Increasingly, universities look for documented teaching excellence in the graduate students they hire into faculty positions. For this reason, working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant is not a small thing in terms of your career. For many students it is their first line of authentic professional activity that will be recorded on a Curriculum Vitae. It is therefore essential that you treat it like the real job that it is, pursue it with enthusiasm and commitment, strive for excellence by learning new strategies, and document your work (e.g., with a portfolio) as you would any other type of professional activity. Equally important, use the experience as an opportunity to connect with those faculty members who will eventually write letters of support for you, describing both your effectiveness as an instructor and your potential to become a faculty colleague.

This resource is a service of the Institute for Teaching, Learning and Academic Leadership (ITLAL). ITLAL features a variety of Teaching Consultation Services, as well as an extensive collection of web-based Teaching and Learning Resources. ITLAL also sponsor an ongoing series of Events and Workshops for graduate students, faculty, and instructional staff.

For more general information about moving to the Albany area and working for the University at Albany, you might also want to check out our New Graduate Teaching Assistant Resources.