Teaching Asssistants
Comparative Understanding of Cultures - HNR U200, Fall 2007Professor Susan Setta, Chair of the Philosophy and Religion Department
Theology, Ethics, and Practice in the World's Religions
This fall, seven teaching assistants selected from upper level honors undergraduates helped guide the first semester freshmen through the readings. They led recitation sections, assessed writing assignments, and held office hours.
The biggest challenge for students exploring the world's religions is to learn what pieces of their own view of the world are informed by a religious tradition that they might not even consciously follow.
2007 Honors Program Teaching Assistants
Jessica Apryasz
Britta Abeln
Jay Cinq Mars
Holly Fletcher
MJ Paradiso
Nicole Keimer
Alyssa Rallis
Jay Cinq Mars
Whenever talking about the University, I always remark – perhaps too readily – that Northeastern students can seize their education and make it their own easily. I would know. During my three years here I have managed to customize my degree even while working within the confines of the most rigid curricula. How? I took advantage of nearly every opportunity offered to me. And the Honors Teacher Assistantship is my favorite example. While working as a TA I experienced the flip side of the student-teacher relationship. I became not only a better scholar, but a mentor and role model. I helped freshmen students, many unsure about which career to pursue, to search within themselves and find a passion. There are fewer experiences more rewarding.
Like a coop job, becoming a TA allowed me to get acquainted with the "ins and outs" of an academic career, and a chance to practice the pedagog’s art. Professor Setta, of course, provided an excellent example. With her guidance, I learned how to properly prepare lectures, correct papers, and engage material in new ways. I even learned how to give advice over cups of coffee during my office hours at Starbucks. And though I honed these skills, I sacrificed a great deal of time in the process. One Saturday I spent five hours correcting my students’ papers. But the results astonished me. My students transformed before my eyes, becoming meticulous writers and engaging speakers in a matter of weeks. After witnessing this, I became convinced that my own destiny lay behind a professor’s lectern.
In all, an Honors Teaching Assistantship gave me an opportunity to teach others the art of climbing academia’s ivory towers, while accelerating my own journey skyward. It also set me apart from my peers. It became a prized addition to my résumé, which I included as a part of my Presidential Scholarship application that same semester. The long hours sacrificed became even more significant when I learned that I had actually won that prestigious award – one of two former Honors TAs, no less. Finally, the experience proved invaluable in one other unexpected way. When the semester ended, Professor Setta extended an offer to work with her as a research assistant, in the capacity of a Spanish translator. I gratefully accepted. Since then, the work has opened new doors, and I can only imagine what lies ahead.
So if an opportunity to become an Honors TA presents itself to you, take it. It will change you and those around you for the better. That’s guaranteed.
MJ Paradiso
During the semester, I was able to work with a fantastic group of students. We explored the information collectively, looking to make sense of the material. By dissecting the religions’ influences and the moral convictions, we were able to add meaning to the texts. By examining religious events and principles in their historical contexts, many themes emerged that are still relevant in today’s society.
As a Teaching Assistant, I had the opportunity to lead discussions with my group, as we worked to understand, and more importantly analyze and verbalize, the religious material. I challenged not only my students, but myself as well, to push myself to think outside of my religious conceptions. I would recommend this position to any student looking to simultaneously lead a group of energetic students and learn about the religions that influence millions of people across the globe.
Professor Setta led class discussions that focused on the world religions’ similarities and differences, examining the common roots and distinct characteristics. We engaged in many contemporary discussions about how religions influence thinking in the world today. The class was fascinating because we explored topics that I would never have covered in my other classes. As an international business student, understanding cultural diversity, and specifically religious diversity, is paramount to building meaningful, cross-cultural relationships.
Britta Abelin
In my experience as a TA, it was really an interesting mix of being a student and a teacher. During the classes I took on the student role of attending class and taking notes. During recitations the teacher role kicked in. In the recitations it was my responsibility to make sure the students knew the material and to come up with creative ways of having discussions or otherwise going over what we learned in class.
One thing I got out of my TA experience was seeing information in many different ways. For each topic, the students had different views on the material which opened my eyes to those viewpoints, and it was also my job to really take apart the information and figure out how to go over it with a group of students. Being a TA also gave me the chance to learn the material in the course. I was really excited to know more about world religions and I certainly received that knowledge. In addition to simply learning the facts, however, I had to discover how best to convey that information to others.
Taking the job as a teaching assistant was a great decision. I made a little bit of money while essentially taking a class and helping other students to understand what we were learning. I got experience being in front of a group (something I previously avoided) and I had the opportunity to plan classes. I wouldn’t call it lesson-planning exactly, but I had to organize the recitations so the students could go over the material in a constructive way with each other. This is all experience that I can use in the future.
While this job would be beneficial to anyone, I would especially recommend being a teaching assistant to future teachers. It is a chance to be in front of a group and to plan class sessions for students. It is also an opportunity to analyze and grade student papers which is an interesting experience all by itself.
