Life came full circle this September as I finally achieved a long-time goal I had - to be a Teaching Assistant (“TA”). That too for Introduction to Business (MGMT 1000), a course that I took in my first year at Schulich as an undergraduate student in the iBBA program - many many moons ago (circa 2015).
I remember when I was taking the course, my TA was a JD/MBA in his third year who I looked up to and aspired to be. His laid-back nature, telling the class how it is, and reminding us that this is only the beginning stuck with me throughout my time as an undergraduate student. Teaching at 8 am was something I looked forward to because I was very impressed by the caliber of students. The two sections I taught were a sample for me to see that the class of 2025 is very intelligent! Whether it be through the effort they put into their projects, or the class discussion analysis. A very hardworking bunch who was resilient since they began their university journey completely remotely! What I learned as a TA - Improved communication through giving feedback to students and holding office hours. As a student, I always strive for the best grades and feedback matters to me in all my classes. Now being a TA, I needed to ensure that students understood the assignment, expectations and how they could further improve their end products. That required me to take a step back and articulate what the expectations were and communicate it accordingly. - Improved my time management skills to make time in my schedule to teach, grade, and be available for students! I chose to take on the role of a TA, thus it’s vital that I provide students with ways to contact me. I made it work as much as I could and tried to reply to all emails within the 24-hour mark to ensure that they feel supported during this online environment. - Encourage thinking outside the box! This is something I did not do as an undergraduate student. I had a 10-year life plan and I followed it to the T (until COVID-19 hit and then I changed my course a little bit). A huge portion of this year’s curriculum was teaching students how to network and reflecting on what they would like to do beyond Schulich. This thinking outside the box included networking, attending different club events, and not shutting out any possibilities before trying it! - BEING GRATEFUL for how far I’ve come in my journey over the last six years. I think while I was too preoccupied in my current academic venture, I forgot that there was a point in time where I didn’t think it would be possible to begin with. It really helped me be more appreciative and take things a little easier than usual because I knew that I’m on track for what I wanted. Conclusion I would like to take the time to thank all the professionals who signed up to speak with students from my sections for their networking assignment. I had 65 individuals sign up across different industries, which really helped students gain a varied perspective about what life after undergrad looks like and what career opportunities are available to them! If presented with the opportunity to teach again and be involved in a similar role, I would accept it in a heartbeat! It was quite enjoyable for myself, meeting the students and TAs who shared a similar interest with business and mentorship. By: Karen Randhawa Comments are closed.
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Legally BrownThree Osgoode Hall Law students sharing their lived experiences and providing *unsolicited* advice. Archives
December 2021
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