As a Teaching Assistant, whether new or returning, you will have questions. The following resources can help answer your questions, serve as places to refer your students, or support you in your teaching.

Look within your Department

For questions about your role, responsibilities, course content, or other course-specific questions, your department and lead instructor or supervisor are the best sources of information. Your faculty advisor is likely also a person you can ask for help and advice. Your department may also offer support for TAs that is discipline-specific, such as a learning community, regular teaching-focused seminars, or a formal training.

Find Support Outside your Department

[Note: Add links to highlighted text]

- The Graduate School is a great source of information about your academic and professional life on campus.
- When you have questions about benefits or employment, consult the Office of Human Resources.
- For help with technology, contact the IT Help Desk.
- Sometimes our roles on campus can be very stressful. The Employee Assistance Office can provide advice and resources for free. Health services also provides healthcare, including mental health and wellbeing services.

Find Resources to Help you Help your Students

As a TA, many of your students will rely on you for help with your course, but they may also come to you with questions about their academic, mental, physical, social, or other wellbeing. You do not have to handle these questions, or concerns you may have for students, on your own. Essential resources and services that support students (including you!) on campus are listed below.

Technology

- [Add content about available technology services]

Health and Healthcare

- [Add content about available health services]

Disabilities and Accommodations

- [Add content about available disability services]

Advising and Student Services

- [Add content about available advising services]

Tutoring

[Add content about available tutoring services]

International Student Services

[Add content about available international student services]

Activity: Ask Me Anything

After reviewing the resources from the [Your University's Disability Office and Health Office], what questions do you have for them about supporting your students this semester? We will gather your anonymous questions here, and post responses to the most common questions at the end of our week together.

[Insert a Google form here or other way of collecting questions from the TAs. Then collectively provide answers to the most common questions at the end of the week.]

Don't be Afraid to Ask

As a TA, there will be times that you need support. While you might ask a friend for advice, there are also campus resources you can and should use for advice about wellness, reducing stress, or counseling services. [Your University Health Office] is available to support your health and well-being, not just that of your students. Look at their website now to find contact information and support regarding medical services, mental health, wellness, prevention, and other resources, so you'll remember later that there's a place to go for help and advice if you feel overwhelmed.

[Your University Health Office] website:
Call for help
- in an emergency, call 911
- for non-emergency services, call ###-###-####

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This means that you are welcome to adopt and adapt content from this page for your own teaching, but we ask that you observe the terms of the license and that you provide attribution to L&S Learning Support Services.