Preparing for your first meeting with Teaching Assistants (TAs) is an important step in establishing a coordinated and supportive teaching team. The meeting provides an opportunity to clarify roles and responsibilities, discuss course learning outcomes and expectations, review teaching and assessment practices, and establish approaches to communication and collaboration.
This resource provides a list of questions and considerations to help course instructors prepare for their initial meeting with TAs. Not every question will apply to every course, so adapt the list to your teaching context, course structure, and TA responsibilities.
DDAH considerations: Items marked with an asterisk (*) identify duties and responsibilities that must be reflected in the Description of Duties and Allocation of Hours (DDAH) form.
For questions about the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 or Unit 3 Collective Agreements, consult the Designated Authority in your department or Labour Relations.
Course Overview and TA Responsibilities
Before meeting with your TAs, consider the following questions about your course structure, teaching team, and expectations.
Course Structure and Learning Outcomes
- What are the course learning outcomes?
- Who are the students in your course? Consider their year of study, disciplinary backgrounds, prior knowledge, and experience with the subject.
- What types of tutorials or labs will be offered? For example:
- Laboratory or practical sessions
- Discussion-based tutorials
- Review and question-and-answer sessions
- Skill-development tutorials
- How do tutorials and labs contribute to the course learning outcomes?
TA Roles and Responsibilities
- How many TAs are assigned to the course? Do you have their names and contact information?
- Do you require a Head TA? If so, what will their responsibilities be?
- How will responsibilities and workload be distributed among TAs?
- Do you have the Description of Duties and Allocation of Hours (DDAH) form for each TA?
- What do you expect TAs to prepare or complete before the first meeting or their first tutorial or lab?
- What procedures should TAs follow if they are ill or unable to attend a scheduled tutorial or lab?
Expectations and Course Policies
- What are your expectations regarding TA preparation, knowledge of course content, punctuality, reliability, professional conduct, communication, availability, and the quality of feedback provided to students?
- What course policies and expectations must TAs understand and follow?
- How will you communicate relevant departmental, divisional, and University policies and procedures?
- What guidance will TAs need regarding:
- Academic integrity and suspected academic offences
- Conflicts of interest and confidentiality
- Accessibility and academic accommodations
- Responding to students experiencing distress or requiring additional support
Communication and Meetings
Consider how you and your TAs will communicate, coordinate responsibilities, and meet throughout the course.
Communication and Working Relationships
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- How will you communicate with your TAs, and how should they contact you? Consider preferred channels such as email, phone, Quercus, or Microsoft Teams.
- What expectations will you establish regarding communication, availability, and response times?
- How will you discuss and establish effective working relationships between you and your TAs?
Meetings and Scheduling
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- How frequently will you meet with your TAs during the course? *
- Do your TAs have academic or other commitments that may affect their availability or teaching responsibilities, such as conferences, examinations, or other scheduled obligations?
- When will you hold the mid-course review meeting?
- Mid-course review meeting date: ________________________
Training and Professional Development
Consider what training and support your TAs may need to carry out their assigned responsibilities.
Mandatory Training Requirements
Teaching Assistants covered by CUPE 3902 Unit 1 are entitled to paid job training:
- First-time TAs must receive four hours of paid training and may request an additional four hours.
- Returning TAs may request up to four hours of paid training per appointment, subject to approval by their hiring department.
Mandatory training hours are typically included in the Description of Duties and Allocation of Hours (DDAH) form. Departments may provide training directly or refer TAs to the Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP). TAs should consult their hiring department about training arrangements and approval.
For additional information, consult TATP’s Job Training Information for TAs.
Training and Preparation
- What training do your TAs need to fulfil their assigned responsibilities?
- Does your department provide TA training? If so, when is it offered?
- If departmental training is unavailable, what centralized training opportunities can you arrange or recommend?
- Do your TAs need support adapting teaching strategies and learning activities to different tutorial or lab sizes?
Course Materials and Technology
Consider how your TAs will access, prepare, distribute, and manage course materials and technology.
Course Materials and Access
- How will TAs obtain the course materials they need for their teaching responsibilities?
- How will students access course materials?
- If TAs are responsible for placing materials on course reserve, what procedures should they follow?
- Will the course use Quercus or another online platform? If so, do all TAs have the appropriate access?
- Who will maintain and monitor the Quercus course site, and whom should TAs contact if they encounter technical problems?
- What should TAs understand about how students are expected to use Quercus and other course technologies?
Technology and Equipment
- Will TAs be responsible for reserving, obtaining, setting up, or returning audiovisual, computer, or laboratory equipment?
- What equipment will be needed, and when?
- Where is the equipment located, and how can TAs access it?
- Are there forms, charges, project numbers, or other procedures associated with reserving equipment?
