Teaching Assistant - Beneficial?

[Teleologist]

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Is being a TA looked highly upon, or is it laughed at as being a misnomer for "professor's grading slave"?

 

[The Milkman]

Being a TA is more than just grading for the professor, at least my experience anyway. I imagine a lot of people have this experience, but I wouldn't see it as being laughed at.

 

[mypan2409]

It depends on what type of course and TA you're hired as. I've had friends who were strictly the "grade slave" but the three courses I've TA'd for, I pretty much did my own thing with presenting the material.

It also depends on how you will write/discuss your experience as a TA.

 

[SpacemanSpifff]

It really depends on the institution. At my undergrad our TA's were expected to grade all the lab assignments/exams and hold weekly office hours, but that was about it. Some schools give TA's a lot more responsibility (organizing lectures and labs, writing exams, etc.). If you're wondering whether or not it's a worthwhile addition to your application, it can't hurt.

 

[hoihaie]

depends on what you actually do and how you describe in your experience section

 

[kthxbai]

I had a lot of autonomy as a TA, and described my experience to highlight my role in a leadership capacity. Frankly, that should only enhance my application.

Also, I'm sure being an organic/general chem TA for 3 semesters doesn't look bad at all 🙂

Untimely my thinking is this: if your role as a TA will reveal something positive about you, add away!

 

[allantois]

At my school they let us teach discussion sections as TAs.

 

[PrinceofMaladies]

It great as long as you don't describe it as a grade slave position (even if that's all you did). Articulate!