One of the most important roles in any department is that of teaching assistants. Undergraduate teaching assistants are no exception, acting as a bridge between the professor, graduate assistants and students. Annie McTaggart recently served as one for Robert Denemark, professor of political science, in his Introduction to Global Politics course. Annie reflected on her experience and the opportunities it provided.

What was the process of becoming a teaching assistant like?

“Professor Denemark spoke to the members of his higher-level Diplomacy class in fall 2023 and asked if anyone would be interested in being a TA for him. After taking two courses with him, I knew I really enjoyed the content of the courses as well as his guidance outside the classroom, so I chose to pursue being a TA for his Global Politics course and being an undergraduate research assistant for his treaty group.”

What was your reason for wanting to become a teaching assistant?

“I knew I wanted to be a TA, to see what it was like on the other side of the classroom, and to better understand the ways a professor introduces material and runs a course. I am not necessarily set on pursuing a teaching career in the future, but I am interested in a career in global politics.”

How would you describe your role as a teaching assistant?

“The role of a teaching assistant definitely depends on how much time and energy you invest in it. Attending every lecture and discussion section is the basic requirement. In our discussion sections, I assisted the graduate-level TA with running the meeting and facilitating conversation with students. Professor Denemark describes his undergraduate TAs as the bridge between the graduate-level TAs and the students in the course, as it is easier for a first-year or sophomore to connect with an upperclassman than with a graduate student or with him. In addition to the courses, I ran review sessions for students prior to exams to help them organize the content from the course and think about the information from the lectures.”

Was there one skill or lesson you learned that stands out?

“TAing for an introductory course when you are taking higher-level courses in the subject brings you back to the roots of what you study. Unpacking the major themes of international relations and global politics after taking advanced courses allowed me to really think about these different topics, and I truly believe it has given me a more nuanced understanding of global politics.”