I am an MFA Creative Writing grad (May!), and I’ve done remote TA work and been a student online. I’ve got a few tips and tricks for surviving this new online environment as a TA, ranging from marking to communicating with students, and finally, course wrap-up.
Grab some tea/coffee/water/your preferred hydration beverage. We got this.
Marking Assignments
Assignments have been submitted. You have a little over a week to mark 50-60 (or more) student papers and provide feedback on each paper. Don’t panic! It can seem overwhelming at first, but here are a few handy approaches to marking assignments in a timely manner:
Aim to mark 8-10 papers a day.
In the beginning, it will take longer, but about halfway through the week you’ll get the hang of it and find yourself speeding through, especially as you’ll have a better understanding of the rubric and general quality of student submissions. Once you’re finished, go back to the first few batches just to make sure the marks and feedback are consistent with your later batches.
How do I mark 8-10 a day and provide feedback?
I like to go for the sandwich method: a one-to-two sentence summary of the assignment, followed by what the student did well, usually with a quote from their submission, and then a comment on where the student might have gotten stuck or struggled with the assignment. Having been a distance student myself, it always helped to know what specific areas I struggled with, especially because I couldn’t meet instructors or TAs face-to-face, and most of my communication was through email.
What about different genre submissions?
If assignments are a combination of various genres, group them together for ease of marking and reference with your assignment rubric. It makes life just a bit easier to focus on one genre rather than hopping from nonfiction to poetry to scripts.
How do I make time to mark?
This can be tricky, especially if you’re taking classes yourself as well as taking care of other people or working other jobs. It’s best to set aside some days for marking, so building a calendar is incredibly helpful. (Also, if you’re under a lot of stress, printing it out and keeping it by your bedside to check at three a.m. can help.) If you feel marking will take you a few days after the expected deadline, contact the course instructor to negotiate an extension.
If you find yourself struggling with a student’s assignment for any reason, reach out to the course instructor and let them know. It’s okay. Being a TA can be hard at times, but it’s a rewarding experience.
What about me? What about my “me time”?
Unless I was up against a deadline to get my marking done, I kept my weekends clear to work on my own personal projects and to just take a breather. Be kind to yourself and know your limits. There might be an internal sense that you should always be available online 24 hours a day, seven days a week (especially early on in the semester), but that can cause exhaustion and eat at your class hours.
Communicating with Students
The class has started! It has begun!
The first week’s TA email is busy. New students are coming in, some students are dropping courses, and some students are already trying to understand the parameters of the first assignment. It can be a little bit stressful and you’re going to start messaging the professor for clarification of details. That’s okay. It might take several days for a response, but again, that’s okay. The course email is usually busiest in the week leading up to when the assignments are due, when grades are released, and when Canvas breaks (which does happen from time to time).
You might also notice messages popping up in Canvas from students. If you’ve been broken into TA groups to mark specific students for the semester, you’ll usually get messages from that group. Sometimes students who are in other TA groups will send you a message. Often the student is confused or picked the first TA they see on a list. An easy response is “Hey (student name), I see you’re actually in (other TA’s group). I’m forwarding your message to them. Best, (your name).”
If a student has messaged with a specific question about the course (readings, quizzes, discussion posts, etc), direct them to the modules on Canvas and specify the week and section that they should refer to.
Video Hours with Students
Chances are, you’ll end up doing video office hours with students. Here’s how to prepare:
If the student has made an appointment, make sure to ask them beforehand what they want to talk about specifically. Assignment grades? Class readings? Expectations about an assignment? This will help you prepare for the meeting.
If you are talking with a student and are uncertain about details regarding an upcoming assignment or have no idea how to respond and feel yourself start to panic, it’s okay to say, “You know, that’s a good question. Let me do some digging/contact the instructor.” Note their first and last name so you can message them a response in Canvas.
A few more tips:
- I find having some water and tea/coffee nearby helps to stay hydrated, especially if you have a dozen students popping in during office hours.
- Have the camera on but the microphone off, and turn it on when a student comes in.
- Have the Canvas grade book, the upcoming assignment details, and the course syllabus open. This way, if a student shows up unannounced or with an unexpected concern, you can quickly find the information that you need.
Wrap Up
It’s over! You’ve marked your final assignment! Time to cheer and dance! But, hold on, there are still a few more things to cover before you can rejoice:
- In the Canvas grades section, make sure that the discussion posts, quizzes, and other areas you are responsible for have been marked.
- Check the TA email, check your own Canvas messages, and send a message to your fellow TAs that you’re finished.
- When you’re sure you’ve finished, email the instructor to let them know. You might be asked just to check in on the TA email for the following week in case of last-minute students asking questions, or you might really be done! Either way, it’s important to check in with the instructor.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be prepared for success as an online TA!