S4 E37: The Inside Perspective from Graduate Students Who Teach

For the first time, Keystone Concepts in Teaching features a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) and a graduate instructor as guests, offering faculty a candid look into the student-instructor perspective. Host Dr. Rachel Yoho is joined by Sehaj Gill and Yasmin Rahmani, who share anecdotes from teaching introductory labs and lectures at George Mason University while pursuing their own graduate degrees. The conversation emphasizes the importance of relatability, patience, and clear communication, especially when guiding students through their core course requirements. The episode explores lessons learned from handling classroom challenges, advice for professors on working productively with GTAs, and practical guidance for aspiring GTAs—including adaptability, not overlooking fundamentals in the age of AI, and confidently admitting “I don’t know.” Faculty will gain actionable strategies and new perspectives on creating supportive, relevant, and inclusive learning environments, straight from the voices of those teaching and learning at the same time. 

Resource: George Mason University Graduate Education - Teaching Skills:  https://graduate.gmu.edu/professional-development/teaching-skills 

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Rachel 0:08

Hello and welcome to the Keystone Concepts in Teaching podcast. I'm your host Rachel Yoho, and I'm very excited to be joined by two guests today. And so thank you both so much for joining us. I'm going to ask you each to just briefly introduce yourselves and your roles and your teaching experience here at Mason.

Sehaj 0:28

Hi, I'm Sehaj Gill and I'm a Master's student at George Mason University in Computer Science. I currently work as a lab instructor for IT 104 Introduction to Computing. In my role, I lead lab sessions where I help students build foundational computing and digital literacy skills. This includes things like productivity tools, basic concepts, and troubleshooting and responsible use of AI tools like ChatGPT. Many of the students in IT 104 don't come from a technical background, so it's a big part of my job to make technology feel more approachable rather than intimidating. Being both a student and an instructor at Mason has been a really meaningful experience because I'm learning advanced concepts in my graduate program while also helping students who are just starting their tech journey.

Yasmin 1:31

Hi, this is Yasmin Rahmani. Thank you for having me on the podcast, and thank you for the lovely listeners. I'm a PhD student in Biosciences. I have been in College of Science for undergrad, master's and now PhD. So a bit of a lengthy experience, both as a student and as I guess now an instructor. I have experience teaching Bio 1 0 2, both lab and lecture, although my lab experience is more extensive. I've taught lab for four semesters so far, and it's been a mixture both in person and online. And then for lecture, my experience, extends to only a semester so far, but I'm hoping to add more time to it.

Rachel 2:19

Yeah. That's great. Well, thank you so much for joining us and I'm very excited for this conversation, especially because of your multiple roles, for each of you, working on your degrees and also being a graduate teaching assistant, instructor, this kind of teaching role and we already had a brief mention of this, it gives us a little bit different view, even of our own education, our own learning, as we're also teaching some of those foundational concepts. So I really appreciated your mentioning that. But let's start off our conversation with something fun. So what interesting things have you brought to your teaching? Where do you see yourself and the excitement in this?

Sehaj 2:58

I think one interesting thing I bring to teaching is relatability. Since I'm also a student, I genuinely understand what it feels like to be overwhelmed, confused, or like just nervous in a new course, especially a technology class. So I try to create a low pressure environment where students feel comfortable about asking questions, like even about small things like Chat GPT, AI tools or basic computing. So I like to connect lessons to real world tools students actually use. For example, so when we work on assignments, I sometimes discuss how AI tools like Chat GPT can be used ethically for brainstorming or understanding concepts or debugging rather than just copying answers. So this helps students see AI as a learning assistant instead of just a shortcut. So I will share a recent scenario like my professor was out of town and he asked me to cover an HTML lecture, even though I usually handle labs. So I covered all the required topics, but I also added practical elements like writing comments and HTML or using VS Code extensions and how developers use documentation and AI tools to troubleshoot in real world scenarios and workflows. So students found that really useful because like it is connected classroom to industry practices. This also had a very unexpected benefit for me because it actually helped me in a lot in following lab class. Since I knew exactly what had been covered in the lecture, I didn't have time to go on and on and re-explaining the theory. Instead, I could focus more on hands-on guidance and individual support.

Rachel 5:07

Yeah, that's great. I really like how you're talking about how you bring yourself and your personality and your interest, and it directly builds relevance. That's really valuable there. Yeah. Thank you.

