You’ve probably heard the stereotypes about graduate student teaching assistants – that they don’t care about their students or speak such awful English that you’re better off studying on your own.  However, don’t let these misguided beliefs stop you from seeking out a position as a teaching assistant.  These jobs often provide great benefits, while enabling you to work closely with leading professors in your field.

What You’ll Do

As a teaching assistant, you’ll typically assist your professor by teaching all or part of an introductory level course in your field.  If you’re assisting with a large lecture, you may be responsible for leading a section of the students in study group sessions, while you may shoulder the burden of the teaching if the class size is smaller.  When you apply for one of these positions, it’s important to find out first what you’re expected responsibilities will be.

What Qualifications You’ll Need

Typically, to earn a position as a teaching assistant, you’ll need to have a solid academic record in your field of study.  However, just because you know your subject well doesn’t mean you’ll be a great teacher.  You need to be comfortable speaking in front of large groups of people, as well as handling questions from the undergrads you’re working with.  In addition, you need to be good at managing your time well.  Working as a teaching assistant often involves more working hours than a standard part-time job, since you’ll be expected to grade homework assignments and prepare lesson plans in addition to the hours you put in teaching.

What You’ll Make

Most universities offer generous benefits packages for their teaching assistants.  In the best programs, you’ll receive a full scholarship for your tuition, a teaching stipend, free room and board, and full health benefits, although the specifics of your compensation package may vary.  Some schools offer all these benefits, while others provide just a few.  In some cases, you may be expected to join a union of teaching assistants that will negotiate future benefits contracts.

How You’ll Benefit

Besides covering a significant portion of your graduate school expenses, working as a teaching assistant holds a number of other benefits.  You’ll hone your public speaking skills and learn how to work with different types of people.  Taking on these responsibilities can be tremendously beneficial if you plan to work as a college professor in the future.  You’ll also benefit from working closely with a professor in your field of study, which may lead to valuable professional connections and recommendations.

The bottom line is, working as a teaching assistant can be a great way to gain experience in your field and to challenge yourself and your ability to work with others.  In addition, you’ll likely be eligible for a better package of benefits than you’ll find flipping burgers or manning the counter at the college bookstore.  Plus, if you can find a position that offers full tuition scholarships for teaching assistants, you may be able to graduate free of student loan debt, giving you a much stronger financial start when you finish your education.