Printing and Photocopying
- Will TAs be responsible for printing or photocopying course materials?
- What materials will need to be reproduced, and where can TAs access the originals?
- Will TAs be responsible for bringing printed materials to lectures, tutorials, or labs?
- Where should printing or photocopying take place, such as a departmental office or duplicating service?
- How much advance notice or preparation time is required for printing or photocopying?
Teaching Activities and Student Interactions
Consider how your TAs will contribute to lectures, tutorials, labs, office hours, and other interactions with students.
Lecture and Class Attendance
TA attendance at lectures or other class sessions depends on the responsibilities outlined in the Description of Duties and Allocation of Hours (DDAH) form. Unless lecture attendance is specified in the DDAH, instructors cannot require TAs to attend.
- How often are TAs expected to attend lectures or class sessions? *
- Every class
- Exams only
- No required attendance
- Other arrangements
- What responsibilities, if any, will TAs have during lectures or class sessions? * For example:
- Answering student questions before, during, or after class
- Distributing or collecting assignments and handouts
- Taking lecture notes
- Leading discussions or facilitating learning activities
- Notifying students of class cancellations
- Setting up or operating audiovisual or laboratory equipment
- Delivering lectures or presenting course material
- Clarifying course and University policies, such as attendance, missed assessments, and academic integrity
Tutorial and Lab Responsibilities
- What is the purpose of tutorials or labs, and what role will TAs play in facilitating student learning?
- What learning outcomes should TAs address in their tutorials or labs?
- What teaching strategies, learning activities, and formative assessment approaches do you expect TAs to use?
- What course expectations should TAs communicate and reinforce regarding attendance, participation, engagement, and grading?
Office Hours
- Will you hold office hours? If so, when and where?
- Are TAs expected to hold weekly office hours? *
- If TAs hold office hours, when and where will they take place? How will appropriate meeting space or online arrangements be established?
Other Student Contact Responsibilities
- How should students contact their TAs?
- What course communication policies must TAs follow, including the use of University email accounts and the protection of confidential information?
- Will TAs use Quercus, email lists, or other approved communication channels to answer questions and support interaction among students?
- What activities count as student contact time, and how should these responsibilities be understood and documented?
Assignments, Assessment, and Grading
Consider how your TAs will contribute to preparing, administering, grading, and providing feedback on student assessments. Clarifying expectations can help support consistency across tutorials, labs, and other course activities.
Assignments and Assessment Expectations
- What types of assignments will students complete?
- What are the assignment due dates, late submission policies, and procedures for granting extensions?
- What departmental and course policies should TAs understand regarding grading, academic integrity, and suspected academic offences?
- What marking schemes or grading rubrics will TAs use, and how will these be explained and shared with the teaching team?
- What procedures should TAs follow when students raise questions or concerns about grades?
- What responsibilities will TAs have for assignments? * For example:
- Preparing assignments
- Collecting submissions
- Grading and recording marks
- Providing feedback
- Explaining assignment formats and requirements to students
Grading and Feedback
- What type and amount of feedback should TAs provide to students?
- How much time should TAs allocate to grading different types of assignments?
- Will TAs assign final grades on individual assessments, or provide provisional marks for review and confirmation by the course instructor?
- In courses with multiple tutorial or lab sections, should graded assignments be returned as they are completed or at the same time across sections?
- What procedures should TAs follow for assignments submitted by email or as attachments?
Tests and Examinations
- When will midterm tests and examinations take place?
- What grading criteria will apply to these assessments?
- What is the course policy regarding missed or make-up tests?
- Will TAs be expected to invigilate tests or examinations? *
Grading Administration and Recordkeeping
- What responsibilities will TAs have for grading administration and maintaining course records? * For example:
- Following and communicating academic integrity procedures, including reporting suspected academic offences
- Assigning grades or making grading recommendations, and clarifying whether these may be released to students
- Maintaining class records and identifying when they must be submitted
- Calculating or tabulating grades and meeting submission deadlines
- Completing or submitting grade sheets
- Posting or releasing scores and grades, including when and where this should occur
TA Feedback and Development
Consider how you will provide feedback to your TAs and support their ongoing teaching development throughout the course.
Feedback and Teaching Observations
- What forms of feedback or teaching evaluation can TAs expect? For example:
- Formal teaching observations or evaluations
- Peer observations
- Student feedback or evaluations
- When and how will feedback be provided? For example:
- At the mid-course review meeting
- At the end of the course
- At the TA’s request
- When concerns or challenges arise
- Informally throughout the course as part of regular meetings
- Will TAs have opportunities to gather feedback from students about their own tutorials or labs?
- How will you discuss feedback with TAs and identify opportunities to strengthen their teaching practices?