Photo: Ivan Nouemsi (CC BY 4.0)
Job description
Grading a stack of papers, leading a discussion section or lab, proctoring an exam, and holding office hours to tutor students, all in the same week, is a normal course load for a teaching assistant. The role is typically filled by students currently enrolled in a master's or PhD program in the subject they teach, so it's combined with their own coursework and research rather than pursued as a standalone job. It's often a first step toward an academic teaching career, giving early exposure to curriculum design and classroom management before moving into a faculty role.
Pros
- Standard, predictable hours (30-40 a week) that fit around graduate coursework
- Faster than average projected job growth (3.1%) keeps positions available
- Builds direct teaching experience, valuable for anyone pursuing an academic career
Cons
- Entry-level pay is quite low, since the role is structured as a graduate stipend rather than a full salary
- The position only exists while you're enrolled in a graduate program, not a standalone long-term career
- Balancing grading, leading sections, and tutoring alongside your own coursework and research can be demanding
A typical day
The morning starts with a 9am discussion section: thirty undergrads, one whiteboard, and the job of making Tuesday's lecture actually make sense. Office hours follow, where the same integral gets explained four different ways to four different students until it lands. The afternoon belongs to the TA's own coursework and research, because teaching is the side of the deal that pays tuition. The evening ends with a grading stack and a rubric, applied consistently from the first exam to the eightieth.
Tasks at the job
- Evaluate and grade examinations, assignments, or papers, and record grades.
- Lead discussion sections, tutorials, or laboratory sections.
- Inform students of the procedures for completing and submitting class work, such as lab reports.
- Prepare or proctor examinations.
- Tutor or mentor students who need additional instruction.
- Meet with supervisors to discuss students' grades or to complete required grade-related paperwork.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting.
There's a regular, moderate amount of time pressure, and you're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day.
Education necessary or common
Enrollment in a master's or PhD program in the relevant field -- the position is typically held by graduate students themselves
Common college majors
Related fields
Courses to take
- AP courses in your intended field -- the path runs through subject mastery
- AP English Language -- explaining ideas is the assistantship's core
- Public speaking -- leading sections is performance teaching
- AP Statistics -- useful in nearly every graduate discipline
Clubs, activities & competitions
- Peer tutoring -- the same job, earlier
- National Honor Society tutoring programs
- Academic clubs and competitions in your field
- Study-group leadership -- organize and run one
First steps you can take now
- Tutor a classmate in your best subject and refine how you explain
- Ask a current graduate TA what the role actually involves
- Explore what graduate school in your favorite field requires
- Practice whiteboard-teaching a concept to friends
