NAMS Undergraduate Teaching Assistantships (UTA)

Becoming an undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA) in one of the NAMS laboratory courses is a great way to gain experience in explaining course material to fellow students and deepen your understanding of the skills and content in the course. You will also have the opportunity to build a working relationship with the course instructor.

Image of biochemistry major in the lab

With permission of the course instructor, UTAs in NAMS register for a 1-credit course in XXXX 2840 or XXXX 3840, where XXXX is the program acronym (e.g., CHEM, MARS, etc.), depending on the level of the course.


Requirements

To become a UTA, you must have previously completed the course with a final grade of B or better and have permission from the instructor of the course. Some instructors may require a higher grade minimum or additional requirements, so it is best to reach out to the course instructor if you are considering becoming a UTA in their course.

Learning Objectives

As a UTA in NAMS, you can expect to gain experience in the following areas:

Communication

Effective communication with your faculty supervisor. Practice professional emailing and other communication methods so that you and your faculty supervisor are in sync when it comes to lab/class set up, execution, grading, or other tasks you are assigned. Work as an effective member of your faculty supervisor’s team. 

Helping Others

Experience in explaining relevant information to students in the course. Learn and practice when and how to answer questions. Gain experience in helping others to find information for themselves and troubleshoot problems that arise. Practice communicating concepts and techniques to others.

Depth of Knowledge

Increase depth of knowledge related to the class for which you are a UTA. They say the best way to really learn something is to teach it. Put that saying to the test. 

 


Expectations

Since you will be earning one credit for your work as a UTA, you should expect to spend, on average, three hours per week preparing and assisting during laboratory meetings.

Additionally, as a UTA, you will be expected to:

Set Up Labs

Help set up and take down labs when needed

UTA Meetings

Attend UTA meetings or otherwise prepare for lab.

Journal

Complete journal or reflective writings to document skills you are learning, and reflect on your learning experiences as a UTA.

Assist Students

Assist during labs in answering questions, offering assistance and encouragement, providing feedback to the instructor.

Your instructor's expectations of you should be made clear at the beginning of the semester.

How to Apply

  1. Identify the course and section for which you wish to UTA.

  2. Contact the instructor of that course via email to confirm they are willing to work with you as a UTA.

  3. Work with the instructor to complete the independent study paperwork, ensuring that you understand the expectations the course instructor has for you as the UTA. The course instructor will forward the independent study paperwork to the appropriate person.

  4. Complete any required safety trainings prior to the start of the course. 

  5. Double-check that the course makes it on your Degree Works before the drop/add period ends.


Grading

Because you earn credit being a NAMS UTA, your grade will be determined by a combination of your preparation for, attendance, and participation in the lab as well as your completion of assigned reflections. The number of assignments and the exact grade breakdown will be at the discretion of the course instructor but should be clearly communicated to you at the beginning of the semester.

Some sample reflective assignments include:

Workplace Skills

You may wish to include your UTA experience in your online portfolio. Draft a section that addresses what you learned/your experience for your portfolio and submit it. 

Challanges

What was the most challenging aspect of lab this week/month/semester (depends on how often you want this submitted)? What about this was challenging and how did you navigate the challenge. Evaluate your success at conquering the challenge and identify something you can improve on for the next challenge.

Knowledge Gained

Identify a concept from lab that you have gained knowledge in by teaching it. What aspect(s) of the teaching process seemed to be the biggest contributor to your knowledge gain? Why? 

Self Assessment

Conduct a brief self-assessment of your communication style and its effectiveness. Describe how you believe you communicate best, and how that has been evident in your TA work. Are there some students who seem to respond better/worse to your approach? Why do you think that is?

 

Additional Reading