Just like everything else, teaching has been seriously affected over the past couple of years. Classes were mostly done online, and we’re just starting to go back to the traditional setting—but on a limited scale. Learning institutions are left with a new set of challenges to conquer.
One of the ways you can manage your online classroom better is by involving a virtual Teaching Assistant (TA). Doing so will lessen the stress of your teaching duties. Here are some tips on how you can make the most of a virtual TA for distance learning.
Class Preparation
Before the semester or quarter starts, get on the same page with your TA. Take the time to sit down virtually and discuss everything you need to discuss. This may include the following:
- Setting goals
- Delegating responsibilities
- Establishing your working relationship
- Discussing and learning digital tools and platforms that will be used
- Setting class standards, deadlines, and rules
It would also be wise to meet now and then throughout the semester, as well as debrief after the course ends. During these sessions, share feedback in both directions and review the goals you set at the beginning.
Class Management
Handling a class pre-pandemic was already difficult, but it can become even more complicated when everything is online. Some professors, understandably, had a hard time learning video calling platforms, like Zoom and Google Meet, and many still do not fully understand how to utilize the features to their highest levels.
This is just one area in which a virtual teaching assistant can be very helpful. They can help with moderating classes by handling things like:
- Discussion threads
- Online grading and submission questions
- Replying to emails or in-platform messages, regardless of which platform your University uses
Communicating with Students
Focus on lesson planning and other teaching duties by having your virtual TA in charge of announcements, email communication, and discussion thread moderation. Making sure your students are up to date may seem like a small detail, but leaving the responsibility to your virtual TA will make things significantly easier for you and smoother for everyone in the class.
Instead of sending individual emails and messages yourself, have your virtual TA do a group chat or a message board, as well as take over individual questions and email submissions.
Class Discussions
Often, there are times when the class discussion board is stagnant. Keep discussion boards active and engaging by adding your virtual TA’s trained voice into the discourse. They can add value to the conversation by:
- Asking questions to expand on the lesson
- Sharing opinions, resources, and anecdotes
- Challenging opinions
- Encouraging civil discourse
