As a Swarthmore student majoring in biology, I wanted to get plenty of experience with the subject while also supporting other students in the department. That led me to becoming a lab teaching assistant for Bio 2, which is an introductory course on organismal and population biology here at Swarthmore. I help out with the Tuesday 8 AM lab section, so here’s what that looks like for me.
On Tuesday mornings, I wake up bright and early to head over to the lab. Sometimes it is a bit of a struggle to wake up so early, but I was in the same lab section when I took the class, so it’s not too bad. Usually, before I head into the lab, I’ll grab breakfast either at the Dining Center or from one of the cafes in the town of Swarthmore where I can use part of my meal plan.
When I get to the lab, I help the lab instructors set up all of the things we’ll need for the day and go over any important information. Then, once everyone gets to lab, we begin the lab for the day. This past week we had a journal club and observed fruit fly courtship behaviors in preparation for a study on them. My position as the TA that day meant I was the discussion leader and fly wrangler for the lab, passing out flies to everyone and assisting them if there were any problems, such as an escaped fly.
During the journal club discussion, I helped lead the conversation on a paper about speciation, answering any questions anyone had and asking what people thought of the paper. These journal club style discussions are a cornerstone of seminars in biology, so having one of these in lab was a good introduction to this style of conversation.
After our discussion, flies were passed out and observations began. As everyone was looking at their flies, I went around to help identify the behaviors and answer any questions anyone had. My role as the TA is to help answer any questions that come up in lab or, if I don’t know the answer, find someone who does. Throughout the lab period, I help make sure everyone knows what they are doing and has what they need to complete the lab.
Every week, all of the TAs for Bio 2 meet with the lab instructors to discuss what went well in lab and what challenges they ran into. We all work together to make plans for next year’s labs to run smoother and to make changes to upcoming labs. These meetings are a key part of the lab as they are a time when student voices can help shape the curriculum to address the needs of current students. I really enjoy being able to have such a role where I can help other students succeed in the things they are interested in.
TAs are common at Swarthmore, but every class and lab section will be led and taught by teaching faculty. In my experience, TAs at Swarthmore are bridges between students and professors. TAs can help you with any problems you may have or, if they can’t address the issue themselves, will get help from whoever can. Being able to take on this role as a helper and an advocate for other students has been a very fulfilling experience, and I hope to continue being a TA for future biology courses.
