TF Resources: Frequently Asked Questions
This is a collection of various questions related to teaching which you might ask yourself at some point. Many formal questions (e.g., course requirement) are answered elsewhere on this website. Likewise, many of the basic questions about life as a Physics TF are answered in the Physics TF guide, which also has a number of tips on your responsibilities as a TF, managing your time, etc. The handbook also contains a sample section outline and tips for the first days in class. If you think your question is relevant to other TFs but you do not find an answer here, please contact Anne Goodsell ( ).
Getting TF positions, pay, etc.
How many semesters am I required
to teach?
The department requires that you teach the equivalent
of one semester with a 1/2-time TF position before
graduating. Beyond that, the amount of teaching you
have to do will typically depend on your financial
need and on other sources of funding you have. Keep
in mind, though, that having solid teaching experience
can be valuable when you are applying for jobs.
How do I apply for a TF position?
At the beginning of every semester, the department
sends an e-mail application form to all graduate students.
On this form, you can list the courses you would prefer
to teach. The department will make every effort to
find a teaching position for every graduate student
who needs one (and generally succeeds).
Who assigns teaching jobs in
the department?
The Director of Undergraduate Studies, David Morin
(
), and the Laboratory Director, David Norcross (
), are in charge of the TF assignments.
What is the standard type of
TF appointment (1/2-time, 1/4-time...)?
A 1/2-time (typically two sections per week in the
elementary courses, 20 hours work per week averaged
over the entire five-month semester) appointment is
standard; 1/4-time (10 hours per week) appointments
are also used, e.g. for courses with small enrollments.
A 1/2-time appointment is actually, and somewhat confusingly,
a full position in the sense that it gives you a full
salary.
I would like to teach a specific
course - how can I arrange that?
The best way is to contact the professor who will be
teaching the course before the appointments are made
and explain why you would like to TF the class - faculty
often make requests for a specific TF. You should also
list your preferences on the TF application form.
Can I loose my TF job if fewer
students than expected sign up for the class?
No. Initial assignments are always made based on estimated
enrollment, and adjustments are always made a week
or so into the term. The worst that can happen is a
reassignment to another course with more students than
expected.
When can we get a grader for
my course?
There is no general rule, because it depends on enrollment
and how the faculty member wants to run the class.
If enrollment warrants adding teaching staff, in some
circumstances an additional TF will be requested, in
other circumstances graders will be requested. For
the department's rules on how many hours you are required
to work as a TF, look here.
How much does a TF positions
pay?
For AY 2006-2007, a 1/2-time appointment (which is
what most people have) pays $2,200 month, and a 1/4-time
appointment pays half that. Senior TFs (G3+) get slightly
more. The amount is adjusted for inflation etc. every
year. These stipends are taxable. Your tuition and
fees are covered as part of the fellowship in proportion
to the appointment, e.g. 100% for a regular 1/2-time
TF appointment.
Who deals with pay questions?
The Laboratory Director (
).
Can I tech the first year and
postpone my Purcell Fellowship?
No - you can not teach your first year.
Can I teach over the summer?
The Physics Department is asked to provide TFs for
one summer Extension School course (Physics 1a & 1b).
These appointments involve daily lectures and sections,
but in return pay two months' normal salary for one
month's work (about 40 hours per week). However,
there are only very few TF positions available for
these courses, so you are well advised to look for
other possible sources of summer funding (e.g., working
for a professor).
Can I still teach if I have an
external scholarship?
That depends on the rules of the external funding agency.
If you are wishing to teach, check with them well in
advance and get their permission in writing.
Can I still teach if I receive
funding from a professor?
Certainly, but in any particular situation at the pleasure
of your advisor. Some groups expect their students
to teach every other semester, or equivalently 1/4-time
for both semesters. The department regards teaching
as an important part of a graduate students preparation
for the future. Specific arrangements should be worked
out with the professor.
Can I teach more than one class
per semester?
Students are not allowed to hold what would be a full
time job (two 1/2-time appointments), but one student
could hold two 1/4-time appointments in advanced graduate
courses with small enrollments.
Can I TF outside the department?
Yes, under certain circumstances. Because the department
pays your full tuition when you teach, it prefers
that your teaching service benefits the department
or its faculty. This routinely includes teaching
for courses in other departments that are being given
by Physics faculty, e.g. in the Core or in the DEAS.
Teaching outside the department that does not benefit
the department or its faculty may be regarded as
an RA, i.e. the faculty or department obtaining your
services may be expected to pay some or all of your
tuition and fees.
TF life in general
What is expected of me as a
TF?
That depends somewhat on the course you are teaching
and the faculty teaching it, but generally you are
expected to attend the lectures, gives section twice
weekly, hold office hours, and grade homework and exams/midterms.
If you are a first-time TF, you are also required to
attend a microteaching session and have one of your
sections filmed (see below). FAS also expects you to
maintain a minimum CUE score of 3 out of 5 (see below).
What is microteaching and what
is it good for?
Microteaching is "teaching-simulation", meant to boost
your confidence before you teach for real for the first
time. In brief, you get to "teach" for 10 minutes in
front of some graduate student colleagues and a teaching
consultant from the Bok Center (see below). Afterwards,
you discuss how it went - all with the sole purposes
of giving you confidence when you meet your real students.
There is more information on the Bok
Center homepage. The department requires that you
attend a microteaching session before you start teaching
your first class - David Morin will automatically inform
you about this.
Do I have to have a section filmed
- and why?
The department requires that you have a full section
filmed in your first semester of teaching. This requires
moving a section of your choice to the Bok Center rooms
in the Science Center - you will automatically be reminded
of this. After the taping, you will view the tape with
a Bok Center teaching consultant and have a chance
to discuss how things are going. The sole purpose of
the taping is to help you improve your teaching: although
watching yourself teaching can be unnerving, it is
actually immensely useful. The tape and the feedback
you get stay between you and the Bok Center consultant;
it is not forwarded to the department or shown to others
(unless you explicitly OK it).
