the "things you wish you could say" thread

[apl68]

TA, when I ask for times you are available for exam grading, providing me with times before the exam occurs is not at all helpful. Or perhaps you have a time machine?

Such a helpful TA to want to pre-grade all the exams!

I'm having to tell TAs that when class attendance for TAs is "required", that YES it means that the TAs have to be there in person.  Why? Because they are helping with in-class activities.  Promising to look at the slides after and "staying all caught up" is not acceptable.

Don't know what TAs are paid at your place, but I know from experience that it's often not enough to motivate dedicated service.  I recall from my TA days being paid a few cents an hour above minimum wage to grade for a class, but not to attend class and keep up with what was actually going on.  It was just understood that we would do that for free.  If you were at all diligent in taking care of class duties, you might well end up with an average hourly compensation below the then minimum wage.

We did it anyway, since it was expected.  Today's generation presumably can't be expected to respect norms like that. Can't say as they can be blamed with regard to that particular sort of professional norm.

[Langue_doc]

Don't know what TAs are paid at your place, but I know from experience that it's often not enough to motivate dedicated service.

TA-ing is a choice, as is enrolling in grad school. Not wanting to do the work they signed up for is the height of entitlement. Putting on the "woe is me, I didn't realize I had to do the work/follow protocols/follow a schedule/understand the requirements of the job" isn't likely to endear them to the professor or the department or earn them any LORs.

[the_geneticist]

TA, when I ask for times you are available for exam grading, providing me with times before the exam occurs is not at all helpful. Or perhaps you have a time machine?

Such a helpful TA to want to pre-grade all the exams!

I'm having to tell TAs that when class attendance for TAs is "required", that YES it means that the TAs have to be there in person.  Why? Because they are helping with in-class activities.  Promising to look at the slides after and "staying all caught up" is not acceptable.

Don't know what TAs are paid at your place, but I know from experience that it's often not enough to motivate dedicated service.  I recall from my TA days being paid a few cents an hour above minimum wage to grade for a class, but not to attend class and keep up with what was actually going on.  It was just understood that we would do that for free.  If you were at all diligent in taking care of class duties, you might well end up with an average hourly compensation below the then minimum wage.

We did it anyway, since it was expected.  Today's generation presumably can't be expected to respect norms like that. Can't say as they can be blamed with regard to that particular sort of professional norm.

Ours are paid well (same or better than research only) and have a good union.  Their contract is very specific. I can reasonably expect "fulfills assigned duties".