Undergraduate Teaching Assistants
Teaching Assistants (TAs) are motivated undergraduate students who assist instructors and students in the teaching-learning initiative. TAs are assigned to a particular course, and they work closely with instructors to provide challenging and meaningful learning experiences for enrolled students.
How Much Do Teaching Assistants (TAs) Make?
The rate of compensation for first-time and returning TAs is $12/hour.
Should I become a TA?
You should consider becoming a teaching assistant if you have a strong desire to help others master course material. A teaching assistant should be fully invested in the success of their students.
Additionally, becoming a teaching assistant will help you gain a deeper understanding of the material in the course. This will benefit you in your future studies if you plan to work in a related field, attend graduate school or pursue a teaching career.
What skills should a TA have?
A teaching assistant should have great organizational skills, good people skills, and excellent time management.
As a teaching assistant, you should be able to explain course concepts to individual students or groups in an easy-to-understand manner, provide feedback to students on writing and other assignments, and be able to troubleshoot course technology.
How Do I Become a Teaching Assistant (TA)?
If you're interested in becoming a teaching assistant, there are four steps you will need to take.
1. Fulfill the Bellisario College requirements
- Paid Teaching Assistants: All undergraduate students serving as paid TAs must have attained at least 5th semester standing, have completed the course with a grade of A- or better, and have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- For-Credit Teaching Assistants: Students earning credit as undergraduate TA’s must enroll in at least one, and no more than three, credits of COMM 494 for the semester in which the teaching assistant work will be done. Students must have attained at least 5th semester standing, have completed the course with a grade of A- or better, and have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.
2. Apply for the TA Position
3. Complete the Penn State Workday requirements
If your application is successful, a link to the Penn State job application will be sent to your Penn State email account. From here, you’ll complete the Penn State Workday requirements.
4. Attend Training
TA’s must complete the Bellisario College’s Leadership and Technology for Communications Instruction course, COMM 497, offered asynchronously in Canvas. This is a one-credit course and involves seven (7), one-hour learning sessions, to be completed during the semester.
This training course is crucial. It offers essential guidance on expectations and valuable strategies for success. Following these recommendations will also increase your chances of being invited back as a teaching assistant in future semesters.
FAQ
What are the benefits of being a TA?
One of the greatest benefits of becoming a teaching assistant is that you can work on campus and build your resume for your chosen field while enrolled as a student.
You can demonstrate to future employers or graduate programs your work ethic, ability to communicate effectively, and ability to manage time appropriately.
Furthermore, becoming a TA can help you foster a strong relationship with the professor who may act as a mentor and be a helpful bridge into a career or graduate school.