The GTA as Facilitator

Graduate teaching assistants are a bridge between faculty instructors and undergraduate students. Many students find it useful to have complex material taught in multiple ways, and GTAs can put difficult concepts or unclear assignments into plain language. Maybe you remember what was especially confusing when you took organic chemistry or Asian Civ., and now you are able to clarify certain misconceptions or prevent common mistakes before they happen. Teaching assistants can also serve as a sounding board for both faculty and students. You can offer the professor a second perspective on the class, while providing the students with a different point view. As a graduate teaching assistant, you are uniquely positioned to narrow the gap between teaching and learning.