TA Training CoP: �Time Management
Session Workbook
March 2021
What makes time management a problem for TAs? | What’s relevant/helpful for dealing with these problems |
| What do you need to do for TAs to be able to do/access these things? |
Outside priorities (e.g., family, health) | Knowing about and having access to support services Easily communicating with other stakeholders about this |
| Have a “shortlist” of resources on the TA training website � |
Balancing good grading (giving enough useful feedback) with speed | Having a document where the amount of time expected for each duty is anticipated before the term starts (discussed with instructor and other TAs) Using rubrics |
| TA training workshops and mentoring from senior TAs (side-by-side grading) Sharing rubric samples, facilitating workshops |
Many competing priorities (e.g. dissertation writing, coursework) | Getting advice and support from supervisor, instructor, TA coordinator (multiple sources) Helping TAs understand expectations before they start TAing (how many hours/week, peak times around midterms, etc.) |
| Give space in TA workshop to go over communication strategies; facilitate communication |
Lack of experience (for first time TAs) | TA training Building community |
| Organize workshops for TAs / integrate time management into existing workshops Peer Mentorship Programs Organize monthly TA “discussion/commiseration sessions” |
Students emails | Setting “email office hours” and expectations for students for when you will get back to them (e.g. not on the weekend, or not as quickly) Saving “form responses” for common questions/concerns |
| Set “email office hours” as normal -- promote atmosphere of “not always having to be on” Provide form responses on the website / TA handbook |
Motivation (esp during pandemic) | Building community with other TAs |
| Organize monthly TA “discussion/commiseration sessions” |
Don’t know how to keep track of time | Time keeping apps (e.g. Toggl) |
| Advertise time-tracking tools on website/newsletter/in workshops |
Unreasonable expectations from instructors/faculty | Establish early and regular communication re: expectations, have it written up as lists/Excel/etc. |
| Provide templates for tracking hours, list of duties |
Unreasonable expectations from students | Set boundaries |
| Communicate policies clearly and early in the term Discuss during orientation how to set reasonable policies (balance between rights and expectations) |
Blur between work/life hours | Literal physical distance between work space and “life space” if possible |
| If back on campus, provide space for TAs to work and hold office hours |
TA Time Management: Things to Consider
Group 1: Time Management Lesson Plan
Time Management: strategies to address challenges | |
Notes: TAs don’t seem to want to attend workshops; TAs are having a really hard time with time management. Biggest problem is many competing priorities - Choosing what to do and when. Hard to keep track of time -Help TAs to make a list of who they need to communicate with. Who is expecting work from you. Outline when it makes sense to respond | |
Set up: | |
Reading/ Pre-Work | Pre-work Assignment instructions |
(0 min) | Online Activities: |
Time/notes | Learning Activities |
(00 min) | Bridge: |
00:00-00:00 (00 min) | Objectives:
|
00:00-00:00 (00 min) | Acknowledge anxiety and prepare to respond Facilitators acknowledge anxiety when a lot of requests come through email, etc. Explain that this can be a normal part of your work. Take a deep breath. Put the task aside for a few minutes and then go back to it. In groups of 3-4 work on case study: Acknowledge the flexibility of timelines and goals: it’s ok to negotiate; analyze “risks” and establish priorities (e.g. student evaluations, demands from committee, publications deadlines, etc.) Case study example (e.g., student emails + dissertation) - how might you negotiate these competing priorities? Break into small groups and brainstorm (different) strategies with each stakeholder:
What are your priorities? Who is more flexible? E.g.: I’m worried my students will evaluate me badly if I take longer to release grades, but I have a good relationship with my committee, so it might be more interesting to ask for an extension to my committee, rather than to the instructor Reporting back to Large Group Facilitator taking notes (on Flipchart , slides, etc) under three topics:
Follow up: Facilitator asks: What if they all say no?! (Get TAs to think about reaching out to others for help. Your peers, other faculty members, any support system) |
00:00-00:00 (00 min) | Share slide: Short Lecture Slide 1: strategies to negotiate up Slide 2: strategies to set up boundaries with students |
| TAs to make a list of who they need to communicate with. Solo reflection or worksheet Identify goals and people relevant to those goals (i.e: family members, friends, employers, etc) Identify timelines for goals “What are your priorities?” For each priority, list the people involved with the priority. For each person, what do you want to communicate to that person? How flexible is this person? |
(00 min) | Outline when it makes sense to respond |
(00 min) | Closing/Summary |
Group 2: Time Management Lesson Plan
Time Management: strategies to prevent challenges | |
Set up: | |
Reading/ Pre-Work | Pre-Survey: What time management challenges are you facing as TAs? |
(0 min) | Online Activities:
|
Time/notes | Learning Activities |
(00 min) | Bridge: |
00:00-00:00 (00 min) | Objectives
|
00:00-00:00 (00 min) | How to develop a timing plan for TA Hours
Demo-ing Time management Techniques: Time Management Apps - Demo Apps (eg. Pomodoro, etc) during the workshop. See how it works, what it entails, if it works for them (in small groups?) - have them discuss how this might help in their TAship (when would they use it, why?) Rubrics - Show sample Rubrics, Papers, Demo how to apply a ruric to a paper/assignment to grad more quickly.
How to Balance Timing & Grading - Walking through time per assignment, amount of Feedback to give, etc. (refer back to Timing Contract) - Plan out timing for assignment grading |
00:00-00:00 (00 min) | Breakout group Brainstorm Took from Canvas Module & Pre-survey and made breakout groups focused on topics that emerged from the pre-survey. Each group focused on one topic, then split into breakout groups to discuss “working through” each of the problems. |
00:00-00:00 (00 min) | Problem Solving Challenge Each group “invents” a challenge/case study/role play scenario (based on the pre-survey), then bring the challenge to another group, and ask the rest of the group to solve the problem. Maybe include a Role play Reflecting on previous challenges
Summarize after each, adding “Best Practices” or ideas that may have been missed. |
00:00-00:00 (00 min) | Closing/Summary Summarize what was learned in workshop Reiterate importance of continued communication with instructor Upload PPT/summary to Canvas modules after workshop |
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