I started this saying something about wanting to document my TA experience and I figure that now is as good a time as any. I just finished TAing for my 3rd course here at the University. I enjoyed both the professor and the class content, and did not have to lead section. It was a very pleasant experience, I picked up some pedagogical tips, and learned enough about Northern Renaissance art to (hopefully) blow the socks off anyone I'm traveling with through Europe.
Even considering the wealth of information I picked up from Professor Madar, one of the most useful lessons I learned this quarter is the importance of the grade break down. The final grade for each student was broken down into assignments and expectations, each making up a certain percentage of the final mark. Although fairly standard for college level classes, what surprised me the most was the difference between what I eyeballed each grade to be versus the actual computation of all scores. Overall, I had overestimated where I thought the student's final grade was going to be - although in a few cases I had underestimated as well. My class average would have definitely have been inflated had I simply stuck to my estimates. As someone who is trying to figure out how they want to teach and structure their classes, this was a wonderful piece for me to learn.
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