Kathleen Cioffi

 

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Major: Government and Politics

Minor: Survey Methodology and Sustainability Studies

Class Year: 2022

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What was a typical week like in your internship position?

In a typical week as an undergraduate teaching assistant, my main responsibilities are to plan and teach the weekly discussion sections. Every week, the other TA and I strategize how we are going to review the course material and add in new information that connects with the topics from lecture. Then for fifty minutes three times a week, I co-lead discussion sections where we review course material and give the students an opportunity to offer their thoughts which they may not be able to do in the large lecture halls. I make review guides for tests and assist with writing assignments, so I feel a large sense of responsibility to work hard so that the students understanding of the material improves. In addition to teaching, undergraduate teaching assistants attend lectures, answer emails, and collaborate with the professor and other teaching assistants.

 

 

What do you enjoy most about your current position?

The thing I enjoy most about being a TA is helping the students one on one. Undergraduate TAs have the unique perspective of teaching our peers, and I can help people as I would like to be helped in the classes I am taking. I think that students feel more comfortable speaking to teaching assistants close to their own age, so students often come to me for help or questions about classes in general at UMD. I love when I can help the students and alleviate any stress they are experiencing from the class. I find being a TA and helping people succeed in the class very rewarding.
 

 

How did your coursework help you in your internship?

My coursework has made me knowledgeable on the subjects I am teaching about. I currently TA for an environmental politics course (GVPT273), and much of the course material overlaps with my Government and Politics major and Sustainability minor. I have the ability to supplement my own teaching with what I have learned in other classes, and I can take inspiration from my professors in other classes on how to make the content as engaging as possible. I also find myself seeking out new information in the news that is related to course material that I can introduce to the students to enhance their learning experience.
 

 

How did you locate your internship position?

I found out about the opportunity to be an undergraduate teaching assistant from a friend who had been a teaching assistant in the past. He had told me that it was a great way to earn credits, get comfortable speaking in front of an audience, and form connections with faculty members at UMD. Then my TA for a class I took for my major sent me an email about applying to become a TA and what students who become teaching assistants get out of it. Since I was looking for a professional outlet to practice public speaking and have enjoyed teaching younger children in the past, I applied to be a TA. I decided to continue working as a teaching assistant after my first semester because of how rewarding and informative teaching in front of an audience is for my own development.
 

 

Advice for students:

The best advice I can give to a student applying to be a TA is that you need to be proactive and attentive, especially when communicating with professors and students. Circumstances can change last minute, and teaching assistants need to be able to communicate quickly and effectively with students. If a TA does not communicate well, students in the class may suffer the consequences of not receiving information about assignments and tests in a timely manner. Much of the communication in class is conducted virtually, and emails can come in at any time of day, so teaching assistants need to be vigilant in checking in with students who run into questions. Another piece of advice I would instill to a student trying to become a teaching assistant is to remind yourself that even though the students are technically your peers, you should remain professional while you are teaching and interacting with students.
 

 

Anything else you want to share with students about your experience?

Becoming a TA is a great way to practice professionalism and presenting in front of an audience. Since I have had to teach in front of a class multiple times each week, I am much more comfortable presenting in front of an audience. In interviews and class presentations, I have noticed that my public speaking abilities have improved greatly. Teaching your peers is a great way to practice engaging with an audience because the people in the audience share so many similarities with you, so it is easy to tell how receptive they are to how you are presenting information. Teaching also involves answering questions that you may or may not be prepared for, so being a teaching assistant is great practice at thinking quickly on your feet.