179. Teaching Opportunities for Grad Students w/ Dr. Alaina Talboy

We’ve all met them – the unsung heroes of your Intro To (Biology, Psychology, History, etc.) class.

Sure, they don’t give the lectures, but that’s about the only responsibility they dodge. Instead, they’re leading lab sessions, holding office hours, proctoring exams, and grading papers.

They’re the Teaching Assistants, or TAs, and they’re a critical part of undergraduate education.

But who are these heroes without capes?

We learn more in this week’s show!

We’re joined once again by Dr. Alaina Talboy, author of What I Wish I Knew: A Field Guide for Thriving in Graduate Studies. We last talked with her about why you should never refer to yourself as a ‘graduate student!’

This week, she’s here to respond to a listener question sent in by Kristi:

My question is – is there a place for people who just love teaching in academia? My dream one day is to be a professor, but I’m not sure I’d thrive in the “publish or perish” environment.

Dr. Talboy assures us there IS a place in academia for those who want to teach, you just need to know where to look.

And there are plenty of opportunities for graduate trainees to gain experience while also earning that PhD.

Three Types of Teaching Opportunities

There are certainly MORE than just three teaching opportunities for graduate students, but the three below are accessible and require different levels of commitment.

1. Teaching Assistant / Course Assistant

The illustrious TA. As mentioned above, a TA has a wide variety of responsibilities from leading labs to proctoring exams. You’ll be expected to know the course material, attend the lectures, and make yourself available for office hours.

A TA position is often required by the department that takes you on as a graduate trainee. It may be one of the criteria they use to award your stipend, and you’re expected to spend about 20 hours per week on the role.

The challenge is that 20 hours a week doesn’t leave much time for you to take your own graduate-level courses, or to embark on a novel research project. Time management is key at this stage, and Dr. Talboy shares some tips for managing student expectations.

“I always put in my lab syllabus that I answer emails within 24 hours with the exception of the weekend,” she says. “And I do not answer emails beyond 5:00 PM on Friday because I am off work. And that is a really important rule to set up for yourself!”

“Don’t answer emails on weekends, man. Just don’t do it!”

A Course Assistant may have additional responsibilities, like delivering some lectures in lieu of the main professor. It’s a great way to get some experience in front of the class.

2. Instructor of Record

As a TA, you were teaching, proctoring, and grading someone else’s course material. You weren’t expected to create the lesson plans, lectures, homework, or exams.

As the “Instructor of Record” you start with a blank slate and build the course from the bottom up.

This can take from 100-300 hours depending on the ...