Whether you are a new teaching assistant (TA) or an experienced TA for a course that is new to you, it’s important to clearly understand your responsibilities and the instructor’s expectations. For each course you TA, we encourage you to meet with the instructor at the start of the term and ask questions so you can be fully prepared for your role. To help guide that conversation, here is a list of suggested questions:
Clarifying your Role and Expectations
- What is my role?
- Will I be leading discussions or activities, facilitating tutorials, conducting labs, and/or grading/providing feedback?
- Will I be responsible for content or activities on the course management system (LEARN) (e.g., writing course announcements, facilitating online discussion boards, entering grades)?
- Am I required to attend lectures?
- How often will I be performing any of the above roles?
- What is the expected weekly workload for this TA-ship?
- Who will supervise me (e.g., course instructor, course coordinator, lab coordinator, lead TA) and under what criteria?
- Are there additional responsibilities I should be aware of?
- What course policies (late submissions, extensions, attendance) am I expected to enforce?
- Are there guidelines for handling student information (e.g., grades, personal concerns, emails)?
Guidance for Specific Tasks
- What do my assigned tasks involve (e.g., what is involved in running a tutorial?)
- Am I responsible for holding office hours? If so, how frequently and in what format (e.g., in-person, online)?
- If I will be leading tutorials or discussions, how should I run the sessions?
- Will I be given guidance/materials outlining what content should be covered in each session?
- How closely should the problem sets or discussions align with assigned readings or lectures?
- What is the desired balance between my explanations and student participation during tutorials/discussions?
- How much autonomy will I have to present new ideas, use different teaching methods, or present perspectives different from the instructor’s?
- If I will be conducting labs, what is the scope of my responsibilities?
- Do I keep track of supplies and materials?
- Do I obtain supplies and materials? If so, how?
- Do I design or revise experiments?
- Do I give demonstrations?
- What do I do in case of emergency or accident?
- Are there any tools, equipment, or software I need to know to do my role?
- How should I support students with accessibility needs or formal accommodations (e.g., extra time)?
Grading and Evaluating Student Work
- How will the grading work be divided (e.g., TAs only, instructor and TAs)?
- If I am to evaluate/grade papers, projects, reports, quizzes, exams, and/or student participation, are the criteria for assigning grades provided by the instructor?
- What is the process/formula for determining a grade on an assessment (e.g., marking scheme, rubric)?
- How much time will I have for grading a given assessment?
- Who (instructor or TA) reviews disputed grades?
- What is my role in identifying or reporting suspected academic misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, cheating)?
Communicating with Students
- What is the main way I should communicate with students (e.g., course discussion forum, email, MS Teams chat)?
- What is the expected turn-around time for responding to student emails and/or discussion posts? Am I expected to respond on evenings/weekends?
- If I am giving individual student assistance, how much help is too much?
- What kind of assistance should I not give to students?
- Should I organize group help/review sessions?
Communicating with the Instructor/Teaching Team
- What is the main way I should communicate with the course instructor and other TAs (e.g., email, MS Teams chat, MS Teams or Zoom video calls)?
- Will there be regular meetings with the instructor (e.g., weekly, monthly, before major assessments, as needed)?
- What is the expected turn-around time for responding to instructor emails? Am I expected to respond on evenings/weekends?
- What should I do, whom should I contact, if I am unable to attend a class/lab/tutorial?
Opportunities for Teaching Development
For experienced TAs looking to continue developing your teaching, you might ask:
- Are there opportunities to guest lecture or facilitate an in-class activity?
- Would you like me to proofread any course documents (e.g., syllabus) or provide feedback on assignments or exam questions?
- Would you be able to give me feedback on my performance as a TA in the course?
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)
For every course you TA at the University of Waterloo, check with the instructor about whether GenAI tools are allowed, how they can be used, and why. Since each instructor sets their own policy, practices will differ — some may encourage GenAI use for certain assignments, while others may restrict or prohibit it. Here are some suggested questions to ask the instructor about the use of GenAI in the course:
- Are students allowed to use GenAI tools in the course assignments, and if so, under what conditions?
- If allowed, what are the expectations for disclosing and citing AI-generated content?
- If not allowed, what should I look for in terms of academic integrity issues? What steps should I take if I suspect an assignment was heavily assisted by GenAI?
- What are the expectations for talking with students about GenAI use in the course?
- Is the use of GenAI required for any of my work as a TA?
- Are there preferred or approved tools for this course or in our department?
- Are there any GenAI training/resources you’d recommend to help me in my TA role?
Getting answers to these questions may take time, but knowing the answers will help you approach your role and tasks with confidence.
Support
If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help. View the CTE Support page to find the most relevant staff member to contact.
This Creative Commons license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format: Teaching Assistant Checklist: Questions to Ask. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo.