Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Being a TA is No Easy Job

Especially when you're trying to help a student and the student argues with you and states that they don't agree with your answer.

I was trying to help this student the other day and he kept on arguing with me, "I think I understand what you're saying but I don't agree with it." Well, I'm sorry, but I didn't make up the f*cking rules!

We were given the answers and I try my best to explain it as much as possible. Don't argue with me if you don't agree with what I say - I'm just stating what is in the answer key because I don't want to give you the wrong instructions on approaching this problem. So really, it's not me that you're disagreeing with - it's the prof.

3 comments:

Will said...

the best one I ever got was, "I understand but that's not how I see it in my head." Argh.

Eugene Chan said...

if you can't redirect them to the prof, here's an alternative approach. what was the student supposed to learn, or have learned, in devising a solution to the problem, and did the student demonstrate an understanding of that knowledge? if not, you have your answer. if yes, the question is at fault and someone has a good point.

Simon said...

that's easy to deal with
just ask them to talk to the prof.

or another trick. just take the exam and say u will look into it. then give it back after a week and by that time the student would have calmed down

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