Below you will discover the real accounts of our Learning Assistants and their experience that they wish to pass onto our future cohorts!
Dear Future LA,
My name is Cecile and I wanted to become an LA because I’m constantly trying to improve my skill set with concepts in science. However, I also wanted to help students learn with a perspective I felt I could contribute to the program. General Chemistry 1 is the workshop I taught and as a student, it was hard for me to go through the course and still sometimes confuses me. From an LA’s perspective, teaching students who have to go through the same exercises and lessons as you, I got to experience the material over again from a new point of view that helps me as a person become closer to their goal of mastering a skill. I love to volunteer and overall want to have a positive impact on those who I encounter in life which counted as another point that motivated why I wanted to be an LA because we are helping students become familiar with this material they find worth learning but also creating a positive environment when learning and building a connection between student and instructor.
My biggest challenge as an LA was not only getting out of my comfort zone and becoming more experienced in public speaking but it was actually having to take on a teacher’s perspective because we are all accustomed to the feeling of being impostors in this role. Not every student faces this challenge but it is still something to constantly consider when stepping into a role with new responsibilities. However, it was definitely worth it. The biggest takeaway for me with being an LA were the interactions with the students and being able to see the connection with subjects taught click for them individually and them trying to explain that with their group. It was constantly something to learn and you definitely don’t have to be fully confident in your skills with the subject you teach just as long as you’re passionate about it and feel like you can contribute something to the program you will be a great fit.
The support within this program is astounding and the communication and bridges you build with your professor and fellow students make this program what it is. Some useful information to consider with becoming an LA is knowing that everyone has a different specialty they can bring to the table not everyone is supposed to be compared and that is what is talked/preached about in the LA program it favors diversity in all aspects and meanings to the word. It is not based on knowledge and how well you performed in the course you are teaching for it is purely about your experience and what you gained from it. I have only seen a few programs such as this one that has supported students as leaders/teachers and know they are still students at the end of the day. Those few programs within this campus will mark as one of the highlights of college for me because of my progression from them along with this program and the lessons taught. I would like to thank the coordinators and teaching staff of U of A at Little Rock for this experience.
Sincerely,
Cecile
Dear Future LA,
I am Desiree, previous LA of Mrs.Kattoum for her fundamental chemistry course. Initially, I wanted to be an LA for the experience and to deepen my understanding of chemistry because I know that there were some things that I did not fully understand while taking Gen Chem 1. I honestly saw the opportunity as one of growth and something that would only turn out beneficial in the end– not only for me but for others. I would gain more confidence and leadership/teaching skills while refreshing myself of the material and the students would gain someone that they would possibly feel more comfortable approaching over the professor.
So far, everything that I felt I would gain from this experience I have and more. This experience has meant so much to me and I am grateful for the opportunity. I have learned many new ways of thinking and how to approach problems through the pedagogy course. I have made new connections with other students of the actual chem course and the LA course itself. I am now more educated in terms of how to correctly interact with people in a learning environment and am more confident in my ability to help others. My workshop classes were amazing. There were some ups and downs, but overall I would say that it was all worth it. I feel like the students and I both came out victorious in the end, having all left learning something in a way.
One of my biggest challenges that I have faced this semester is initially not knowing how to approach students that are hard to work with. Beforehand, I never thought about how I would have to deal with difficult students. I just thought that people would show up to class, participate, and leave because that was my experience as a student in a workshop. However, I did encounter a difficult student this semester who was kind of pushy and did not have a positive attitude towards chemistry. This student would just exude that kind of attitude in class and it would affect others. I had to learn how to approach the student and how I could first be of help to them because maybe it wasn’t an intentional thing, but honest frustration. As it turned out, it was honest frustration. I had to be understanding and open-minded when communicating with this student, an approach I probably would have not done if I did not have the pedagogy course to remind me of the “daily norms”. You have to remember to stay in that kind of mindset.
My biggest takeaway from being an LA is it’s all about the quality that you give and the interactions that you have with students. Everyone makes mistakes, but it is important to effectively communicate and work through problems together. It is not about just getting to an answer, but about understanding how you get there. Every day will not necessarily be easy, but everything is doable with the right mindset.
Keep high spirits. Stay motivated, for you and for your students. Don’t shy away from opportunities. Everything is a learning experience and this is one that will definitely pay off in the end.
Best wishes. Be sure to enjoy every ounce of the experience.
Desiree
Dear Future Learning Assistant,
My name is Taylor and I’ve been a learning assistant for 3 semesters since having Mrs. Kattoum. I wanted to become an LA because the LA I had in chemistry wasn’t very engaging. I felt as though I could help more and connect with the students better and that’s when I first got interested. There’s nothing I love more than meeting and connecting with new people, and getting to teach my favorite subject while doing it is truly a dream. You will have no better feeling than helping someone else succeed with their goals. Being an LA has honestly been the best experience for me. I take so much pride and joy in helping someone learn a concept in chemistry or filling in gaps they might have missed in their past experiences with it. It truly makes my day meeting students and making them feel like they belong in the classroom and making them laugh. I know that when I’m learning it makes me feel so much better when the teacher is welcoming and brings laughter into the learning environment.
I will say although being a learning assistant is very rewarding, there also comes challenges at times. Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed with your own classes or personal life, but the teachers really are there for you and are wanting you to succeed as well as their students. Dr. Moore’s door is always open and he’s a great therapist ;) haha. You’ll also come across students who may are disruptive in the classroom and won’t let you help them, but be patient and try your best and in the end if you need help just go to Mrs. Kattoum with your issues. It doesn’t make you any less capable of being an LA when you need help and it doesn’t make you a tattle tail if you need to tell her about another student’s behavior. The biggest thing you can take away from being a learning assistant is that you really do become a part of a community. You meet a lot of other students who love helping others and also get to meet some of your peers that you might not get a chance to interact with otherwise. You build so many new relationships and grow so much from this experience as you learn more people skills and teaching skills. Overall just always go in with a positive attitude and open mind and you’ll reap so many benefits from your experience in the classroom with the students that you never thought you would.
I wish you my best,
Taylor
Dear Future LA,
This is a letter that describes my experience as an LA. I hope this can speak to you and provide clarity for what kind of an experience you are embarking on. I wanted to open with some neutral statements before revealing how much I loved this experience and how rewarding I found our Tuesday night class to be. I wanted to be an LA because upon graduating I am going to teach high school chemistry. Not having much experience in helping people learn, let alone teaching people, I thought being a learning assistant would provide me with great hands-on experience at teaching and working with students.
After finishing this semester, I spent some time reflecting on what being an LA meant to me. First and foremost I felt my job was to bridge the gap between the professor and the students. I thought of myself as someone who was in a mountain climbing expedition who had already climbed this mountain before. I’m not an expert like our paid climbing guide is and it’s not my job to make sure these people survive the climb, but I have done this before and my experience and know-how can be beneficial to first-time climbers in the group. The head climber might tell the group something as a whole and not everyone fully gets it and because of my experience, I can help clarify it for them and was recently in the same situation so I can relate and empathize. That’s what being an LA meant to me.
The biggest challenge I found as an LA was us being virtual. I only got to work with students in person one time so all the other times it was in a breakout room on zoom and I think that added a layer of separation. I had trouble connecting and establishing a report with the students I worked with. I had trouble getting people to participate over zoom and I wish I would have considered the difficulty of teaching over zoom and thought of ways to overcome them before class started. I had to adapt on the fly as the semester went on in trying to teach and help convey the content simply and clearly over zoom was very trying. I will say that I was able to reach a couple of students and clarify concepts for them and that satisfaction in the face of all these obstacles was immensely rewarding.
My biggest takeaway from this experience was confirming I want to be an educator. Seeing how a little bit of patience and attention can be a huge game-changer for a student. Presenting myself as someone who just wants to help you learn and we’re all in this together can have a huge impact on a student. I know that I was able to reach a couple of my students and I was able to witness a “lightbulb” type moment and man that feeling was pretty incredible. My biggest takeaway was that I love teaching and am excited for this journey I’m about to go on.
The last bit of useful information I can give you as a future LA is to get the most out of the Teach/Learn in STEM class on Tuesday night. Michael taught me so many things about learning that I had never considered before. I only wish I could have taken this class at the beginning of my college career because it would have resulted in me being a much better student. I am definitely a more informed student now. It really expanded my knowledge and I think even my capacity and receptivity for new ideas were greatly increased. I found a wealth of information and access to resources all dedicated to learning and teaching that to say it broadened my horizons would be a major understatement. No matter what you want to do after attaining your undergraduate degree I can guarantee this class will benefit you and help you in the future. If anything it will increase your awareness to a myriad of situations and topics that arise in day-to-day life. I cannot praise this class enough. I actually got more out of it and had a more rewarding experience in that class than I did teaching as an LA. It was truly an eye-opening class and I can’t emphasize enough how rewarding and informative it was. The science of learning and teaching science was one of my favorite classes I’ve taken and I was not expecting that.
Sincerely,
Travis
Dear Future LA,
The reason why I became an LA is because of my experience with chemistry. I remember being very stressed out after my first exam since I did not do as well as I expected. After the semester, I found a new love for chemistry and wanted to share this with others. Being an LA has meant a lot to me because it has really taught me how to get out of my comfort zone. The biggest challenge would have to be overcoming the imposter syndrome that I felt many times. I had to realize that I was good enough to do this. I did not realize how much of this I would have to overcome, but it really helped. The biggest takeaway from this experience as an LA would be all of the people I have met. It truly is a huge support system and a great opportunity to expand my knowledge of chemistry. It is a wonderful program that I believe will have amazing benefits for UA Little Rock!
Dear Future LA,
I wanted to become an LA because I wanted to help other students succeed and be there for guidance when they needed it the most. When I was a student in Mrs.Kattoum’s class, my learning assistant was so helpful in ways that they helped me work through problems that would be difficult for me to solve. Being an LA, for me, has meant being confident and keeping gaining confidence in anything you do. It has meant for me to be okay with making mistakes and learning from them and not everything I do is supposed to be perfect. The biggest challenge I wish I would have considered is to pull throughout the semester and finish off the semester with being an LA. But at the same time, I had to tell myself that it was okay to drop being an LA and focus on myself first and put myself first, which would be my biggest takeaway. One other takeaway would be that being an LA does not mean it is our job to teach the students every single concept, being an LA means to help them get through the class and make sure they are on the right track to making good grades. Overall I have seen growth in myself, as a person and how I am handling school after I stopped LAing. I did what was best for me which has most definitely helped me learn that sometimes stretching yourself too far can cause stress. But for the time that I was an LA for, I enjoyed it and would consider being an LA in the future.
Hello Future LA,
Welcome to the program!
I’m writing this to tell you a little about what you going to experience through the program, from my perspective of course. I started the program originally at the request of my advisor to work with her in class. After the first orientation, I wanted to continue to learn more about teaching. I will be teaching in my graduate role at UA Little Rock and wanted this instruction and experience before stepping into that role. Additionally, I am neurodivergent and I feel that with programs like this more students like me will succeed earlier on in STEM education.
Learning about different study methods and applications that were given meant a lot to me. The class for the program covers a lot of content on different methods looking at metacognition. The most important thing to me is that it teaches that each student is an individual and that understanding this is a must in education. The methods taught in class can be varied and adjusted for individual success. I appreciated that some of the assignments that let you pick a specific topic within the topic for you to cover in class. I feel that with the options given within content you can add as much additional learning as wanted or needed in your own learning process.
The most challenging aspect for me was for personal reasons. I had to attend class online and even with fantastic group members, I feel like being in-class setting could be more beneficial to someone like me. I also have problems with group coordination in projects and public speaking, those would be my two biggest challenges. My personal reasons conflicted with class responsibilities; I should have considered my time availability before starting the class. I couldn’t give as much as attention as I wanted to the content from class.
My biggest takeaway from this class is that there is a way to teach everyone to learn. That is, you take the time to see and understand what the student is going through you can find a way to help them. So, my biggest takeaway is that choosing not to do this is at a disadvantage as a teacher in properly educating your students. Everything learned in this class will be beneficial to you moving on as a student or an educator.
Enjoy the program!
