Recent Course Offerings

Chaucer
The Drama Shakespeare Inherited
Shakespeare
Milton
Literature of the Hebrew Scriptures
Literature of the New Testament

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TA’s as Colleagues
TA’s contribute enormously to the success of a class. I consider the TA’s colleagues in the teaching of the class; we’re all involved in the teaching and have a stake in its success. And we’re all involved in the learning that goes into the teaching. I like to have weekly meetings with the TA’s both to hear how their sections are going and to get whatever feedback they have on how the class is going. I’m also happy to answer their questions on the material of the class.

Discussion Sections
I like the discussion sections to come from the TA’s own experience of the material we’re reading. At the same time, he or she should give the students time to ask questions about things covered in the lecture. But most of the section meeting should come from something the TA has prepared; ideally the section will be Socratic discussion, questions the TA has prepared to elicit discussion that will lead toward ideas that may advance the students’ sense of the texts. In relation to the lectures, I see discussion more in terms of supplement than simply supporting the lecture.

A TA should feel free to give quizzes to ensure the students’ reading and preparation. And brief written exercises are also possible. I think it’s frequently useful to assign a few questions to which the students bring written answers to the discussion meeting (in fact, because the discussion meetings are only fifty minutes long, I think that’s generally better use of the time than to do in-class writing). I have no objection to the introduction of secondary or theoretical material, and I’m happy to leave this up to a TA’s discretion – the only caveat here would be to avoid introducing extra material that may confuse the students.

Beyond Discussion Section: Lectures, Exams, and Grading
If they’re interested and have the time, I’m happy to give the TA’s the opportunity to give a lecture, or part of a lecture if they don’t feel inclined to take on the whole period. Sometimes, if I have to be out of town for a conference or university meeting, I may ask the TA’s to take over a class; in this case I prepare something for them to use.

While I think it’s my responsibility to plan out the course and put together the syllabus, handouts, the webpage, and such, I do like to involve the TA’s in writing the exams. I usually come up with the paper assignments, but I try to give the TA’s some role in this.

I want the TA’s to feel relatively autonomous in the grading of their students. If a student comes to me to query a grade, I always send them back to the TA for further discussion of the paper or exam. Only after that happens will I entertain the possibility of an appeal to me. If I think there’s a possibility of an error in the assigning of the grade, I’ll always consult with the TA about the matter. When I read a selection of the papers the TA’s have graded (usually three or four representing a range of grades), I try to give some feedback on the grades, but I leave it to the TA whether any should be altered. I like to hear how the grading patterns go on midterms and finals. In general I encourage the TA’s to be rigorous in their grading; I think grade inflation is something we all need to work to prevent.

Attendance at Lectures
I expect TA’s to attend the lectures faithfully; if they need to miss one for some reason, they should let me know in advance, if possible.

TA Office Hours
TA’s should meet their office hours faithfully, letting the students know if they have to change the time at some point.