Wow, it’s now halfway through the semester! From hosting my first office hours to creating a study guide for Examlet 1, I was able to learn so much in grasping the crucial qualities of an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA).
This is my very first time being a teaching assistant for CHEM 1000: Mathematics for Chemistry, let alone facilitating a course in general. In fact, I am the very first undergraduate teaching assistant for this class! My journey consisting of this particular course started when I took Mathematics for Chemistry—taught by Professor Hutchison—in Spring 2023. Upon taking the class, I have had numerous opportunities to showcase my enthusiasm for the course by attending numerous instructor-led office hours and just by simply discussing my passion with Professor Hutchison right after lecture. With my growing interest for the class, I promptly asked him if I could become a teaching assistant. In response, Professor Hutchison graciously followed up with my request. Soon later, I proposed the idea of substituting the last exam with a Final Project. I also expressed my interest in TAing for another semester with him, which he was ecstatic about. I cannot wait to see where my Mathematics for Chemistry journey will take me!
The first 1-2 weeks of the semester felt like stepping stones for bridging the relationship between the instructor and the students. As soon as I could manifest and strengthen this connection, help facilitating the course became much easier as I found a rhythm. This rhythm consists of regularly holding office hours twice a week (extra for exam weeks), monitoring and engaging in online discussions via the Piazza platform, creating active learning supplemental material & study guides, and just being able to answer students’ questions and help upon particular problems and topics. Sometimes, I can successfully address my questions and suggestions from my rhythm as I am continually relearning the course content. I truly recommend having a rhythm as it creates an engaging atmosphere between the instructor, students, and yourself (TA)!
As Pitt has a wide variety of courses, try to find one that aligns with your interests and best resonates with you. It does not necessarily have to be related to your major or career track. Furthermore, I recommend building your relationships with your Professors. One of the best ways to do so is just by attending office hours, as I have done for Professor Hutchison! By doing so, it highlights that you have aspirations for the subject. One more piece of advice: don’t be afraid to ask! You may never know what opportunities are out there waiting for you to partake in.
Just like how a single opportunity ricochets to other numerous, different opportunities in the future, my roots for Mathematics for Chemistry have once been through the role of student and have since budded out to the role of a UTA.