Melanie
Dear Future LA,
There were two reason I chose to become an LA. One reason was so that I could help others struggling in their classes. I for sure know and understand the feeling of finding one class extremely difficult, it’s a feeling of hopelessness and feeling like no matter how hard you try nothing seems to work. That’s why I wanted to help because no one should ever feel that there hard work does not pay off in the end. The second reason I became an LA is so I could be able to reach out to people better. As an LA one of the basic requirements is to reach out to anyone and everyone in the class to make sure they understand the topic being discussed, and I can definitely say that being an LA has helped me be better at that, and for that I am grateful to the LA program for giving me the opportunity to be able to do that. The biggest challenge I had faced while being an LA is debating whether or not to step in when a student is talking too much. But you have to remember that as an LA your job is to make sure that the students are actually learning the material, so for that situation it is better to tip it off to the professor that someone is talking excessively if they have not already noticed it. For sure the biggest take away for me is getting a sneak peak into what its like being an instructor, and that they don’t choose to give us exams all on the same week because they want to, but because if they don’t give the exam then the class will fall behind. Just like us students the faculty also get extremely busy in there work too, so that is something I will carry with me from now on. One last pointer is to stay on top of everything. It is so important to do this because it can be very stressful if you fall behind especially as an LA, so my strongest recommendation is to make sure you have everything under control.
Shiraz
Dear Future LA,
I know it’s a popular response that someone wants to be a learning assistant because they want to help other students, but I genuinely mean it. When I was having trouble in chemistry class, other learning assistants would come over to me and check on me to make sure I was okay. It means a lot to me because I am teaching students new skills that will benefit them in the future. Because I am an introvert, communicating with students was the most difficult task, but I am now more comfortable chatting to classmates in class. The most important thing to remember as a learning assistant is that you never know what your students are going through in their personal lives, so be kind and encourage them to succeed. I’d like to express that anytime I hear a student is having difficulty in class, I used to relate my own experiences as a student and continually encourage them to study for the class and that it’s okay to make errors at first, as long as you learn from them.
Manpreet
Dear Future LA,
After being a learning assistant for one semester, I can tell you that although it can be intimidating at first, it is definitely worth your time and is an interesting experience. Whenever I was in your shoes, I had no interest in becoming an LA until my chemistry professor advised me to become one. I went to office hours a lot and was told that I was good at explaining concepts even when I was not sure about them (which was the majority of the time). I still didn’t think that I was good enough to help other students this way, but after talking to more people who convinced me otherwise, I thought I’d give it a try. I knew that it would be a good experience to break out of my shell and learn how to communicate with other students and faculty, which can be beneficial in the long run. What I learned from this semester is that being an LA is not just something that looks good on a resume (which is a perk), but it teaches you how to be a good mentor that other students can rely on. While you help them with the specific course you were assigned to, you also are available to give them general college advice from a student-student perspective, which can sometimes be more helpful than a faculty member who has a lot more on their plate. There can be some challenges with holding this position; for me, I was assigned to lead two workshops a week, and some days I simply was not in the mood to be in this leadership position. School burnout is real, and it can be hard to mask this and be motivating to other students. But, letting them know that they aren’t the only ones who face this gives more reassurance than you would imagine. Not only did the LA program teach me how to become a better person/student, but being an example and friend to other students was worthwhile. I hope you consider my experience to motivate you on your academic journey.
Sincerely,
Tabitha
Dear Future Learning Assistant,
If you’re reading this, you’re either looking to be an LA, have recently been accepted into the LA program, or you’re my professor grading this and hopefully appreciating the shoutout. Either way, I would like to share some pieces of advice and an anecdote about what the program has meant for me. Between entering the world of professionalism, meeting some of the most fascinating and optimistic friends, learning to incorporate self love and care into academia, and utilizing science to master different methods of communication; being a learning assistant means being introduced to an entirely new world of experiences and opportunities that cover so much more than could possibly be listed in the program description.
I want to start off the main content of this letter by getting my anecdote out of the way, specifically what made me jump at the opportunity to join this program and why I felt like I belonged. All throughout my life, I found a lot of gratification in assisting others in learning. Between being the oldest brother to two ambitious siblings, a personal tutor for my high school classmates, and study-session leader, I spent a lot of time teaching. In turn, I was able to master the content I taught and gain deep connections with my peers. This came especially in handy during college, when I made my first friends through study groups. Naturally, when I was first introduced to the LA program by my freshman biology professor, I saw myself in that position and jumped the gun to apply as soon as possible.
I should have been much more excited when I received my acceptance, but my strongest feeling at that time was one of anxiety. I was an official beam of biology support now, and everything I said about the material would be taken as fact. I felt like there was no room for mistakes, and I was selected because I was a master student before and the faculty believed I could do it again. I now admit that I actually knew very little about the LA program, and filled in my knowledge gaps with intimidating, and false, ideas on what I had to be to fit in. I quickly learned that not only were these unrealistic expectations I set for myself quite false, but that being a master of the material was only a fraction of what being an LA was, and it wasn’t even the hardest part either. The most important thing about being an LA is your ability to understand and fluently communicate complex subjects with your students from all scientific backgrounds. I personally underestimated how hard of a task this can be, but there’s a multitude of factors you must consider in every interaction. From picking up on a student’s nonverbal cues while being highly conscious of your own to appearing confident in the material but not too confident to the point of creating a power imbalance- there’s a lot to remember. This was especially difficult as an introvert, who didn’t really know how to talk to people in the first place. While this seems like a daunting task, and it is, your pedagogy class will be without a doubt your most essential resource. You learn about the science of teaching, which is an entirely new and fascinating perspective on how humans think.
I hope I didn’t scare you with all those challenges. The benefits of this program by far outweigh those hardships, and even those hardships all serve as opportunities (a word you will hear a lot, by the way) to grow as a person. Every single struggle or mistake you make gives rise to improvement, not only as a learning assistant but as someone facing challenges in life itself. It’s true that while being an LA is extremely beneficial to your peers and the university as a whole, the role also comes with its own set of benefits towards you as a person that I never anticipated or garnered without the LA program. Because the LA position is a unique one, you develop an entirely new perspective on learning and cognition, alongside improved people skills to accommodate it.
Before becoming an LA, I was quite socially withdrawn and afraid to talk to new people, as I viewed all people, including my classmates, as unpredictable and too much effort to work with unless I had to. My role as an LA and the pedagogy class I took with it introduced me to a way of truly understanding the actions of both myself and my peers on a scientific basis, which helped me immensely in forming communication strategies. I utilize much of what I have learned as an LA in my day-to-day life, and I doubt I would have gained that unique skill set anywhere else. Alongside the educational benefits, I met an extremely diverse, amazing group of people and formed deep connections just in a few months time: my fellow LA’s and staff on the learning assistant program. The people you will meet and work with are some of the kindest, most supportive, and passionate people I have met in college and are one of the largest reasons I look forward to continuing my work as an LA and looking back on past years so fondly.
Being an LA has meant serving as a beacon of hope and reliability to my peers who were all in my shoes not long ago. I use my role to not only assist in teaching them new, challenging content, but to connect with them from one student to another and allow them to feel heard in their struggles so that we can work through them without shame or misunderstandings. The biggest take away for me was how much potential everyone has to be successful in STEM, even if they may not believe it at first. As an LA in a required science course for non-majors, I encountered many students who had pessimistic views on biology, most hoping to just pass the class and be done with it for the rest of their lives. However, through encouragement, effort, and confidence building, I saw firsthand many students develop a love for science and open their minds to explore their curiosities about the world. The class I was a learning assistant in had created a judgment-free environment for students to ask any questions they wanted, and we had received questions ranging from students looking to improve their skills in the classroom to questions about advanced biological concepts they were personally interested in. I was fortunate to be able to answer many of them and share the same knowledge that got me so passionate about science. As a result, I saw not only improvement from students who arrived disinterested, but fascination with the concepts they were learning and a desire to explore them further. It sparked a sense of hope within me, as I was now sure that anyone could love science if given the proper resources and a positive outlook by those around them.
I believe the LA program will continue to make a positive impact on STEM education by stressing the importance of peer to peer connections and role models. I look forward to its future, and I want to thank the future LA reading this for continuing the legacy of the program and making a difference in the lives of your peers. Never forget the hope you inspire and potential you unlock.
Sincerely,
Cole
Dear Future LA,
First of all, I’d like to congratulate you for taking the opportunity to potentially be a guiding light for students very much like yourself. Being a leader is not an easy job so again, thanks for taking on the challenge. One of the main reasons why I chose to become an LA was to assist students in navigating through a course I had trouble with myself. It is tough at times being a college student trying to juggle classes and a seemingly dwindling social life. Been there and done that! Having had these experiences, both good and bad, I pride myself on sharing these inevitable college experiences so that they may help the next generation of learners. I’m sure you have had plenty of lessons yourself, I encourage you to use those as ammunition when guiding your future students. It has meant so much being an LA this semester with all the great connections I was able to make inside and out of the classroom. These connections could be beneficial for you in the future as you enter the real world. I’m sure you’ll cherish the experience just as much as I did. Although being an LA has so many benefits to you and the students you’ll likely be impacting, the role comes with a few challenges. These students are not in high school! College students are adults and demand to be treated as such. Be careful not to take the role too seriously and allow an over show of authority. They tend to not respond to this sort of classroom management style. Be yourself, try to relate to them on their level as much as possible as you were not long ago in their shoes. Do not take your role for granted, your peers as well as students will look to you for guidance. Be honest and fair, help wherever you can. One of my biggest flaws, I’m not ashamed to say, was thinking I knew exactly what to expect. Do not make this assumption! Students will come from all walks of life and from all age groups. Make sure to be sensitive to this fact as it is important to adapt your teaching style as needed. This may sometimes discourage people and make them assume the way they are instructing isn’t working, don’t let this consume you. It may not be for that particular student, stop and try to understand what it is they are struggling with and start from what they do know. You’ll find this intriguing, or at least I did!
Here’s to an awesome learning experience!
Welcome to a league of extraordinary Learners!
Justin
Dear Future LA,
My name is Mackenzie and I have spent the last semester as an LA for Ms. Kattoum’s fundamental chemistry course. If you were to ask me why I became an LA I would tell you it was because I want to be a teacher and I thought it would be a good experience, however deep down the true reason is because I was desperate for community. My college experience hasn’t been easy to say the least. Between COVID and transferring it seemed impossible for me to get involved and get connected with people and I really struggled because for a long time I felt alone. When Ms. Kattoum first emailed me about applying to be an LA I saw it as an opportunity to finally be involved on campus and meet people, but in all honesty it was totally out of my comfort zone and I almost didn’t apply. However, I was tired of feeling alone and knew I had to get involved, plus I love chemistry, so I said YOLO (#noregerts) and forced myself to fill out the form and here I am now with no regrets.
Being an LA has meant so much to me. One of the biggest things it has done is give me a purpose and community. Last fall I hated coming to campus because I felt like I had no purpose and I didn’t know anyone. Every morning it literally would take everything in me to get myself out of bed and to class on time. I actually showed up late to Ms. Kattoum’s class nearly every day, simply because I felt alone and hated being here. But as the wise Michael Scott once said, “well, well, how the turntables.” This semester the tables have turned because being an LA has made me feel as though I belong. I’ve been able to be a part of an amazing community with fellow LA’s but also with other students in my chemistry workshops. I have been forced outside of my comfort zone and it has allowed me to develop so many new friendships and connections with other individuals on campus. Through this I have also had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of my fellow students and peers. There were a few times when a student from my workshop would send a really kind email telling me thanks, or a student who told me that a strategy I taught them helped them make a better grade on the test. There were also times when I was able to just sit in a room with students and listen to their concerns and struggles about chemistry or other things they had going on in their lives. These moments are what made being an LA worth it. Knowing that you are making a difference is such an incredible feeling and it’s what makes being an LA so amazing.
The biggest challenge I found as an LA was imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is so real and it is easy to feel like a fraud or like you’re not qualified or not good enough. That feeling becomes even more real when you have difficult situations where a student tells you that you don’t know what you are doing and essentially tells you every week that “once again” you are wrong and that they want out of your class, but it’s up to you to choose how to respond to the situation. You can choose to quit because you feel like you’re not qualified and you suck and you’re tired of nasty emails, or you can keep going and recognize the fact that you weren’t chosen as an LA because of your qualifications, but because you were someone that could help others be successful. It’s important to remember that you’re not supposed to know everything about chemistry (that’s what Ms. Kattoum is for) or even be able to answer every question a student asks, you just need to be open and willing to do whatever it takes to help others be successful in the journey they are on. I encourage you to view every challenge as an opportunity. Yes there will be times when being an LA isn’t the greatest thing ever, but in those moments look for the opportunities for growth and learning and try to find ways in which the situation is making you better. I faced quite a few challenges with students, however I found that every challenge taught me something and I now feel better prepared for my future as an educator because of it. Although challenging situations can and will arise, remember that you have amazing people in your corner backing you up and you will never have to go through anything alone. Just know that it is okay to ask for help and that doing so doesn’t make you a bad LA or any less capable.
