Over the last year, we have had the distinctive honor of supporting graduate students in their teaching. We have witnessed graduate students cope with the challenges associated with the pandemic while showing an exemplar commitment to teaching excellence. Here are some of the lessons we have gained from teaching assistants during our time working in UC Riverside’s Teaching Assistant Development Program (TADP):

[Image description: SpongeBob wearing glasses and flipping through pages in a book.]

Pictured: Us learning from your TA experiences!

Graduate Students Care About Their Teaching 

Whether conducting training or consultations, we have observed how graduate students at UC Riverside are devoted to improving their teaching beyond minimal expectations. For example, we have witnessed graduate students attend workshops and consultations without being required to attend them. Graduate students expressed a genuine interest in serving UC Riverside’s graduate student body in these interactions.

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Pictured: The care you put into your students’ learning.

Graduate Students Mentor Their Students

Who is often the first point of contact for undergraduates in a 300-person class? TAs are. As TAs, not only are we closer to our undergraduate experiences than professors, but students often relate to us and are more willing to ask us for help and mentorship. In TADP, we have seen numerous situations where TAs have found ways to involve their students in exciting research experiences. We have seen the time and energy TAs put into discussing graduate school and professional opportunities. We know you take the time to write personalized letters of recommendation that document undergraduate student successes that can go unnoticed in large lecture sections. Your students learn from and appreciate this work; you are helping build the next generation of scholars!

[Image description: “Every kid needs a mentor. Everybody needs a mentor” – Donovan Bailey (white writing on light blue background)]

Pictured: We all need a mentor.

Graduate Students Make an Impact in Undergraduate Education 

In one of our most recent workshops titled “What Do Undergraduate Student Needs from Their Teaching Assistants,” undergraduate students shared their experiences with teaching assistants at UC Riverside. All the undergraduates expressed their gratitude towards teaching assistants for breaking down complex class concepts, maintaining class engagement during the pandemic, and serving as role models and mentors despite having a busy schedule. The experiences shared in this student panel exemplified the multiple ways in which graduate students impact UC Riverside undergraduate students beyond the classroom.

While our blogpost cannot possibly cover all the great things we’ve witnessed TAs contribute to their students and this campus community, we would like to express our sincere gratitude towards TAs. Your work does not go unnoticed, and we have enjoyed our time serving you and learning from your experiences. The pandemic has changed a lot of things about the college experience, but the care, support, and guidance TAs at UC Riverside offer to their students is stronger than ever. Thanks for letting us be a part of it!

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Pictured: Inspiration!