With good communication and some planning, serving as a teaching assistant can be a rewarding experience and an important step in your professional development. But TAing also presents some challenges: How can you determine what's expected of you and ensure that both you and the instructor get the most out of your working relationship?

CIDR staff can consult with you about how to work effectively with the faculty you TA for, given the content of the course and the many demands on your time, and theirs.

Every CIDR consultation is customized to your specific needs and questions. Common questions that UW TAs raise include: What should I ask when I meet the instructor for the first time? How can I learn what is expected of me? How should I deal with challenging classroom situations?

For additional resources on working with the faculty member that you are a TA for, see CIDR's Resource page on Faculty and TAs.

If you would like to discuss these or any other TA-related questions with a CIDR consultant, call 206-543-6588, or contact us by email to arrange an appointment.