My biggest takeaway from being an LA is that I am capable of more than I believe and more than what other people believe. There have been so many times in my life where I have been discounted and told I couldn’t do something because I wasn’t smart enough, or because I wasn’t extroverted enough, or because I was too small. There have also been times where I have believed those lies about myself and have lost out on opportunities because of it (for example I love chemistry and wanted to major in it, but I didn’t think I was smart enough so I didn’t). And honestly even as I was signing up to be an LA I didn’t believe that I would be a good LA or that I would be extroverted enough or that I would be able to lead a group of students on my own. Then when I found out that I was an LA for a workshop that fear only grew and I thought that I would screw the whole thing up and be the worst LA ever. But that didn’t happen and instead as the semester went on I began to grow and become more confident and a better learner and teacher. So if I could tell you anything it would be to always believe in yourself and know that you are capable of anything that you put your mind to. Never let someone tell you that you are not capable of doing something, and never let yourself believe that about you either. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and tell yourself that you can do it. Plus most times it works out better than you thought it would anyways.
The last thing I want to tell you is that you don’t have to be brilliant, know everything, be extremely outgoing, or have a perfect GPA to be a good LA, you just have to care. If you care genuinely about students and believe in yourself and want to make a difference in the lives of others then you are already an amazing LA and will do amazing things for this program.
Welcome to the party,
Mackenzie
PS: In case no one has told you, I believe in you and you are amazing! :)
Dear Future LA,
Welcome to the next step on your journey to becoming a leader and professional. I had wanted to become an LA because I enjoy seeing other people succeed. Seeing the joy on their face when they accomplish something they thought was beyond their grasp brings great satisfaction to my heart. Additionally, it is a moment of pride knowing that I helped in some way which allows me to share in their moment of triumph. That can be a difficult task as just peers with your fellow classmates, and this program allows you some credence in your offers of help. You will now have the freedom to assist without the feeling of embarrassment from the student – it makes them more receptive to the process and makes it that much more effective. This advantage is not foolproof as there are hurdles that will be in your path.
One of the things that I wish I’d known was the amount of time that you will devote to this program. It will be long classes, extra studying and time preparing for the class, and time to answer questions and grade some work afterwards. Your experience may vary, but from either being a workshop leader to an in-class LA, the way you will be utilized is dynamic and individual to the professor. You might only have 30 minutes a week working with the students. Or, you might have two 1-hour workshops each week. Knowing that might help you to understand the load you will be taking on.
Some students are going to be apprehensive to help. You have no knowledge of their unique backgrounds or challenges they have faced to make it to this point. It may just be part of their personality and capability. This can be a frustration for you as you may not be able to help as many students as you’d like. Maybe even some of the students that you pour so much time and effort into will not perform as well as you might hope. Don’t worry as this is a common concern in the teaching profession and is not necessarily a reflection of your performance.
Here now you have the introduction to what it means to be an educator. To be the person that helps to shape the world around you in the most positive way. You will see and experience the highs and lows of what it means to be the person responsible for the intellectual growth of your community. May this inspire you to take the leap and become one of those called to be Teachers and Professors. May this cultivate some sympathy for the teachers you work with now and those that look after your future children. Teaching has had a bad reputation in our society as most people will only understand the hardships put upon teachers: the funding, salary, angry students/parents, the politics of education. You will have the other half of the picture – the gratification of people that your efforts have helped. You can now make an educated decision on the career path you might not have ever considered.
Best of luck to you,
Anthony
Dear Future LA,
Before I share my experience as an LA, I want to give you my warmest welcome to the LA family. I decided to become a LA because I wanted to make a difference. My desire to help others attracted me to this program. As a first-generation minority female student, it was hard to find my niche in college. Through the LA program, I was able to surround myself with individuals with similar interests and people who believed in me. I was extremely grateful for the mentorship of Ms. Kattoum and Dr. Moore. This last run to the finish line was one of the hardest things in my life. However, with the constant support of my mentors and friends, I was able to make it to the finish line. Being in the LA class helped me gain insight into myself, my learning style, how I can teach others, and most importantly how I can effectively communicate. Being an LA has meant a lot to me. It means I was able to reach someone like myself. I was never a perfect A student and I had to work a lot harder to get the success I wanted. Through the LA program, I developed a growth mindset. In a way, it was my light in the darkest tunnel.
My greatest challenge as an LA that I wish I knew before joining the family was it is not guaranteed that you will match in the course you want to LA. However, that does not have to be a deal-breaker. As I was able to learn a lot about a field that I am not from. I was able to build a meaningful relationship with my instructor, teaching assistant, and students. Two students even thanked me personally on the last day of class.
I wouldn’t say I am leaving because you can’t ever leave your family. I am just moving to the next phase of my life. At heart, I will remain in LA. To me, an LA means a helping hand and wings for those that need to reach the finish line. My LA journey was very impactful in my life and I hope to utilize all the lessons I learned to enhance my life and reach my goals.
Some wisdom I would like to share with you is don’t stop even if you feel like everything is falling apart. There will come times when you will feel you cannot help someone but the key thing to take away is that you just cannot always make everyone happy. Some may thrive with your help and some may completely refuse your help. It doesn’t discredit you or mean you are worthless, it just means learning is a process and different for everyone.
Best,
Lovely LA
Dear Future LA,
This experience is something you will never forget. There are times were you might feel overwhelmed; maybe even feel like throwing in the towel; Don’t. There are a couple of things you should remember. You are not the professor; you may not know the answer right then and there and that is okay. Also remember that you are also a student, use that to your advantage. Students are more likely to open up knowing that you too were once them. Also you got it! Don’t question your ability or knowledge because you do know! Remember to get sleep and don’t be a caffeine Consumer like most of us are now. Remember to eat breakfast, eating breakfast helps. Also don’t let the students sweat. I was terrified when I first started; I would stutter and trip all over my words now I can present comfortably. This learning assistant Program is an opportunity for you to Step outside of the box and try something new. Be on time! Be prepared: Be diligent! Don’t ever let students make you feel like You can’t help them because they need it. Drink water. Love yourself and care for your students. Be supportive. Always give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Please go over material before the workshop because doing it the day of the workshop is something I wouldn’t recommend. Breathe in, Breathe out. Lastly SMILE. I became an LA because the LA’s in my class were so helpful that I wanted to give that favor back to new students. It has made my career path clearer than ever. Now that the semester is ending, There is nothing more satisfying than knowing that I helped students passed a required course that most of them needed.
sincerely Quetta :)
If you are reading this letter, I’ll assume you’re either applying to be an LA or have been accepted already. So, I’ll start with this: You are about to become a very important person to many students–what feels like an almost unreasonably important person, to be honest. I became an LA to get better at talking to people (and to get paid), but as the experience went on, my goal became very different. My goal metamorphosed to focus on my students and their outcomes, their improvement, how they arrived vs. how they left. I’m not even sure when I began to address them as ‘my students’, but somewhere during the semester I took mental ownership of the class.
This attachment actually became one of the challenges I wished I would have considered before I became an LA: The responsibility I took for my students. I care a lot about my students and their outcomes, which accidentally added a lot of mental stress to myself. When they didn’t do as well as we’d hoped in class, I shared that stress and guilt with them. While it is by no means a bad thing to be invested in your students, it is important to be aware of the responsibility you will inevitably take on when you become an LA.
LA’s are chosen. They are chosen because we know that they will take responsibility and will care for their students and their outcomes–just understand going in that the commitment you make is more than the time you put into instructing; half of the commitment is how being an LA mentally affects you. This can sometimes be a very heavy mental burden; watching a student who does their best fail or having to explain to a long-time student that they can no longer pass the course is a brutal time of the semester.
However, please do not let this responsibility discourage you. I’ll reiterate: you were chosen for this. You can handle this and your students will be better off with you there. While responsibility can be scary, it is also incredibly rewarding. My biggest take away from my LA experience was the pride and elation in seeing my students’ personal growth as the semester progressed. The way they changed and what they learned was a very enjoyable journey to help them along. As an LA you will affect your students in a huge way, much more than I ever thought possible. Like I said above: You will become a very important person to a very many people.
My final piece of advice would be this: Do not be afraid to be human to your students. When people begin to teach, sometimes they go into ‘professor mode’ and become less accessible. Form a friendly relationship with your students first, and the rest will follow. You are more than a teacher; you are an LA. Be prepared to be depended on as both a friend and a teacher.
Dear Future LA,
I wanted to become an LA due to the profound effect they’ve had on me throughout my undergraduate career. These former LA’s helped guide me on the path to reach my goals. The study habits, how to approach particular problems, and cultivating relationships with my peers are all skills that were given to me through the LA program.
Being in LA has been an amazing experience. I’ve connected with my peers in a way that has made my final semester incredible. Seeing our students grow every class and achieve their personal goals has inspired me to be the best I can be in my current classes. It was also nice to see the other LAs embrace their role and to see them grow with me was nice. I’ve met some amazing people with this program and I’m excited to see what the future has in store!
There were several challenges with being an LA that I wish I would’ve considered going in. First, being able to approach students, particularly large groups, was difficult for me. Finding my voice and inserting myself into conversations was a little difficult. As the semester went on and I was able to connect with the students, this became easy. Dedicating time to focus on the course content was also challenging at times. As an LA, I had to make sure I was on the same page as my team to make sure we conveyed the correct message.
My biggest takeaway from this program is that I’m capable of being a part of a team like this. I was surrounded by some incredibly bright and talented LA’s and any apprehension I felt was quickly addressed by our team. The biggest takeaway is the connections I’ve made.
I initially became interested in being an LA to see if teaching may be a career I wanted to explore in the future. I also genuinely loved the class content I would be helping students with. Being an LA has been a… frustrating, but absolutely amazing and rewarding experience. As an LA, I have had many opportunities to grow not only as a learning assistant but also as a student and human being. I grew to love each and every one of the students in my class and seeing them learn has to be one of the most gratifying experiences I have ever had. Although the experience amazing most of the time, nothing can ever be sunshine and rainbows all of the time. At times I felt insecure about my knowledge and worried I may provide incorrect answers to students. Other times, I would get frustrated with students who seemed to put in little to no effort and still expected me to help and hand out answers. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience as an LA and recommend it to those who have lots of patience and love for learning to give.
- LA fall 2022
Dear Future LA,
Congratulations on embarking on this new journey. You are likely feeling excited but also nervous, which is completely normal. Please be assured that you were accepted as an LA for a reason, and you are absolutely capable of being an amazing LA. I was an LA for Genetics, which was my favorite class in college. I applied to be an LA because I enjoy teaching and wanted to improve my skills. Also, I just love Genetics and wanted to share that passion with others. I was nervous at first, mainly scared that I did not know enough to teach others. I also felt imposter syndrome, like I didn’t match up to the other LAs. As time went on, I became more comfortable with being an LA and have come to really value this experience.
Being an LA has helped me grow as a person and as a student. In the pedagogy class, I learned (as you will also learn) about different types of teaching and learning strategies. I learned about metacognition, and how we can apply metacognition to improve learning. In my interactions with students, I stumbled at first. I felt awkward explaining concepts, and I didn’t want to interrupt students while they were thinking. Over time, I gained more confidence in teaching and in reading faces, especially whenever someone needed some guidance. I think being an LA helps you build important skills: one of those being the ability to recognize when someone needs help. Also, you learn how to communicate better and in a more productive way, which is a necessary skill in virtually every career.
The biggest challenge for me was gaining the confidence to approach a student and ask if they needed help. I often felt like I was bothering them, especially if they hadn’t asked for help. But, I learned that some students do need help but don’t ask for it, which is why it’s important to make your presence known. My biggest piece of advice to you is to just make your presence known in the classroom. Ask students if they need help. If they don’t, let them know that you’re available if they do later on. It feels awkward at first, but I believe it’s the best way to build a good relationship with your students. I hope you enjoy being an LA, and don’t stress about trying to be the ‘perfect’ LA. In my opinion, the ‘perfect’ LA is the one who tries their best, recognizes their opportunities, and doesn’t give up.