Yasmin 5:18

I agree with that sentiment because in, for example, the Bio 1 0 2, that it's a Mason core class, I wanna say 99% of the students there are there to check off a box and further go ahead and finish their degree. Maybe some are there because they're interested in the topic. Others could be there because that was the only class that worked with their schedule. Uh, so I try to be as relatable as possible in the sense that I keep in mind the demographic of my students. Now, some classes have had students who are from different age groups who have had the opportunity to come back to school, and then there's some students who are freshly out of high school, and this is their first college class. So when I give lectures, I try to connect it to some joke or some reference that I think at least a good portion of the class would understand. I try to bridge the gap of I'm an instructor in front of you, and this is instruction time, but also like I'm also human. Like we can have social connection that goes beyond the lesson of mitochondria or photosynthesis. And I took the same approach with lecture as well and kind of talk about current events, but not in the sense of like, debating, but more like, oh, this current movie came out. Have you guys gotten a chance to watch it? I love Marvel movies. So at the time, when I was giving lecture, a new Marvel movie came out, so I let my students know that, oh, I went out, checked it out. And that kind of brings their focus into the classroom. And then once I've captured their focus, I shift it to the lecture, whether it's lab or lecture. And then from there, it doesn't feel as intimidating the topics because now they feel that they can openly ask questions. Because I may have like authority over to topic, but in the classroom, we're all in this together.

Rachel 7:19

Yeah, I think that's such a great point, building that perception of accessibility that you're there, that you're part of that group. And especially I think, you know, making that point for students who aren't necessarily pursuing that as their direction, as their degree or something. What's a, you know, a Tuesday when we're learning about photosynthesis, why do I need to be doing this? We talked you a little bit about relevance, but even that personal connection, bringing people into that space is so valuable. I appreciate your sharing there. So, as you have had your teaching experience to this point, can you tell us maybe a little bit about some of the lessons that you've learned as you started and maybe gained a little bit more experience in being a teaching assistant in your teaching?

Sehaj 8:03

I think the lesson I learned is that we should have patience and flexibility and those are very essential because especially in like introductory courses, students come in with very different levels of experience. So some are comfortable with technology while others are learning everything from scratch. So another big lesson is that teaching in the age of AI requires guidance, not restriction. Students already use tools like Chat GPT, so instead of ignoring it, I focus on helping them use it responsibly for learning concepts or improving understanding, debugging, and even asking more questions to get more understanding on what they are learning. So I have also learned that clear communication makes a huge difference because when I try to explain concepts in simple terms, use analogies and break tasks into small steps, these make learning more efficient and there's a very good connection between the students and the instructor. And it helps for building their concepts for the longer term. So with the more experience I have also started to recognize where like students could face challenges or struggle with the concept. So I intentionally slow down and repeat key points even though they don't ask questions, because many of the students are just shy to just ask few questions. So it's better to just slow down your pace and then try to reite rate over the concepts. So I think teaching is not just about delivering content, but about creating a supportive and adaptive learning space where students feel comfortable learning at their own pace.

Rachel 10:03

Absolutely. I really like that. I think that's a really powerful statement right there. And really shows a lot of how we think about scaffolding, how we build that scaffolding as students learn. And I also really liked how you were talking about AI generators as tools. When do we use the tools? How do we use the tools? And we're long since past the time, like you said, that we can just ignore these things and hope it becomes not a problem. And we're way past that. But, you know, sometimes it's like if we use actual tools, sometimes you need a hammer, sometimes you need like a wrench or something and helping our students to see these, not, like you said, just not as shortcuts, but when to use the tool, what's the right tool, I think is very important there. Absolutely. What else? What else have we learned in our teaching?

