Teaching Assistant Reflection

During my time at UMass Amherst I was given an opportunity to be a teaching assistant (TA) for an integrated experience kinesiology course. I had taken the class the prior semester and the professor noticed my hard work, dedication, and leadership role with in my group and asked me to come work with her. This course is a group project that requires students to work together to build a wellness program for a target population with a chronic disease. At the end of the semester each group presents their project to professors in the kinesiology field and other professionals. The most important aspects of this course is working with in a group and making sure every decision and detail of the project is backed up with appropriate and legitimate research.
As a teaching assistant I gained confidence in myself and was given insight into my capabilities as a person. At the beginning of the semester the professor assigned me two separate groups of 10 students. My role was to meet each group separately once a week for a discussion where I would guide them in building their wellness program. It was my responsibility to take attendance, collect assignments, clarify any points of confusion, and make sure progress was being made.
During my time as a teaching assistant I realized that I thoroughly enjoy teaching others. Each week the professor

would give me a small topic to go over that correlated with that week’s lecture. An example is one week I would explain how to tailor the program’s services to the specific target population picked by the group. I loved thinking creatively of ways that would make the students understand each topic.
Communication was crucial throughout my time as a teaching assistant.

It was my job to effectively instruct my students on their project and lead them to success. I was a teaching assistant for this course for two semesters and each group I was assigned to drastically differed from one another in how they learned and communicated. Some groups needed more or less help then others and it was crucial that I modify my teaching strategy to each groups needs. For the group that needed more help it was important that I was more involved, such as by writing everything down on the board and clarifying and repeating notes through weekly

emails.
Along with taking care of my students, I was also responsible for completing weekly tasks for my professor. There was over 200 students in the lecture and therefore organization was key. I was in charge of attendance, grading subjective assignments, as well as taking care of anything that the professor needed me to do. This included making copies, emailing guest speakers, or proof reading slides.
My time as a teaching assistant was a significant part of my UMass experience. It enabled me to make strong relationships with professors in the kinesiology field and other students. Working as a teaching assistant showed me what type of role I would like to have in my career. I belong in a leadership role and enjoy having responsibility and guiding others to success.