Best,
Ahad Nadeem
Dear Future LA,
I didn’t know much about the Learning Assistant program coming into UA Little Rock. My first exposure was in my General Chemistry I class when I had a very knowledgeable LA that was always there to answer any questions I had. I didn’t really understand what it meant to be an LA until my General Chemistry II class had In-Class LA’s. They were a major part of my success in that class and I grew to admire them. I wanted to be part of the program that helped me out so much and use that to help students that are struggling with tough content.
Being an LA has meant the world to me. It’s by far the most rewarding experience of my undergraduate career. Seeing students in the same position I was in gaining confidence to tackle tough problems is what I look forward to every time I step into the class. I’ve also met some amazing people that I consider to be good friends through the program. The team I’m part of is close-knit and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The biggest challenge I’ve faced being a Learning Assistant is how much time you have to put into it. When you get into the swing of things, you really don’t notice it much. But reviewing content you may not have been comfortable with when you took the course takes a little more time than you anticipate.
The biggest take away is to believe in your abilities. If you join the Learning Assistant program in the future, just know that you were chosen for a reason. You may not believe in yourself, but there are plenty of people that do and they want to see you succeed.
There’s also a huge benefit to the LA program. It makes YOU a better student. All of the strategies you use to help students in the course can also apply to you.
-Jacob Hansen
Dear Future LA,
My name is Aryam and I was an LA for a few of the General Chemistry I Workshops. My biggest motivator for becoming an LA was to step outside of my comfort zone. I believe that the best way to grow as a student and professional is to do things you aren’t 100% comfortable with. These experiences are the ones that are going to force you to grow and do things you probably never saw yourself capable of. I knew I wanted to be an LA when I was in my gen chem workshop. I admired the LA I had and I loved the environment that was created in the workshop. This was the place where I learned so much because my classmates and I were able to collaborate and find ways to navigate problems. I also loved the idea of being able to help students using strategies I found helpful while I took the class. Any STEM-related class will bring about difficulties but to me, it was important to motivate students and let them know that it is okay to initially struggle but that they are capable of improvement and success in a STEM-related course.
The biggest challenge I faced as an LA was figuring out how to best approach students’ questions. I didn’t want to resort to only giving out answers. So in order to promote process-oriented thinking I had to first be comfortable enough with the concepts to point out the things they should focus on. It was uplifting to know that the other LA’s had similar issues and what mattered was that we just did the best we could because obviously, none of us our experts in these subjects so it’s important to keep in mind that not knowing is okay. The professors and other LA’s are there to help you. You don’t have to come into this role feeling like you are an expert in the subject you wish to LA for. As for me, the most learning came from the parts I wasn’t so comfortable with before. Professors will help you gain a deeper understanding of the material in order to guide students in the right direction.
My biggest takeaway from being an LA has to be all the useful learning strategies I gained from taking the pedagogy course and finding ways to implement them in workshops. It helped me become a better student because I will now have all this information to look back on when I am struggling in my own classes. Becoming an LA also made me enjoy learning because once you learn about all the research-based learning strategies and find out that they work, learning becomes much more enjoyable.
So for anyone who is joining the program, I encourage you to make it a priority to learn as much as you can in this role. I promise that you will be glad that you took this step to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Before you know it the semester will be over and you will wish to do it all over again!
Sincerely,
Aryam
- Why did you want to become an LA?
I wanted to become an LA for two reasons. I thought it would be a great networking opportunity, and I wanted to work on my leadership skills. What better way to do that than by teaching my peers and meeting new people and meeting new faculty members.
- What has being an LA meant to you?
Being an LA has brought an immense sense of responsibility, but in the best way. It was such an honor to be chosen for this program and entrusted to aid in teaching my peers. - What is the biggest challenge to being an LA that you wish you would have considered going in?
How much time I would need to prepare for the classes. I understood that I’d need to invest time into the materials, but there were a couple of weeks, in the beginning, where I would just barely skim the course material for the next class. It not only made me feel badly for coming unprepared, but to know that my lack of effort ultimately impacts the students who count on you to help them understand in the same way you do. Luckily, it was an easy fix once I realized where I was lacking while I was adjusting to my new role and responsibility. - What is the biggest take away for you being an LA?
It was amazing to see my peers grow throughout the semester. My class was an Intro Biology course and many of the students were freshmen who were unfamiliar with college exams, finals, and the prep work needed compared to high school. The biggest takeaway is that we have more of an impact than we believe sometimes. Many of these students approached me throughout the semester and confided in me that having a fellow student who understands the struggle they’re going through was extremely motivating for them.
What other useful information would you like to share?
The LA program is an amazing opportunity that anyone can be a part of. If you have a passion for helping others and learning new educational skills, along with life skills that can be utilized outside of the classroom, then the LA program is for you!
Dear Future Learning Assistant,
I am sure you have several apprehensions about becoming an LA, what experience is like, and what are the expectations of others for you. Do not fear as several of your classmates are learning to grow with you and it will be a team effort with Dr. Moore’s guidance. When I first began I thought I was going to be just a teacher’s assistant but early on did I realize that it is more than that. I wanted to help the professor with her course but rather I learned this program is connecting with the students you are helping to engage in the coursework but also learning about yourself on how you teach others and how to improve on that. I learned new and different studying and learning techniques that I could apply in my own professional and student life first before I explained how to utilize them with other students.
Being an LA has meant a great deal to me each week that I see the students I have assisted succeed in their coursework. It was difficult to try and hold back how much time I truly wanted to spend with each student so that all who wanted to succeed could with just additional help from my and my co-LA’s. I think this will be a great learning experience for you and you will flourish as a person throughout this semester. Good job to you for making the choice to join the program and choose to help others understand difficult subjects.
Dear future LA.
My name is Destini. One of the reasons I wanted to become an LA was because it would look good on my resume for medical school and another reason I wanted to become an LA is that my instructor thought I would be a good fit for the program. Being an LA meant to me was that I could try to help someone learn complex subjects that I thought were easy for me but not for many, and I could share some of the tools that I had used to get through the course and help guide them to be a better student. One of the biggest challenges to being an LA that I wish I could have considered going into is trying to remember all of the material that they have to learn because they will looking for you to know the answer. The biggest take away for me being an LA is that no matter what you can always help someone learn something new everyday, and while I am helping them I am relearning the material along with them. Some advice I would give you is no matter how frustated they get do not give up on them because everyone is not on the same pace when it comes to learning. Always stay positive and give them positive feedback because they are more likely to open up to you and come ask you for help. Never be afraid to admit you that you do not know because they will prefer for you to say you do not know than give them the wrong information.
Good luck future LA’s.
Dear future LA,
My name is Arisha and this was my very first semester as an LA for Dr. Rivero’s General Chemistry I class. I initially wanted to become an LA for two main reasons, one was to refresh my knowledge of freshmen year chemistry courses such as General Chemistry I & II, and the other was to see if I liked being in the teaching position as I was considering further pursuing a doctoral degree in Chemistry. When it comes to courses like chemistry, things can be very challenging especially for freshmen students who come straight out of high school and college is a whole different learning experience for them. Since nobody in high school teaches you how to actually learn, the first few semesters at college are quite challenging with the pace of the course and the complexity of the material being taught.
When I took my General Chemistry I course, I struggled a lot and since I took it at a different school and there we did not have an LA program and so it was a huge class of approximately 100 students with a single professor trying to get through the material in time. Everybody in the class was struggling in different ways and after I was done with both general chemistry courses, I realized how much a peer or an upperclassman teaching you alongside with the professor can make a difference. After transferring to UALR, I decided to join the LA program and for me being an LA meant to provide peer support and to help students using different resources and providing them with extra help that they need in order to succeed. All our chemistry professors provide excellent help to students outside of class during their office hours but sometimes students just need one on one help during the lecture to help understand the material. Some students also need a little push to engage fully during class.
The biggest challenge to being an LA that I wished I had considered going into this program was how overwhelming things can get. With your own classes and personal life, the LA program can take up a lot of your time as you need to prepare for the lecture being taught in class, before the class starts and to meet with the professor on a weekly basis, but throughout the semester Dr. Rivero was very accommodating and helpful. The professors do understand that you have a life of your own and they try their best to help you manage all your responsibilities. One of the other challenges was to be okay with the fact that there might be times where you won’t know the answers and that it was completely fine to reach out to the professor teaching the class and it won’t affect your worth or your credibility in front of the students.
My biggest takeaway from this experience is learning how to communicate with different kinds of people, realizing how introverts and extroverts would react differently when you approach them or try to help them. It also taught me how to be patient and understand what others might be going through as I have been in their shoes myself. Focusing on the goal is really important and celebrating small wins throughout the semester is highly recommended!!
I am truly grateful for the LA program, throughout the semester I have met amazing people, hardworking students and have made loads of friends and memories which I would cherish forever.
Best wishes,
Arisha.
Q: To a future learning assistant,
My first encounter with learning assistants was in General Chemistry II. At the time, I had no idea this program even existed and I did not know what it would mean for me as a student. But by the end of the semester, I wholeheartedly would say that if it were not for learning assistants I would not have gone through the class with the mentality that I had. I had an incredible workshop LA who made learning these concepts much easier and who shared their own experiences in the class. They gave me really good advice on how to navigate the course and what needs to be done in order to pass. I never felt like I was struggling alone or that my struggles were unheard of. Having that added resource and the reassurance that came with it was what made the course more bearable.
I wanted to become an LA for two reasons: 1) to help future students navigate this course the way that learning assistants helped me in the past, 2) to go through the course material again and gain a more solid understanding of basic general chemistry concepts. After one semester of being an LA, I can say that it’s an opportunity that you should want to be a part of. The program has not only allowed me to help current students but it has also allowed me to reevaluate how I learn and how I go about helping others learn. How do I fit into their learning plan? How do I get them to learn effectively, and how do I get them to enjoy what they are doing? Being a learning assistant meant becoming an ongoing support to students taking the course. You develop a type of communication that cannot be replicated in any other position.
The biggest challenge for me was managing my time. There were weeks where multiple due dates ran into one another, I would get really mentally exhausted, and then I also had to balance my responsibilities as a learning assistant. My biggest piece of advice when dealing with this is to remember that the program is an opportunity, not an obligation. You have an opportunity to motivate students in doing better by sharing your difficulties with time management or balancing schoolwork and time off. Showing students, some who are first time undergraduates, what a real college student looks like is reassuring to them. You also have an opportunity to improve on your work ethic and time management skills. These challenging times do teach you on how to become a better student and what areas you can improve on.
The biggest take away I got was to put more trust in my abilities. The LA program is a great way to build your self-confidence. You know more than what you may think you do. You are a valuable resource to these students because you provide a real life example of a student who has been in the course. You can direct students to where they need to be in terms of thinking and can share helpful tips on how to stay ahead in the course. Based on my time as an LA, I will say that there will be difficult times throughout the semester, but they bring a good learning experience for you as an LA and as a peer. Get to know as many of the students and the learning assistants as you can. You’d be surprised to see how many students relate to you and how many you can relate with.
Dear Future LA,
I wanted to take a moment to share some reflections from my own journey and offer a bit of advice that might come in handy.
When I first decided to become an LA, my motives were clear – to explore if teaching ignited a passion within me and to stay immersed in the captivating world of organic chemistry. Now, having worn the hat of an LA, I can confidently say that teaching is my true calling. Being that connecting link between intricate information and eager learners has been an incredible experience. Making the challenging concepts of organic chemistry not just understandable but also enjoyable has been immensely rewarding.
Yet, this journey had its fair share of challenges. One significant hurdle for me was taking things to heart. Whether my students faced difficulties or I stumbled in explaining a concept, I found it hard not to internalize it. The genuine care I felt for my students made every setback feel personal.
However, beyond the challenges lies the most significant takeaway–the transition from a student to a teacher provided profound insights into the learning process itself. Even if you don’t envision a future in teaching, the knowledge gained about the intricacies of learning is worth the journey.
To conclude, allow me to share a couple of practical tips. Always prepare before lessons; it ensures you never feel underprepared. And, most importantly, have fun! Academic settings can be rigid, but being an LA gives you a unique chance to infuse joy and connection into the learning process.
Wishing you success,
MaryGrace McAfee
Dear Future LA.
