training by the UW Office of Equity and Diversity
Resources from Other Universities
Teaching Assistant Instructional Consultaton: A high caliber of instuctional consultation in matters of design, delivery and evaluation.
Teaching Tips Index - Honolulu Community College
TAs and Professors as a Teaching Team - University of North Carolina
Resources for TAs - Stanford University
Center for Instructional Development and Research - University of Washington
Economics Teaching Resources - collection of information & web links showing activities to use in economics classe; also sites of other teachers of economics
