{"id":254,"date":"2017-06-16T10:30:07","date_gmt":"2017-06-16T14:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/teachingresources\/teachingresources\/?page_id=254"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:52:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T19:52:42","slug":"working-with-teaching-assistants","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/teachingresources\/managing-your-tas\/working-with-teaching-assistants\/","title":{"rendered":"Working with Teaching Assistants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Working with Teaching Assistants\n <\/h1>\n \n \n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

Based on the number of students enrolled in your courses, you may be assigned one or more teaching assistants. Your departmental chair\/director (or in some cases another faculty member) is responsible for assigning graduate students as TAs to a particular course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you wish to work with a particular student or require additional TAs, make your request well before the distribution of TAs in the late summer. Occasionally undergraduate students are hired as TAs well into the start of classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\n Table of Contents\n <\/h2>\n
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\n \n 1.\n <\/span>\n\n \n TA Duties\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n \n
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\n \n 2.\n <\/span>\n\n \n Defining the TA’s Role\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n \n
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\n \n 3.\n <\/span>\n\n \n Working Effectively With TAs: A Checklist\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n \n
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\n \n 4.\n <\/span>\n\n \n Working with Your TAs Online: Building a Team in An Online Environment\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n \n
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\n \n 5.\n <\/span>\n\n \n Resources for Your TA(s)\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

TA Duties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

TAs belong to the CUPE 4600 bargaining unit and their terms of employment are spelled out in the collective agreement<\/a>. <\/span>Their workload is typically an average of 10 hours a week, to a maximum of 130 hours per term (note: all regular TAs are eligible to attend five hours of paid training in the fall and winter terms. For details, visit the TA support website<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typical TA duties include office hours, preparation time, discussion groups, seminars and lecture attendance as well as lab demonstrations, supervision or clean up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defining the TA’s Role<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An important component in working with your TA is clear communication of their role. The following questions are designed to help you clarify your expectations of them [adapted from Handbook for Teaching Assistants, University of Delaware, 1989].<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n