I decided to become a learning assistant because I wanted other students to experience the same “Aha” moment I experienced in my freshman year , where I was finally able to finally grasp the concept of the class in clarity .I wanted to be able to guide these students and encourage them through this journey. Many might find this intro class a bit intimidating but I want to be there to help break it down for them. Being an LA has meant a lot to me, I have loved the experience that I have had during the class. I built a great relationship with the professor I worked with and also the other biology learning assistants. I was able to be a mentor, a confider, a guide, and someone to rely on. The biggest challenge I wish I had considered was to review the material prior to the class starting. I had no idea how much content I had forgotten or sometimes it would be the smallest detail. I also would have liked to practice asking questions and acting if I was in the classroom. My biggest take away from being a learning assistant was that it is okay to make mistakes because you are growing as a learning assistant just as your students are growing as a student. Students and learning assistants both help each other become a better learner and a better and a better learning assistant. Additional information I would like to share that to not be afraid to approach new students because sometimes they are just waiting for you to approach them to reach out.
SIncerely,
Emily Gonzalez
When I first decided to become an LA, it was because Dr. Rivero sent out an email to students taking her Gen Chem I class who she thought would be a good fit. I thought it would be enriching, and an extra class a semester with a little cash wasn’t something I was gonna turn down. But as I started working as an LA I realized how enriching and fun it was to interact with newer students who were coming into the course. The mix of people and experiences pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me a new perspective. The biggest challenges would be to try and ge the class engaged for the assigned topic instead of continuing to worry about other duties/problems from their own academic/personal lives. My biggest takeaway has been the shared experiences that the students are going through that I have already experienced. That understanding allows me to give them advice on how to approach those problems much more meaningful. My only experience as an LA that I didn’t feel confident in doing again talking to the troubled student. It’s hard as an LA to be able to attempt to address that students problem without diminishing my help to the other students. I think this is a skill that can only be developed through practice. Nevertheless, I look forward to being an LA again in the future and continuing to gain experience to better help my peers in their academic journey.
Dear Future LA,
It has been an amazing experience to be a part of this program, and I am excited for this journey to be extended to you and others. As someone who has never tutored in high school and starting now, it has been amazing to learn that teaching students is a journey in itself. I wanted to share my experiences and thoughts from my own experience, hoping they may offer you enlightenment and inspiration as a starting point for becoming an LA.
One of the most significant challenges I encountered during my time as a first time LA was figuring out the best way to effectively teach each student. I understood from the beginning that each student is different in how they learn and study. Understanding that everyone is unique, I had to adapt my teaching style in order to effectively teach each and every student I have in my workshop. This challenge, while initially daunting at first, ultimately became the most valuable aspect of my experience as an LA. There will be a moment in time when one of your students will understand the concept of your teaching and say “Ah-Ha!” moment, or even the “ohhhh, I understand that now” moment and it will change your perspective of teaching. It will make you feel accomplished.
Despite the challenges, the biggest takeaway from my time as an LA was the joy of teaching. At first, you may think it’s about the money at the end of the semester, however, from the first month to the next, you slowly learn to appreciate what teachers can do for your students and how they can effectively help you in every way possible. Engaging with a diverse set of students helps me understand more and more as months go by and how I can improve my teaching style for the benefit of my students, and even learning more strategies in helping students study for material will help them greatly.
As you go throughout teaching students, one of the most important things I can say is: teaching isn’t always easy. There will always be moments of frustration and challenges that seem impossible to face, but those moments don’t always have to be dealt with alone. There will be other LAs to help guide you along the way, and grow from the experiences. Embracing those mistakes and challenges, seeking support from professors and other LAs will help you improve your skills as a teacher and even a student.
Your journey as an LA has the potential to not only impact the lives of your students but also shape your own path as a learner and educator wherever you go in life. I wish you the best of luck in your journey.
Best wishes to you,
Abigail Randall
Dear future LA,
Welcome to the team! I’m so glad you’ve decided to take some of your time to help fellow students learn and achieve their goals. I’ve had a wonderful experience as a first-time LA and I hope you will too. People have a number of reasons why they choose to become LAs and I think it’s good to keep those things in mind along the way. I wanted to become an LA because I enjoy helping people learn and because I wanted to pass on information I found helpful as a student. I’ve found my STEM classes both challenging and very interesting. I’ve also very much appreciated the dedication to evidence-based teaching strategies such as active learning, workshops, and LAs in my classes that have had them. These subjects can be intimidating and tough–I felt very benefitted by the support provided by these things and I wanted to help provide that for other students and hopefully benefit their learning.
Being an LA has meant helping students learn, making connections with students, and it’s also helped me learn more about learning and teaching strategies that can help both my students and myself. It can be easy to seem or feel anonymous in a group like a classroom or a workshop, but spending time with my students each week the whole semester, I was able to get to know many of them and make connections. Hopefully, my students feel supported or like they can reach out to me if I can be of help not just while they’re my students, but in the future as well–I’m glad I got to know them and I hope I’ve been able to add to a sense of community at school for them with me but especially with each other. I also learned some great information about learning and teaching I plan to continue using to help my future students and myself in my own learning–I’ve even started talking about this with friends who aren’t my students! In addition to this, it’s been helpful in keeping general chemistry fresh in my mind which will be very beneficial in my future chemistry classes and in studying for the MCAT.
It was a bit difficult or concerning seeing that some students did not attend many of our workshops–especially when those students expressed feeling like workshop was helpful to them or when some had seemed to struggle with topics that we covered in workshop. It was an opportunity to reach out to students and encourage attendance or offer alternatives if they needed it. It’s important to keep in mind that people have different responsibilities or priorities/goals and that the best thing we can do is offer options or help when we can to help everyone achieve their own learning goals on their terms.
I think one of my biggest takeaways from being an LA has been that college is not a solo sport. It takes a lot of support not just from instructors but also from fellow students to have the best learning experience possible for each of us. I was very appreciative of the evidence-based teaching techniques used as a student including having LAs in my classes, but this semester especially, I also really feel like I gained a lot of learning support from fellow students–as well as community, and I hope I was able to contribute some of that to other students as well.
As a workshop LA, I found identifying key takeaways/learning objectives from each week’s activity helpful and important in helping frame workshop activities and steer workshop. I’m looking forward to being more purposeful with that from the beginning of the semester in future workshops. I also think it’s important to take a genuine interest in students’ learning and to see them as individuals and offer the support we can to help them meet or exceed their goals.
I have every confidence you’ll do a great job as an LA. Keep an open mind, get ready to learn, and try to prepare your students as best you can (and don’t forget to take care of yourself). Good luck and welcome again!
Best wishes,
Carlos Retamoza
Dear Future Learning Assistant,
Hello my name is Patricia First of all, Welcome to the Learning Assistant family.
This is my first semester as a LA, I became a learning assistant, to get experience at first, in how to study better, and become more organized with my studies. I am a learning assistant, with Dr. Kanekar, in Health education/Health promotion, the class is a controversial issue in health education. This is an online class . I have gained knowledge in listening to others, understanding students’ frustration, even as a learning assistant. It can be challenging but it allows you to become more confident in your ability to assist others as they go through their educational journey.
My biggest challenge that I wished I had considered when starting as a LA, is I should have communicated more with my instructor, to possibly learn how to get feedback from students in online classes. Working as a learning assistant with online classes is a challenge because the interaction with students is not the same as classroom interaction,but we are working on ways that we can have more interaction with students, getting their perspective on their assignments, and interacting with each other. Right now it’s just through class discussion and viewing your peers and responding to one or two regarding their discussion. The Learning assistant program is very supportive, I really enjoy our time together in the workshop. Thank you all for the opportunity to join you. I really enjoy our collaboration with each other in our workshop. I feel this is a great program, to enter, you get just a chance to try new experiences, network with other students that more than likely will have a difference view about learning,sharing of ideas with each other. I also understand that it really takes a lot of focus and positivity as a teacher to be able to reach your students. Thank you for allowing me to share with you. Congratulations.
Dear Future Learning Assistant,
I have been an LA for one semester so far, and it has been such a wonderful experience. I wanted to become an LA after going through multiple workshops taught by LA’s. Workshops helped me understand the material better and really helped me get more comfortable with group work and speaking out. I had multiple really great LA’s and it influenced me to want to become one and help students just like they did for me. I also learned a lot about things I would do differently or things that would be more beneficial from the student’s perspective. This really encouraged me to apply to become an LA. Also, I helped tutor before my experience as an LA and found a love for helping others by teaching them or helping them understand the material. Because of this, I knew that I would absolutely love being an LA.
Being an LA has meant a lot to me. As cliche as it sounds, it meant more to me than “easy work to get paid.” It meant getting to help others understand material that seems extremely hard. It meant getting to share my insights through a student perspective with current students in the class. This experience was very rewarding and I found myself enjoying it way more than I thought I would. I loved getting to see student’s success and helping them with tasks they first thought seemed impossible. Being an LA meant getting to teach, mentor, and believe in people who did not always believe in themself.
While being an LA is a very rewarding experience, I also dealt with some challenges that I wish I had considered before going in. The biggest challenge I faced was realizing that you are not going to be able to teach all of your students everything. When I saw that the students I was teaching a workshop for were still not understanding some of the material, it took a toll on my mental health. I started to internalize it and assume it was because I was not good at my job and that I would be the reason they were not able to be as successful in the class. In the end, I realized that the best I could do was try different teaching methods to get through to students. If that did not work out, I had to come to the realization that it may not be my teaching methods at all, and more than a student is just struggling. I also had to learn that some students just do not want to put in the work or effort, and you cannot force them to change that mindset. It took a long time for me to realize that if I am trying different methods and putting my all into it, then a student still not understanding is not all my fault. The best I could do is talk to their professor and encourage them to reach out to other resources. At the end of the day, it is not the LA’s job to teach a class, but rather assist in helping the students understand the material.
My biggest takeaway from being an LA is that it is okay to not know everything and it is okay to mess up. I am definitely a perfectionist, so not always being able to answer some questions right away was intimidating. After many workshops, I realized that it is okay to not always know everything. I was honest with the students from the beginning and was able to create an environment where when I was wrong, they were not only able to speak out, but they also respected me enough that it was never in an insulting way. If I explained how to do something wrong, I go back the next week and re-explain it the correct way. By doing this, I was able to gain the trust and respect of the students because they knew that I was not afraid to admit when I was wrong and that I would always correct it so that they left with the correct information. When they saw that I did not always get things right 100% of the time, it encouraged them to speak out and not be afraid to get things wrong either. This even carried over into my own personal classes and made me less intimidated to raise my hand in class or get a question wrong.
Some other helpful information that I would like to share is that there will always be some students who hate group work and would prefer to do things on their own. By the end of the semester, you may have still not been able to get them to be more social, and that is OKAY! All you can do is try your best. Reaching out to the professor you are an LA for, the LA program coordinator, or other LA’s is also very beneficial. They are great resources to ask for advice or any other question if you are stuck or concerned that your methods of assisting the students are not working. All in all, this is a very rewarding experience and one that you will cherish forever!
Sincerely,
Joyce Childers
Dear future LA,
My name is Aiiryel McCoy and I was an in-class LA for organic chemistry I. My experience was nothing short of amazing and transformative. I was first introduced to the LA program through Dr. Bailey and Dr. Rivero. I have some aspirations to teach in some capacity in my future and the LA program provided me the platform to explore this goal to truly see if I want to teach. I initially was nervous to be an LA due to my fear of not being able to convey the information concisely and in the matter that the instructor wanted and the students would benefit from. One of the ways that I was able to break out of my comfort zone was being guided by the instructor I LA for. The weekly meetings were informative. We discussed what the professor would teach, learning objectives for the students, and the practice problems that would be given within the classroom and in the workshop. I was able to take this information and prepare myself for the week to come by reviewing and practicing the material so that I could be successful in assisting and being present for my students. The LA program is a tight knit community and everyone is here to help each other and the students. It is important to connect with other LAs for the course you are LA-ing for as they can provide you with great resources to use to prepare for class and assist the students. There are also other LAs that have been in the program for some time and they too can provide you with insight on your specific course and how to navigate through the various personalities and learning styles of various students. One piece of advice I wish I would have done was to lean on seasoned LAs and your LA mentor as much as possible to avoid self-doubt and anxiety if it arises. Throughout the semester, I dealt with my own personal battles in my personal life which I knew would impact my work as an LA. I was very grateful for my instructor and Dr. Moore for continuously reminding me that it is okay to ask for help. I learned how to manage my time as well as remove my own thoughts and worries in order to be present and productive for my students. It is not easy, but you will make it through it. It taught me perseverance as well as gave me a glimpse of what I may deal with as a teacher/professor and how I can manage my personal and work life. Overall, this program allowed me to network and connect with other students I never met before. It felt good to help students in a difficult subject matter and test my own mind in this subject. It also provided me an opportunity to experience a personal transformation from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset on the subject I was an LA for, how I viewed learning and teaching, and how I viewed myself as a student and an individual. This program would be beneficial for your personal and professional growth. You will do an amazing job at being a LA.