Yasmin 10:51

I think once I started, nothing really prepares you for teaching. I mean, in the sense of you get anecdotal experiences from others. And the supervisor, the faculty that's leading you will tell you about certain things to look out for. They'll give you the lecture material for example, for lab. You have your lab manual, you have lectures that have been kind of cycled between students. You don't necessarily have to create lecture from scratch unless that's something you want to do or you just add on top. But what no one really can prepare you for are the instances that are one off in your class. Whether that's having a non-traditional student or having international students who may struggle not necessarily just with the concept, but just grasping the language around your material. And I've had students who are new mothers, so they had to have different kind of accommodations. Even though there were online students. There was a time where my student was on their baby's time. So you have to kind of find that compassion of yes, the topic that you're teaching is important and it's interesting to you, but people have other commitments that sometimes may come in the way of their success in your classroom. So that's been something that's been more challenging for me than just the material. But on top of that, I would say changing your language, in the sense of when you're in the major, you're in the department, you're so used to using, language that's very specific and you just assume that your colleagues understand what you're talking about and you just get comfortable. There's this unspoken level of understanding, but when you're teaching those subjects to students, you have to kind of stop yourself from using too much jargon and kind of bring it more to a level where it's more conversational rather than too much terminology. Granted, there are some instances where you have to get a bit technical, but in between, I think that also keeps the student's attention. But to add to the technological aspect, the lecture that I taught, our textbooks were completely online and the homework was completely online, and some students had a more difficult time navigating the textbook that way, even though it was intended to make it easier. Some students still prefer having a physical textbook, whether they're non-traditional students or they're freshly out of high school, just a personal preference, sometimes their attention works better if it's a physical item in front of them. And the one unfortunate thing with how technology is moving so fast is that we cannot offer those alternatives to our students without them paying extra. So if they wanted to get the physical book, they had to go and get it from the bookstore without it being included in the fees that they already pay. So yeah, there's been some positives and negatives that I've seen in the classroom, encompassing around all those topics.

Rachel 14:11

Yeah, absolutely. I think those are really great points and very thoughtful considerations for not only the student experience from the in class, how out of class impacts students, but even like you were just mentioning the financial side. I do wanna also just spend a little bit extra time highlighting when you were talking about language and jargon. As you had mentioned, having students from a wide range of experiences, primary languages or linguistic backgrounds. As we think about this, how we are bringing students into the practice, how we are bringing students into the language of the discipline, especially for those introductory courses, is so important. And so thinking about even for our students who might be primary English speakers, you know, we have that tendency to change words or switch out words for that auditory interest sometimes. And if we do that when we're teaching it could make it more of a barrier, make it more of a challenge for everyone in this space. Right? And so I think the terminology and how we introduce that is really particularly important there. So that's such a great point. So as we continue our conversation, what recommendations do you have for any instructors who might be listening to work productively with their graduate teaching assistants?

Sehaj 15:31

I would say communication and mutual support are the key. When instructors clearly share their expectations, course goals, and weekly plans, it helps GTAs or the lab instructors stay aligned and support students more effectively. And another thing is regular check-ins or like biweekly meetings with the professor also helps a lot because we can discuss students' challenges, their lab progress, and any adjustments needed.

Yasmin 16:05

In my experience our faculty member was very proactive. Shout out to Dr. Elizabeth Epstein. She was really good about meeting with us and helping us navigate not only through the concepts and the lessons, but also some issues that may arise with students that needed an ethical perspective. Like, so the other students don't feel like they're being mistreated or you're playing favorites for each other. So it was always nice that they were available via email, via zoom if needed. And we had our weekly and biweekly meetings to check in with each other and, especially as students ourselves sometimes, we get so busy with our own commitments and our own deadlines that things can fall off our plate. But having that support where you can send them an email and be like, Hey, I have this issue. And you can kind of not continue thinking about it until you get feedback from the faculty member, and resolve that problem really helps. And I think the faculty also appreciate the feedback we give to them from our students because it gives them a better understanding. If, for example, if they're writing the lab book, the lab manual, they will make changes or if it has to do anything with the lecture, things can be shifted around. Maybe certain topics fit better at certain weeks, and so there's a better flow of knowledge rather than jumping around.

Rachel 17:36

Yeah, that's such a great point. I like that aspect of collaboration and kind of mutual support that you were talking about. So as we kind of wrap up this part of our conversation for today, are there other things that you are thinking about right now? We just covered advice perhaps to instructors, but advice to aspirational graduate teaching assistants or any other insights that you would like to share?