I am worried that my English
is not good enough for teaching. What can I do?
The Bok Center runs special courses and workshops to
help non-native speakers improve their English skills
for teaching: for a description, look here.
You can also contact Virginia Maurer at the Bok Center,
who is in charge of this program (vmaurer@fas).
How
many hours a week does teaching require?
That can vary significantly depending on the course
and the time of year. The official workload for a 1/2-time
appointment (which is what most people have) is 20
hours per week, 10 for a 1/4-time appointment. If you
are spending more than that over an extended period,
you should talk to the professor you teach for and
discuss the extra time with the Laboratory Director
(
).
Teaching seems to taking up all
my time - what can I do?
Teaching can easily become overwhelming, especially
if you are just starting as a TF. The best way to avoid
teaching stress is to get organized and to make sure
to set fair boundaries for yourself and your students.
There are a number of helpful tips in the Physics
TF guide. You might also want to talk to one of
the department teaching consultants.
I have problems with the professor
I am teaching for, but I do not feel comfortable
discussing them with him/her directly - who can I
talk to?
You can talk with Sheila Ferguson, the Graduate Student
Coordinator (
), and/or contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Prof.
Melissa Franklin (
). You can also talk to one of the Physics Department's teaching
consultants.
TF resources
What is the Bok Center and what
can it do for me?
The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning (bokcenter.fas.harvard.edu)
is devoted to improving undergraduate teaching across
the university. It organizes the two yearly teaching
conferences, provides materials relevant to teaching
(such as tip-sheets) and runsvarious workshops(e.g.,
helping non-native English-speakers improve their English
for teaching). The Center also runs micro-teaching
sessions and videotapes section (see below). To get
in touch with the Center, you can either visit it in
person on the 3rd floor of the Science Center, or check
out the website (which has a host of useful material).
Who are the teaching consultants
and what can they do for me?
The department teaching consultants are physics graduate
students who work for the Bok Center to improve teaching,
help physics TFs, and also serve as liaisons to the
Bok Center (see above). When you conduct your microteaching
session or review a taped section, these are usually
the people you do it with. You can contact them if
you have any questions or concerns about teaching or
if you want to know more about the Bok Center and its
resources. The names and contact details for the current
teaching fellows can be found on our TF
Teaching Consultants page.
What are Lead TFs (resident TFs)
and what can they do form me?
Lead TFs are full time teaching consultants, who are
hired and paid by the Bok Center. They do many of the
same things as the teaching consultants, but they also
offer more direct support to TFs: e.g., by running "office
hours" for TFs and collecting and distributing information
(this website, for instance, is a Lead TF's project).
Where do I get the Physics TF
Handbook?
Right here on this very
website! If you are TFing for the first time, you will
also receive a paper copy.
I am graduating and need to put
together a teaching portfolio. Where can I get help?
The Bok Center has a helpful
page with tips for creating a teaching portfolio
and answering teaching-related questions in interviews.
The Office
of Career Service also has general information
on finding jobs and preparing for job interviews.
Miscellaneous
Can I write letters of recommendation
for my students and, if so, how should I do it?
It is not uncommon that students ask TFs for recommendations,
especially for minor scholarships etc. This is perfectly
fine, though you might want to check (e.g. with a professor)
that a TF recommendation is indeed appropriate in the
given case. Writing a good letter of recommendation
will take some thought and effort, but it is a useful
skill to have. There are two very good tip-sheets on
how to do this on this
page (look under "Recommendations for students")
which deal with all aspects of the process (from the
Bok Center).
What is CUE?
CUE is short of Committee on Undergraduate Education.
It publishes the CUE guide (www.fas.harvard.edu/cueguide/),
which lists all undergraduate courses taught at Harvard
and evaluates them based on questionnaire responses
from students who have taken these courses. The questionnaires
are also used to evaluate professors and TFs. All
undergraduate courses must collect CUE scores from
the students.
What happens to my CUE scores
and how do they matter?
Your CUE scores will be sent to the FAS and the department.
If your score is 4.5 or above (out of 5), you are automatically
awarded a Harvard University Certificate of Distinction
in Teaching by the Bok Center (see above) - a nice
embellishment for your CV. Also, a high CUE score might
help win the departmental teaching prize. Conversely,
if your CUE score for a given semester goes below 3
(which is a very rare occurrence!), FAS will get in
touch with the department and demand that you take
steps to improve your teaching. Often, changing just
a few things can make a big difference. However, should
you receive two CUE-scores below 3, you will be barred
from teaching.
Are there any Teaching Prizes?
Yes, several. If your CUE score is above is above 4.5,
you also automatically get a CUE Teaching Certificate
(see above). The department hands out the White Teaching
Prize every year to a physics TF, based on nomination
from professors. Finally, there is also the campus-wide
Levenson Prize which is awarded once a year, based
on student nominations.
What is the Physics Question
Center (PQC)?
The PQC used to be a "help-clinic" for student in the
introductory physics courses. However, due to the changed
structure of those courses, the PQC is no longer needed
and hence it no longer exists.
I did not find an answer to
my question on this list - what now?
If your question was about "official matters", the
Graduate Student Coordinator Sheila Ferguson (
) often has the answer or can direct you to somebody
who does. She is also a great person to go to with
confidential questions. For practical tips and questions
about teaching resources, you can always get in touch
with one of the teaching consultants,
who will be happy to answer your questions. If you
feel that your question (and subsequent answer) should
be added to this FAQ, just mail it to any of the teaching
consultants.
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