Aiiryel McCoy
Dear Future Learning Assistant,
Hello and welcome to the esteemed role of being a Learning Assistant (LA). As you start your own journey, I wanted to take a moment to share some insights and reflections from my own experience as an LA.
Why did you want to become an LA?
For me, the decision to become an LA was multifaceted, but centered on self-improvement. I was interested in being an LA for the opportunity to be in a leadership role on campus, in solidifying my understanding of the course material, to earn income to help fund my own education, and generally just for the experience.
What has being an LA meant to you?
Being an LA has meant more to me than I honestly thought it would. Sharing my experiences to help students achieve greater success or to overcome adversity has been an unexpected source of fulfillment and growth that I wasn’t expecting. The opportunity to collaborate with both students and faculty, to facilitate discussions, and to witness the ‘aha’ moments of my peers has also been quite rewarding.
What is the biggest challenge to being an LA that you wish you would have considered going in?
One of the biggest challenges I encountered as an LA was finding a balance between life (academic responsibilities, mental & physical well being, work, etc.) and my role as a learning assistant. It’s important to be mindful of the time commitment required and to prioritize effectively to avoid burnout.
What is the biggest takeaway for you being an LA?
The biggest lesson I’ve taken away from being an LA is how awesome peer learning can be. Seeing my classmates and myself grow together has really hammered home the importance of working together, being understanding, and always learning. It’s been eye-opening to realize how education can truly shine when we come together, pooling our knowledge and supporting one another every step of the way.
What other useful information would you like to share?
I would encourage you to embrace the opportunity to learn from both wins and opportunities, to seek support and guidance when needed, to give support and guidance when you are able, and to approach your role with enthusiasm and a willingness to adapt and evolve.
As you embark on this journey as a Learning Assistant, know that you are part of a community dedicated to fostering a culture of learning and growth. Your contributions matter, and I wish you all the best in your endeavors.
Sincerely,
Wesley Roller
Being a Learning Assistant was initially one of those things that I did it just because Mark Baillie wanted me to do because he thought I would be good at it. I agreed to it because it sounded interesting to me. I had previously wanted to become a teacher but when I realized how crappy teachers in the United States were treated and paid I decided to change my path. Despite changing my career path, I still had a heart for teaching, I enjoyed tutoring students in highschool math and science classes, and when I got to college and saw that I could do that in a classroom setting–helping students understand what the professor was saying and putting it more simply, in the moment–I decided to sign up and become a learning assistant (With a bit of a shove from Dr. Baillie.
Since becoming a Learning Assistant, I have met some cool people in a department I am not too intertwined with. Some of these people have become friends that I now hang out with, and some just some more people that will wave when I walk by. Being able to meet new people, and not only that but helping students in a challenging subject that I myself struggled in and helping them succeed means the world to me. It has helped me fulfill that childhood dream of becoming a teacher.
I knew when becoming an LA it would be a challenge to be able to effectively communicate the topics to the students. I didn’t consider how much I would have to think about how I say things because it might upset them, or make them more confused. A lot of the work is thinking about a good way to put things so that the students have a better chance of understanding, I didn’t realize how big of a struggle this would be.
Through the first semester of being a learning assistant I have learned better how I and others learn. This has helped me better study for my classes, and be better and connecting with students and helping them understand whats going on. This, is my biggest take away from being an LA, knowing how to effectively study and learn.
Being an LA is more than just walking in to a class and answering questions the students have, it’s about building a connection with the students and being an aid on their academic journey that takes time and effort to effectively communicate with the students.
Dear future LAs,
My name is Brendon, and I wanted to become a LA for one reason. I wanted to help others with the GOB Chemistry class. I felt like I could give a different view on how to approach the problems in the class. It wanted to help share the different ways I was able to learn the concepts in the class.
Being an LA meant a lot to me because it was something I had never done before. I wanted to do the best that I could. I put a lot of effort into it due to having no idea what it was going to be like. I wanted to make sure everyone felt like I was giving it 100% of my attention.
The biggest challenge I faced was having to explain concepts the students had never seen before. That was something for which I was not prepared. Most of the time the students had gone over the concepts before but not always. Helping someone understand a concept they had seen before is vastly different than teaching them from nothing.
The biggest take way is to make sure you know the material you are going to be going over in class for the day. The student will ask questions that you might not have even thought of, so it is important to go over everything beforehand. It’s a bad feeling to have one of the students ask you a question and you do not know to have any idea about it.
Remember to enjoy your time as a LA. It is great when one of the students tells you they did good on their exam and thank you for your help. It will also help you gain a better understanding of the class you LAing for. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy it.
Dear Future LA,
Being a Learning Assistant is an exceptional opportunity and experience. I was approached by a professor last fall who asked me to be a learning assistant. My major is political science, which had never had learning assistants until this spring, so I was unsure what it entailed. I knew I liked working with people and loved the content of the class I was asked to attend in LA, so I said yes. I was super excited to go in and be one of the first LAs in the department because there would be so many opportunities to learn and grow and help the program I studied in for the past four years. Being an LA has meant a lot to me, mainly because of everything it has taught me. I have learned a lot in the pedagogy course and from being an LA. I have not had the traditional experience of being an LA. This is because I am doing it for an online asynchronous course, so the engagement with students has been tricky. As I mentioned before, this is the first time the department has had learning assistants. Not having a lot of student engagement has taught me to be resourceful and use the opportunity I have in different ways, such as helping to shape how the course works and giving feedback to the professor from someone who has taken the course. Learning how to switch my mindset and find new things to succeed in instead of shutting down because it did not go how it was initially planned has meant a lot to me as an LA and has taught me a huge life lesson. The biggest challenge of being an LA that I wish I had considered was that it would only sometimes go precisely how everyone made it sound, which is not bad. The first part of being an LA was pretty discouraging because my experience did not meet my expectations and was not similar to other people’s experiences. But I learned that that is okay, and it opens many opportunities, which is great! I have so many takeaways from being an LA, but my biggest takeaway is that there are many different ways to help people and their academic journey. Not everything is one size fits all. You can create benefits for students from behind the scenes or directly from interactions. Even when diving deeper into this, you can help students by interacting with them in many ways. Overall, remember that you can make an impact in so many ways. Don’t be closed-minded, and let yourself learn! A lot goes into being an LA, but it is very important to remember that the students are people and to put yourself in their shoes. Think about a time when you were so frustrated with a topic and you just couldn’t grasp it; how would you want someone to help you in that time? You also have so many resources, so make sure to take advantage of them. People are rooting for you and want to help; this is a great learning opportunity for you, so let it grow you as a person. Have so much fun and work hard… and be a great LA!
, Aubry Matthews
Dear Future LA,
I am not sure what your purpose of being an LA is but I can tell you what mine was. When the opportunity first presented itself to me, I was not sure if I wanted to take it or if I was fit for it. After a few days of contemplation, I decided that I would give it a try in efforts to bridge the gap between the professor and the students. As a student, sitting in a class learning from a professor whose first language is not English can be very difficult. I fortunately did not have as hard of a time with this as other students and was therefore able to get through many classes with such challenges at hand. For me, I felt like I would be able to reach multiple students and get them to understand both the professor and the lecture materials that were being taught if I became an LA. All semester, I have been seeking to do just that.
Being an LA has meant learning as I “teach”, listening and reviewing before acting and responding, and helping others as my deed of greater good. I am sure that we have all had a professor or even a teacher from grade school say that “I learn from my students every semester (or year).” Well now that I have been an LA for a semester, I believe that statement. As I listened to students’ interpretation and explanations, I learned from them. Rather it was learning a new way to solve a problem or it was me learning to understand their different thought processes. In the past, I have had the tendency to halfway listen to things and proceed to fixing and completing a task the way that I wanted to. However, being an LA meant that I needed to be patient and consider that not all students have the same thought process as me. So, it was essential for me to listen to the students and review their work in order for me to redirect them to arrive at the correct answers. This semester has been a great semester that allowed me to realize that often, it does not take much to help others. Sometimes, it could just be one puzzle piece missing for it to all make sense to a student (other times it could be more). Knowing that I helped a number of students meant a lot to me and made me feel great.
The biggest challenge of being an LA is realizing that you can not help everyone. This was a challenge that I thought about every time I left the class. “Did I reach all of the students that needed my help today?” or “Could I have explained this differently in order to reach a few other students that did not understand?” are questions that I frequently asked myself. The feeling that I did not reach or help every single student often took a toll on me. Walking into this roll, I did not consider this. In fact, I pictured it entirely different. I envisioned that the professor would get through to most of the students and then there would only be a few students that would need extra help and clarification from me. Granted, the professor did get through to students, a lot more of them needed more help than anticipated and I never had enough time in class to reach everyone that needed me. Regardless, the feeling that I could have done more stayed with me. However, a few of my LA peers and even LA mentor explained and got me to realize that regardless of overcoming all obstacles, there will still be some students that just will not understand the material and there is not much that can be done about that if the student is not willing to put in the effort on their own time as well. Moral of the story is that I can not feel guilty if not every single student passes that class.
On the other hand, my biggest takeaway from being an LA is that it is always beneficial to build on prior knowledge. View it as building a two story house, you can not start building on the structure of the second floor until you have completed the structure of the first floor. Often as an LA what I saw was that if a student was not getting a lecture but we did a quick review of the problem sets that led up to the current lecture, they were able to grasp the changes and add on to what they previously figured out. Again, reviewing and understanding the students prior knowledge allows you the space to go back and correct incorrect interpretations and or build on key points of knowledge to help them advance.
Most importantly as you walk into your new journey as an LA, remember to prioritize you and your own goals. Also remember that there is a community of LA, LA mentors, and advisors that are always around to help. Take on the journey to learn a little about yourself and have fun while doing it.
Dear Future LA,
Congratulations on taking a crucial step to better understanding education. You are probably like me, and wanting to become an LA so that you can better understand whatever subject you will help instruct. There is no better way to learn something than to teach it and this is the best way to really test that knowledge. Beyond gaining a deeper understanding of your subject, you will also get a deeper understanding of the teacher student dynamic. You should walk away from this empathizing a bit more with the next instructor you have. Teaching is difficult and this has shown me how difficult, but rewarding it is.
Working as an LA for an asynchronous class, I did not have as much interaction with the students as others, but the experience is still rewarding. Knowing that you helped someone succeed is almost as good as succeeding yourself. Just know if you are helping with an asynchronous class, you might not be needed as much, but do not get discouraged by that. What you are doing is still valuable, and any bit of help from you is well appreciated by the students and the instructor. Even if you are not getting as much interaction with students, your insight, from a student’s perspective, is invaluable. Keep your head up and do not get discouraged if the students do not need your help. You are another resource available to them. They might need you, they might not. But when they need you, you’ll be there, and they will appreciate it tremendously.
It may be tough at times and the students might not understand the material or ask you some tough questions. Just keep your head up and always remember you also have resources available to help you, so never be afraid to ask for help.
From,
A Past LA
Dear Future Learning Assistant,
Welcome to the program! My name is Jennifer, and I am a non-traditional student working on post-bacc courses before hopefully attending medical school. It had been almost 10 years since I had taken introductory Chemistry, so I retook it this fall. I wanted to make sure I had a good understanding before moving on to higher level Chemistry courses. And truthfully, I wanted to “ease” myself back into school. While I considered myself a good student, I found Chemistry challenging. My easy transition was not so easy. Initially last semester, I felt misplaced and somewhat inadequate. Despite these feelings, I kept showing up, and soon considered Chemistry workshop a both inviting and encouraging space because of our LA. Chemistry workshop was fun to me, and the hour flew by each week. I felt I had a community in my peers and a safe place to ask questions and grapple with concepts. I was ultimately successful in Chemistry despite my initial apprehension, and I attribute this to the active learning environment and my wonderful workshop LA. After my success in Chemistry 1, I applied to be an LA. Because I felt I had benefitted from my LA, Kate, I wanted to pay that forward.
