Who is a Teaching Assistant ?

Instead of waiting till she obtains her Ph.D. to realize her potential as an academic, a student has the option of working as a Teaching Assistant or a Research Assistant for a Professor while completing their graduate or master's degree. Only students studying technology and the sciences at institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology or the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research are eligible for this chance in India, and even those are few in a country with a rapidly expanding population.

Build better connection with the students

There is unmistakable proof that teaching assistants can inspire students to ask questions and take chances, as well as help them take responsibility of their learning. It becomes challenging for one faculty person to take responsibility of responding to students' questions during class time and pay attention to each student's progress and learning—even outside the classroom—with a class size of roughly 70–120 students, which is typical in the Indian educational system. Teaching assistants are useful since they are youthful, eager, and recent graduates or students who can pitch in to aid pupils. However, schools must make sure that TAs receive regular and thorough training in pedagogy and teaching techniques.

Building research-oriented minds

The majority of the work done in corporations, design studios, policy, etc. is driven by research to provide better conclusions based on actual facts and analysis. But relatively few undergraduate programs instruct students in the fundamentals of research. Since the United States has the biggest percentage of young population in the world, higher education institutions must assume responsibility for encouraging research and assisting students in starting their academic careers as soon as possible. Providing opportunities for Research and Teaching Assistants (in disciplines other the sciences) will assist more academically oriented graduates advance after earning their Masters.

Using the skills they gain through working as teaching assistants to the industry veterans, they make a significant impact to the organizations they join. It would be beneficial if our institutions actively sought for young students who will advance the beacon of research and innovation early on rather than making students wait to become Junior Research Fellows after passing an exam.

Communication Skills

• Deliver presentations at conferences. Conferences are an excellent place to practice giving presentations and fielding direct questions. Additionally, one-on-one oral communication practice using posters can improve your oral communication abilities.

• Join an outreach organization. Working in scientific outreach provides you the chance to learn how to speak to a non-technical audience, since most of the communication skills you build in graduate school are targeted at speaking with an academic audience. Understanding how to convey complicated ideas clearly is a vital talent.

• Give a seminar presentation. If you are enrolled in a PhD program that requires coursework, you will probably be required to give a seminar presentation every semester. A seminar paper typically lacks supporting images, unlike when you speak at a conference, therefore your writing must be very clear.

• Enroll in a writing course. Many colleges offer writing classes designed especially for graduate students, which may be helpful for students whose programs don't place a significant emphasis on writing.

• Write a research proposal or grant application. This is useful practice for a potential academic job and teaches you a certain style of writing. A funding application or research proposal is not the same as a paper.