TA Review of Student Feedback (Episode 3)

Building on the popularity of this series (2022, 2023), we are once again back with my review of these student comments. We will jump straight into the the funny and interesting responses.

CPSC 110, Term 1

Overall, I would consider this term absolutely disastrous. We had an abundance of new TAs, but unfortunately a significant number of them were unprepared for the job. As a result, there was a lot of tension between the students and the teaching team.

I also had to take on a more senior role on the teaching team, as it became one of my duties to train the newer TAs on the team. I am glad to say that my colleagues have gone on to become great TAs.

"Boris is sensational, really helped and explain concepts thoroughly when I went to his office hours, love this TA and really helped me do really well!"

"Boris is the best TA. He was always willing to explain and answer the dumbest question... Boris also had great office hours, and I really always appreciated his help and teaching."

"Boris was an amazing TA – he is very enthusiastic and it was clear that he cared about his students."

I guess, because of the disparity of experiences with TAs, my reviews have overall been very positive this term.

CPSC 110, Term 2

Now my last term on the teaching team, my attitude changed quite a bit. No longer worried about job security, I am free to throw out more potentially controversial comments and remarks. Moreover, the majority of the team was “culled” by the end of last term, so we had a much more senior teaching team, with multiple semi-retired TAs returning to the team, so the overall experience is better.

"Was kind and responded as quickly as he could when I asked for help. Sometimes a little bit stingy with hints, but still overall helpful"

Brother in heck, it’s literally my job to not give you the answers. Glad you’re not completely wrecking my ratings because you don’t like my hints.

"Once again extremely helpful TA. He makes it impossible to be intimidated by TAs or scared to ask for help; he shows a lot of consideration and is always enthusiastic. He made it a very positive environment to struggle and learn."

"Boris is a very funny, considerate, .... (all the positive adjective that can be used to describe a person) and chill TA. I would want to have him as my TA again."

I am really glad that my jokes have landed quite well, and students do enjoy the lighter atmosphere that I bring. I’ve also enjoyed myself a lot more due to this more relaxed attitude that I’m allowed to have.

"when i landed on this planet, after flying through space for eons after the collapse of my homeworld krypton, this TA adopted and raised me."

I am absolutely flattered.

Science One (SCIE 001)

If the COVID generation is a thing, then it certainly continues to strike. The students again feel harder to handle, and having reduced hours limits the amount of follow-up I can do with students.

"Boris was often passive aggressive when answering questions. He did not provide a comfortable environment. Overall, he was a useless TA."

Let’s start with this one. To whoever wrote this, fair game; no hard feelings. Thank you for noticing that I am passive-agressive, because I did indeed try to do that. I often categorize students into two groups: a group of students that are here to learn, and a group of students that want answers from me. If you fall into the latter category, unfortunately I cannot be as patient, especially when I have already (reluctantly) given you a solution, you should not be questioning such a solution.

"Boris was always very helpful and kind towards us when we asked him for help during his office hours. He explained concepts in a very easily understood way."

"Boris is a great TA who cares about students and makes sure they learn. He holds a lot of additional office hours which are very helpful!"

In contrast, as you can see in the reviews, when a student comes into my office hours to learn, I am willing to spend a lot more time on them. I would like to extend a token of thanks to those who are willing to learn.

"Overall, Boris was a solid TA. However, I do wish there was a little more transparency and clarity established for the physics assignment criteria."

I implore, whoever the next physics TA is, to try to get Chris to actually give rubrics for assignments. I’ve tried for three years, and unfortunately on assignments without rubrics, the best I can do is to grade based on vibes. On a related note, I fundamentally do not agree that these assignments are useful in any sense, but merely add more pressure on the student. That discussion is likely going to come on a separate post.

"Super kind, offers great advice about science one physics and major selection in upper years."

With four years of university experience in hand, I do hope I have given some honest opinions on the different programs that I’ve been in, and I’m glad some of you found it helpful.

Finally, I would like to apologize to the readers if they found this article shorter than expected. The response rate for these surveys have once again gone down this year, and that does not give me enough content to work with. Please remember to always give feedback, whether they are good or not, because that lets us improve on our teaching in future terms.