Being an LA this semester, I was privileged to take the Pedagogy course with Josh. As a former LA himself, he could both understand and support the unique situations our group of new LAs encountered this semester. I learned more about the power of community. Our class spoke openly without judgment each week because our instructor was relentless at pushing for inclusivity and participation from everyone. We are all better for hearing others’ perspectives, and so I can confidently say we are all better from our Pedagogy course. In addition, we analyzed current research practices surrounding active learning/more effective learning and study strategies. As someone who thought I was becoming an LA to have a positive impact on others, I was surprised to find that others continued to have such an impact on me. I expected to learn how to become a better support for fellow students, and while I certainly did, I feel I really learned to become a better student myself.
A struggle for me this semester has been learning how to be more patient with the learning process. Active learning implores both professors and LAs to wait for students, and this can be uncomfortable. When a student asks you a question, you are supposed to answer it with a question? I hated that, and admittedly, I still hate it when my own questions are met with questions. Learning can be a frustrating process, and it goes against appropriate human nature to watch others fall down without reaching your hand out. But I’ve learned that students can get back up without my help, and they are better for it. I’ve learned that I can get back up without help, and I am better for it. Sometimes, the best thing I can do is listen and allow the discomfort to have its time.
My biggest takeaway from being an LA this semester is that I suddenly feel like a sometimes-unwelcome advocate for active learning. I find myself on the phone with friends and family telling them the best ways to learn. I tell them about conversations we had in our Pedagogy course. I tell them about the articles I’ve read or the lectures I’ve heard, throwing out statistics like candy. They aren’t even in school! Why am I telling them? I had someone this semester ask me how long I had been working on my postbacc courses. When I answered that I had started just last semester, she was shocked. She said, “but it seems like you know everyone!” I was shocked that she felt that way. I no longer feel misplaced or inadequate. Instead, I find great joy in my education. I can’t say the future or that I won’t face challenges. But I can say I now find the challenges much less stress-inducing and much more necessary. I will learn and grow, and I will encourage others to do the same. The discomfort will have its time, and that is not only okay, but it is good.
Good luck to you,
Jennifer
Dear Future LA,
I am so excited you have decided to take this opportunity. It has been a fantastic experience for me, personally and academically. I have learned so much about how to teach others, study better, and prepare for assignments and exams. I have deepened my understanding of chemistry and have formed meaningful relationships with my classmates. My biggest takeaway is that it has made me realize that I want to teach nursing courses in the future. I have discovered my love for teaching and seeing students succeed. The biggest challenge was finding a routine for the class. I often found myself changing the way I formatted teaching the workshop based on how long or hard the worksheet was. It was a learning curve to discover what worked best for the students and what they preferred, but I figured it out towards the end. What worked best when teaching a workshop was working through the worksheet together, especially if you have students that struggle with the material. Being an LA has meant the world to me because it has helped me determine my passion for teaching and will help me when I apply for jobs. Being an LA can help prove you are well-versed in training others for positions, which is crucial when jobs have high turnover rates. I cannot wait to see what you learn from being an LA and teaching others. It is such a rewarding experience to be able to help these students both academically and emotionally. I hope you will feel the same way.
Sincerely,
Emma
Dear Future LA,
Hello there and welcome to the LA program!! My name is Ashley and I am currently a LA for Ms. Kattoum’s FOB Chemistry class. My experience in Chemistry prior to classes at UALR was quite a few years ago, and I struggled back then. I was originally a business major and decided I needed a different career focus and decided on healthcare. I’m a non-traditional student and in my second career (so that has had its unique challenges!!) I’ve always had a passion for teaching/tutoring/mentorship since I was in high school. When I was taking this FOB chemistry class, I was pleasantly surprised that I was actually learning and understanding the class. I was even walking fellow students through some material and problems, as that was how I was able to cement the material. I am a true advocate of teaching what you know because knowledge is transferrable. I had gotten an email from Ms. Kattoum inviting me to apply to the LA program. I felt proud that I was selected and that my knowledge was valued. Being an LA in this program has meant a lot to me, as it took me out of my comfort zone, connected with students and other Las and helped build the community that is so essential in college and life outside academics. My biggest challenge has been approaching students and adapting to a broad approach to learning styles outside of how I learned the material. Some of the concepts I did not grasp fully when I was a student myself. That presented a challenge as I needed to relearn it and comprehend it so I would be confident enough to explain it. Also, we are all human and we are all going to have mistakes and missteps along the way, it’s how you move forward and address them. Biggest takeaway from this are the interactions with other students that I had in lecture clicking with the material presented to them. The light bulb moment made me feel proud that the students were getting the information and concepts that I assisted with. Some useful information to consider is that everyone has a different learning style and different things to bring to the table in the way of teaching and learning. Differences are celebrated and embraced; diversity is key to the longevity of the LA program. The pedagogy course for new LA’s is essential to helping you become a better LA, student, learner, and all-around informed person. Some of the articles, subjects discussed were fascinating and eye opening. I learned so much from this class and will be continuing my LA program through my college career at UALR.
Best of Luck
Ashley
Dear Future LA,
I am writing this letter to help you understand how being an LA is something you should do if you are unsure! In my experience, I became an LA to further my content knowledge in chemistry to help me feel better prepared for my nursing program. Another is for the communication skills I would be receiving as well. Learning how to talk and use methods to help individual students teaches the mind how to work with people and especially know how to care for people in general. I think that being in the view of the teacher helps a student realize many things, and ultimately helps the student mature as an adult. For me, being a LA has been such a rewarding experience because of the number of students I have been able to help with grades, and especially help them understand something they have not been taught. Their smiles and positivity radiates into me, and it always uplifts me no matter what I could be dealing with outside of my school work. However, the biggest challenges can be those times you struggle to efficiently motivate and teach a student. Remember that becoming an LA is a learning process and do not expect to know everything about teaching students. Most of the time, you will help more students than not help students. Overall, I would like to leave you with a useful tip to use for your first semester as an LA. What helps students the most is creating a positive and comfortable learning environment in the classroom. Get to know some of your students because you aren’t just teaching them, you can mentor them in some ways as well, especially if they are in the same major as you. No matter how young or old you are compared to your students, you have the ability to improve the course of their learning career!
Dear Future LA,
My name is Josh, I am finishing my semester as a workshop learning assistant (LA) for Dr. Rivero’s Organic Chemistry I section. I became an LA because of my overt interest in Organic Chemistry, in fact, I am so deeply passionate about the subject that I want to pursue it as a career. In addition to my passion, I also became an LA because it afforded me the opportunity to remain fresh on Organic Chemistry I material as I took Organic Chemistry II. With those two driving factors and the chance to pass what and how I learned onto other students, I had to become an LA. Quite honestly, being an LA has given me a sense of (not arrogant) pride, one I did not expect to gain going in. It is hard to describe, but there is a comforting feeling in knowing that students trust you, at least in part, with their academic success. In general, being an LA has made me incredibly invested in my students’ success. Even if I can not keep track of each individual’s grades, I want to see my students succeed and that experience has meant a lot to me. By the same token, the biggest challenge of being an LA is pushing through when your students do not succeed. Failure is an inherent quality of education, and depending on student’s circumstances, bouncing back from that failure is not always feasible. What that means as an LA is not all of your students will excel in the course, but our job is to keep trying to help them reach that finish line. I was naive in not expecting this during my time as an LA, so I don’t want anyway else to suffer the same oversight I did. All in all, my biggest takeaway as an LA is to have fun. Approaching a class with charisma or at least a gaiety “get it done” attitude makes a world of difference. A lot of the time students come to class feeling timid about the material, and if you can assuredly guide them through that material with a determined mindset, I really think it changes everything. But do not let a successful mindset cloud the process of learning, which is to say do not be afraid of you or your students making mistakes (your students more so). A small, green fictional hermit may have said it, but “The greatest teacher, failure is” really does capture the process of learning and subsequently teaching. I would tell you good luck, but you don’t need it.
Best,
Josh
Dear Future LA,
As a learning assistant, you will embark on a unique journey of personal and professional growth. This experience is marked by opportunities to develop skills, knowledge, and relationships that will serve you well in your future endeavors.
The process of explaining complex chemistry concepts to students, addressing their questions, and guiding them through problem-solving exercises as an LA reinforces your own understanding of the subject matter. I wanted to become an LA because I felt that the experience exposes you to new perspectives and approaches that expand your knowledge base. Moreover, engaging with diverse students enables you to gain a more comprehensive understanding of whatever subject you are an LA for and its real-world applications.
Serving as an LA allows you to develop a wide range of valuable skills that can be applied in various professional settings. You will hone your communication and presentation abilities as you convey complex information in a clear, concise, and engaging manner. Additionally, you will develop strong leadership, organization, and time management skills as you facilitate group activities, provide feedback, and balance your responsibilities as an LA with your own academic and personal commitments.
The role of an LA offers ample opportunities to forge meaningful connections with faculty, fellow LAs, and students. These relationships can lead to mentorship, collaboration, and professional opportunities within academia, research, and industry. Working alongside experienced educators, you will gain insights into effective teaching practices and strategies for addressing diverse learning needs. These connections can also serve as a valuable support network as you navigate the challenges and successes of your journey as an LA.
To me, being an LA means doing a lot of self-reflection and introspection, fostering personal growth as you continually evaluate and refine your teaching practices. You will learn to embrace and learn from your successes and failures, developing resilience and adaptability. Engaging with students from various backgrounds also allows you to develop empathy, cultural competency, and a broader understanding of the world.
Many LAs find that their experience ignites a passion for teaching and an appreciation for the profound impact that educators can have on students’ lives. This newfound passion may inspire you to pursue a career in education, research, or other fields where teaching and mentorship play a significant role. In conclusion, the journey of a learning assistant is one of multifaceted growth and development, equipping you with the skills, knowledge, and relationships necessary for future success.
Being an LA is a multifaceted experience that offers numerous benefits and opportunities for growth. One of the most significant aspects of this role is the opportunity to deepen your understanding of concepts by explaining them to students and answering their questions. As you guide students through the complexities of the subject, you will find yourself revisiting and consolidating your own knowledge, ensuring a more thorough grasp of the material.
In addition to reinforcing your understanding of your topic, this process of teaching others will also help you develop effective communication skills. Explaining complex ideas in a way that is accessible to students with varying levels of understanding requires a clear and concise approach. As an LA, you will practice and refine your ability to articulate complicated concepts in a manner that is easy to comprehend, making you a more effective communicator not only in educational settings but also in professional environments beyond the classroom.
The biggest challenge to being an LA for me was adapting my communication style to accommodate diverse learners with different backgrounds and learning preferences. I soon realized that this would be a valuable skill to master because it can be applied in various situations throughout a person’s personal and professional life.
The biggest takeaway for me being an LA is that I worked with students from different cultural, social, and educational backgrounds, I developed a greater understanding of the importance of inclusivity and empathy in communication, which in turn fostered a more supportive and productive learning environment.
Something important for you to know is that the more you engage with students, the more you will have the opportunity to receive feedback on your teaching methods and adjust your approach as necessary. This continuous feedback loop not only helps you grow as an educator but also instills a growth mindset that will serve you well in all aspects of your life. The ability to reflect on your performance, accept constructive criticism, and use it to improve is a critical skill that will benefit you in any professional or personal pursuit.
