Reflection from a Remote Teacher’s Assistant

I was a teacher's assistant (TA) in the winter of 2021 and due to the global pandemic, it was all done virtually. This might seem “normal” to us now considering the circumstances, though truly nothing about these times is normal. We continue to do the best we can with the current health restrictions. Instructing an introductory biology lab via Zoom is definitely not the same as being in person. The hands-on experience that one gets in a lab course is gone. In addition to that, one can’t meet their peers in person and socializing in breakout groups isn’t the same. However, I want to share a quick reflection from my quarter of TA-ing a bio lab virtually.

I was TA-ing twice a week at eight in the morning and at first I was definitely nervous. I feared I'd flounder and be inadequate at explaining mechanisms and concepts. This was brought on by the fact that this was my first time TA-ing and as well as my struggles with imposter syndrome. But failing wasn’t an option, so I worked hard and put extra time into making sure I understood the material as best as I could with the time allotted and soon I felt like I had it figured it out. I felt like I learned to balance having enthusiasm and how to get through the material and activities in a timely manner. This meant that I wasn’t trying to oversell the content but when something was interesting I was able to convey that.

In addition to my two lab sections, I had two hours of office hours and as my students showed up, I started to learn more about them. I was able to engage with these students more easily than when in the larger lab sections because these were the kids that wanted to talk. Whether they needed to ask a question or tell me about their other course load, they were actively engaged. My office hours and moments spent helping students after lab were my favorite moments. I actually enjoyed helping my students - whether it was through explaining a specific topic or listening to them talk to me about their stressors. 

My ultimate goal was to be kind and to help my students understand the course material in a simple way. It wasn’t always crystal clear and there were definitely moments of miscommunication. I also didn’t have all of the answers throughout the course, but I made sure to be honest when I didn’t know something and get back to them once I did. I think ultimately everyone (the students and TAs) got tired throughout the quarter and that mutual understanding between the two parties helped everyone be patient with one another - at least that’s how it felt to me. All that aside I had a good time being my student’s TA (even though I was only able to meet them over Zoom) and look forward to TA-ing in person.