Sehaj 17:59

According to me, I can give like three main advises. First is being adaptable, especially in introductory courses because many of the students are very intimidated by technology and some are just taking this course because it's required and they want a checklist on their transcripts since they don't come from a technical background. So encouragement, patience, and like reassurance really makes a big difference in how comfortable they feel they're learning. Second is that don't overlook the fundamentals, even in the age of AI, because teaching has shown me that when you know a topic so deeply, basic things like syntax or simple concepts feel obvious to you. But for the beginners or the students, those basics are everything. And even though AI can generate answers quickly, students still need a strong foundation to truly understand what they are doing. And third is guide students on how to use AI tools like Chat GPT responsibly rather than discouraging them completely. Because AI tools should be seen as a learning supplement, not a replacement for learning. And when we use correctly, it can support curiosity and help with problem solving and make learning more interactive. And one of the most rewarding parts of being a lab instructor at Mason is seeing students who were initially intimidated by technology become more confident. And not just in computers, but also in understanding modern tools like AI and digital technologies, that growth is incredibly fulfilling for both professionally and personally.

Rachel 20:00

Yeah, that's great. Absolutely. It's a very rewarding experience. Other advice or insight?

Yasmin 20:05

I think for our aspiring GTAs, biggest thing I would advise is that if there are certain subjects that you're interested in teaching, to reach out to those faculty instructors and maybe even sit in in one of their classes if possible. If it's a lab, it'll be more challenging due to the departmental rules, so you might not be able to go inside of the lab to watch their class, but let's say if it's a lecture, you can go and it's in the back and listen to how they teach and how they conduct their class in the sense of the expectations of the students and see if that's the subject you're interested in. Because if you're not interested in the subject, it's gonna be really difficult to teach others about it. But on top of interest, it would also be that you're comfortable with the subject, whether that's reading up on it before the semester starts, reading up on it as you go. But if there are things that come up that you're not sure of, I always let my students know that I don't know, but I will get back to them next week when I see 'em. Or I'll send them an email if it's something that I think everyone should know. So don't ever be afraid to say that you don't know something. But I think that's just like life lesson. Uh, but

Rachel 21:26

True and a teaching lesson.

Yasmin 21:28

Yeah, so as an instructor you put this pressure on yourself that you should know everything or close to everything. And when your students ask you something, sometimes it may feel embarrassing if you don't know the answer, but that's totally normal. I think your students will respect you and admire you more when you say that you don't know the answer to that, and on top of that a lot of students don't know that you're also in grad school while you're teaching and you're also instructing them. So sometimes they might challenge you, but, um, don't be intimidated by that either.

Rachel 22:09

Yeah.

Yasmin 22:10

So I think really making sure that the subject that you're teaching is a subject that you like or have some interest in it. If it's a subject that you find challenging or you don't really like, or you didn't like in undergrad, it would be really difficult. Not only because you might find challenges in transferring that knowledge, but also your dislike for the subject might make your teaching experience negative, and if you can prevent that, then I would say to prioritize that.

Rachel 22:41

Yeah, I think those are such great points. You know, as we think about this, I think you made a really, really great point with that, I don't know, being one of the hardest things to say when you're teaching, but overcoming that or even the, you know, I should know this actually, but wait a minute, let me think about it for a minute or something like that can be a really valuable experience there. So thank you both so much for your time. I think here in this conversation we're looking at our keystone concepts of building connection. We've talked about building connection between the students and the content. We've talked about building connections between us as the instructor, the teaching assistant with the students, as well as building those connections when we have like a lead instructor or even other TAs that might be involved in a larger type of team teaching environment. So we're looking at how we build all of these different connections. We talked about building relevance, and we talked about how we facilitate, how we try to approach those connections, especially with the content as well. So again, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for being our very first graduate teaching assistant guests. I'm really grateful for your time and your insights and I think this was a great opportunity to explore some of these different areas.

Sehaj 23:57

Thank you for the opportunity to share my experience. Teaching at Mason has taught me the importance of patience, adaptability, and guiding students, and it's been incredibly rewarding to help students feel more confident with technology and that growth is what makes teaching truly meaningful for me.

Yasmin 24:19

Thank you for having me, and thank you for facilitating this conversation. To our listeners, to aspiring GTAs and to faculty, if you have any questions relating to any of the things we had talked about, don't hesitate to reach out. And to my other fellow PhD students, if you are a graduate research assistant or a graduate professional assistant, if you have the opportunity to also try being a graduate teaching assistant, I highly recommend, giving it a go, even if it's for a semester because it will give you another perspective when it comes to having that mastery of your topic and being able to communicate that to other people. I think it's a very important skill and no better way than getting it while you're still in college.

Rachel 25:09

Yeah. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much. And as we close, please check out our episodes. We're posting every two weeks during the fall and spring semesters. So thank you so much for listening.