Dear Future LAs,
My name is Chris Reynolds and I am thrilled you are interested in the Learning Assistant program here at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I wanted to share some of my personal experiences and takeaways from being a learning assistant with you. I originally wanted to become an LA to help strengthen my knowledge of chemistry and the best way to learn a subject is to teach the subject to someone else. I also am always interested in trying new things that take me outside of my comfort zone, and for me public speaking is always outside of my comfort zone. At the end of my first semester as an LA, I can definitely say it has been a rewarding experience. Participating in the LA program has helped me in several ways. It has improved my basic chemistry knowledge, improved my effective communication skills, improved my self-confidence, and allowed me to network with my peers both in class and outside of class to name a few. Going into the program, they really try to emphasize the importance of building a community within the program and I can confirm that I certainly feel a part of the community. One of the challenges I expected to encounter when entering the program was my fear of public speaking. However, I did not anticipate the additional challenge to my time management skills that I faced. This challenge is something I wish I had considered before beginning my role as an LA. This semester I was taking a lighter course load but I was also studying for the MCAT, planning to take it over the summer. Throughout the semester, I found myself falling behind in my LA duties which required me to self-evaluate and reprioritize in order to maximize what I was bringing to the program. I believe this unexpected challenge taught me a valuable lesson in time management that I will definitely take with me to med school. This leads me into the biggest takeaways from being an LA for me. The first is what I mentioned before. The skills in time management and prioritizing different things will continue to aid me in all aspects of my life going forward. In addition to this, the ability to make a positive impact on my peers whether it was in the classroom or not is definitely something I will not forget nor do I take it lightly. Some useful things about the program that I would like to share with you are to listen to the professors who are a part of this program. They know what they are doing. Their guidance and support was crucial to my success as an LA and a student this semester. Do not be afraid to ask questions and ask for their invaluable opinions. Even if it is not related to your role as an LA itself, the ability to have that support could prove very valuable to you. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this semester as an LA and look forward to what the future holds. I would like to thank the program staff and professors for my amazing experience this semester.
Regards,
Chris Reynolds
Dear John/Jane Doe!
Though I refer to you with a generic name, I have a very targeted message. First things first: thank you for choosing this mission, it will be a great journey for you. I’d like to share some highlights of my own, to warn, encourage or simply introduce you to what you could expect. Some students may come to the workshop for the sole purpose of getting the attendance credits. They may not want to participate in any workshop activities or communicate with you. One of my students, for example, thought that his knowledge was up to par, and he didn’t need help from me. Although theoretically it made sense to include him in a group where he could help his classmates by sharing his knowledge, in practice, that didn’t work. He wasn’t ready to share and presented with an overconfident and inpatient behavior, which reflected badly on his classmates. I’d like to warn you, that sometimes, the behavior of the students and the dynamics of the class are practically more complicated than you can handle. Please do not get discouraged, because even if one student leaves the workshop with some new information, then you succeeded. It may be tough, but you are there with a purpose and you should deliver it to whomever is open. As the semester progressed and the material got more complicated, I noticed more communication from students. They were engaging more by asking more questions in person and via emails, they were participating more during the class and helping each other. The encouraging highlight that I promised is from April 3rd 2023. I specifically remember going over a challenging material with one of the students. We practiced some and she understood the concept. I wouldn’t be lying if I said that I saw a bright light bulb going off above her head. She understood it. She left with a big smile on her face, and I couldn’t be happier myself, since I knew that at least one student went home with at least one more piece of learned information. Moments like those will give you “wings”, motivation and will keep you encouraged to better yourself just as much as your students. After a while when the material got very difficult, even the student from the first paragraph reached out for help, since he couldn’t study all on his own anymore. He started engaging in group discussions, asking questions. He presented with a noticeably nicer attitude. The change in his behavior made me think that I was lucky to not have gotten mad or offended by his attitude at the beginning. Sometimes, people need more time to get comfortable or interested. It’s important to always have a welcoming attitude and keep an open door for those students as an LA. Overall, being an LA was an extremely rewarding and motivating experience for me. I’m happy to report, that I learned just as much (if not more) from my students, as I taught them. So, I want to wish you the best of luck and a great semester in your new role.
Love,
Julietta
Dear Future LA,
My name is Maria, and I am a learning assistant for Dr. Rivero’s General Chemistry I Workshop. I wanted to become an LA because my older sister was an LA and it helped a lot with her public speaking fear, so I figured it would help me with mine as well. Being a workshop learning assistant also allowed me to see if I enjoyed working in the classroom since I would like to become a professor in oceanography. Being a learning assistant, to me, has meant being the bridge between the students and the professors. As a student, other students feel much more comfortable voicing their thoughts and opinions about different aspects of the classroom that we, as learning assistants, can voice to the professors who can make adjustments as they see fit. For example, students may not feel comfortable voicing their unfamiliarity with a topic discussed in class, but they may feel comfortable saying that they do not understand to another student or their LA. As LA’s we can voice this to the professors who may choose to go a little more in depth about that topic in class. The biggest challenge to being an LA that I wished that I considered going in is the time commitment. Being a learning assistant is an important responsibility that should not be taken lightly. As such, you should be prepared to dedicate some of your time to this role. On the other hand, my biggest take away from being an LA is a sense of community. In the classroom, I was able to connect with a lot of my students which made me feel that I am a part of the UA Little Rock community. During your first semester as a learning assistant, you have to take the Science of Teaching and Learning course which also establishes a community with you and other learning assistants. This community has been really helpful for me because it has surrounded me with other first time learning assistants who relate to some of the struggles or interesting aspects of being an LA. It has also been nice to just have a community that I can tell about some of my experiences in the classroom. I know that it may sound intimidating to be a workshop LA, but I highly encourage you to take the leap next semester and become a learning assistant!
Sincerely,
Maria Waite :)
Why did you want to become an LA?
Before coming to college, I had some experience teaching music and private lessons which I loved. After coming into college, I fell in love with chemistry and decided I wanted to try and combine those worlds and teach chemistry! I was of course enticed by the generous stipend and course credit but I was mostly inspired by Dr. Baillie. He is one of the most caring teachers I have had so far and learning about his research in STEM education pushed me to join the program.
What has being an LA meant to you?
Being an LA has meant that I have been able to overcome some of my presentation anxiety and become more confident speaking in front of a group of people. I have loved being able to see how running a classroom works from taking attendance, giving out papers, and working with students. I have also been able to improve my skills as a chemistry student which is invaluable. You will use all of the basics from general chemistry in later classes which keeps you refreshed and up to speed. I have been given great feedback by LA mentors which has only encouraged me to do my best and focus on my wins but also my opportunities.
What is the biggest challenge to being an LA that you wish you would have considered going in?
I did not know that I would have to teach some of the material to students based on differences in teachers and where each class is on the lecture material. I came in thinking I would only go over material that has been previously taught and covered but that was not the case. This made some classes harder than others but the students were very encouraging towards me and were grateful for my help teaching the material. It was also difficult dealing with students in different classes because they were all on different pages and grading them became difficult because of the amount of professors you had to go through to get things done.
What is the biggest take away for you being an LA?
I have loved the experience of being an LA and I think the program is very rewarding. The time commitment was not too hectic and was definitely manageable, even for someone at full course hours. I have become a more confident person in teaching my workshop and a great chemistry student. I think this experience is kind of like a gateway into other types of teaching like tutoring which I am grateful for. It has opened doors for me and I plan to stick with the LA program as long as I am in my undergraduate program. What other useful information would you like to share? I would say that you should not be too hard on yourself if students are not understanding a concept. It is not really your job to teach material as you are far from being an expert in the field. It can be hard sometimes to teach the students but they will generally be very understanding and very grateful for your help. They will be frustrated sometimes but they are all super sweet! It is also important to know that some will not be super talkative but it is not your fault, they are just like that.
Dear Future LA,
I became an LA because I wanted to help other students become more confident in chemistry and to help myself be more confident speaking and teaching others. When I first took the class, I did not feel like I really knew any of the topics because there were assignments that were not going great. There very little confidence in myself with chemistry since it was my 2nd time taking it. Soon I realized that I do understand chemistry and wanted to help others understand and pass. The class is not an easy class at all. The same way that I struggled, is the same way that someone else may struggle to. This experience as an LA has been a great experience and a great challenge. One of the biggest challenges as being an LA was being worried that I would not be able to convey the info in a way that make sense to others or that I just didn’t know that information. Even though we as Las are not supposed to know all of the information, we still need to at least be able to understand the basics of a topic. There are some topics that I can not really explain to myself because it was a topic that did not really understand. It was a fear that if I can’t explain it to myself how will I explain it to others. But going back over material in meetings and doing worksheets myself helped a lot. Even with topics that I did understand, I had to find ways that someone who did not know anything about chemistry would understand. The experience I have had this semester has been a great experience and would do it again. With all of the information that has been discussed in the pedagogy class has helped me with in workshop and outside of workshop. Not everyone learns the same and one teaching style works on some that does not work on others. Find what works for you and be open to tweak and change things along the way. Understand it is ok to say “I don’t understand” to something you really don’t understand and learn new ways of doing things from other students. This has been a rewarding experience.
Dear Future LA,
My name is Jessica Pittman, and I have been an LA for one semester now. I will say I was not sure nor confident about being an LA when I first heard about the position. I thought teaching others a concept I struggled with would be nearly impossible. However, over two weeks, I started thinking about the person I wished I had and the person I wanted to be. Many LAs in my Gen Chem 1 class were excellent at explaining topics or giving me another way to think about topics. This inspired me to be that person for other students. I felt the passion and eagerness to help other students understand difficult concepts and try to break down the concepts in a way that I would have understood the first time learning. Being an LA has meant a lot to me. It has meant being the voice for students who are scared to speak up and being a second resource for understanding the topic. Not every student has the courage to ask questions or voice their opinion; that is where LAs come into play. We are there to help the students and teachers in anyway possible. One thing that I found really challenging was time management and learning styles. I thought I had a good grasp on both of those concepts, but boy, was I wrong. I felt like I never prepared to the fullest for the class I was an LA for, and I felt that I didn’t learn and use everyone’s teaching styles. I wish I had known different ways to prepare for the class before I was an LA and other ways to approach students and explain things so they would understand. Already taking the class that you are an LA for has its pros and cons. One big con is that you already learned everything in that class, meaning you already understand the why behind it, and you can identify the big complex things in that class. Unfortunately, the students in that class are there for the first time. So a huge challenge is being able to ignore that you know everything and figure out a way to explain the tiny stepping stones to the bigger picture. That might sound easy, but once you try explaining it, you will notice how hard it really is. The biggest thing that I can take away from this experience is that there is always room for improvement and something to learn. As an LA, I can definitely say that I learned something in every class. It was a fun ride and tool that taught me a lot of important lessons and skills. The thing I value the most about being an LA is the relationships I have built. You get to talk to a lot of people from different backgrounds; enjoy it! Some of the students have things to teach you. It may not be about the subject you are an LA for, but it is something that you can definitely use in your lifetime and career. Overall I enjoyed being an LA and have come out a different person. I hope you also find the same joy that I did.
Sincerely,
Jessica Pittman
Hi Future LA,
Well, I’ve just completed my first semester as a workshop LA for Ms. Kattoum’s GOB Chemistry class. It was a new experience and I’m glad I took a leap and tried it. I wanted to become an LA for many reasons, but the main reason was to encourage other students to know they can succeed. Let them know I’d been in their shoes, or likely worse, and that it may be difficult but being successful is attainable. To give hope in situations that could be, at times, overwhelming. This past semester there were many times students communicated to me difficulties or success and that meant so much to me. To be part of the journey they are on and to hopefully support them in reaching their career goals was awesome. Sitting with a class full of hopeful nurses never got old and was such a cool opportunity for me. The semester was full of opportunities, but one of the most challenging ones that I’d wish I would have considered going into the semester was not trying to be more than I could be. As LA’s we are not professors. We are students coming along side other students to, hopefully, help and open up a space where learning and different perspectives are valued. From the beginning, I wish I’d realized I didn’t need to have every answer exactly right and to know we are all learning together. Going through the pedagogy course helped me become secure in knowing I wasn’t there to give the answers. I was there to help the students participate actively in their own educations. To provide a safe place for mistakes and growth. This realization was eye opening and a major encouragement to me in my own education. We are all trying to get somewhere. Being an LA allowed me to continue down my path while meeting a ton of really awesome people who are also on their way to…somewhere.
Dear future learning assistant,
To be a learning assistant is an invaluable experience. I wanted to become a learning assistant because I wanted to help people better understand concepts in chemistry. However, I slowly came to learn that being in La is way more than that. Being an LA is being someone that students look up to, being a LA means being a leader, being resilient, and also being a learner. There are many valuable experiences that you will have as a learning assistant. You learn survival information that can never be forgotten. You will also make money to connections that would be forever valuable. However, there are some things that you should consider before becoming an LA. Are you willing to dedicate your time and energy into thoroughly preparing yourself for all kinds of questions that can come up from students? Are you prepared to look for my complex point of view and change your way of thinking? Are you willing to change your way of learning? Are you willing to accept the fact that all people make mistakes, no one is perfect, and there’s always room to learn and grow? These are some questions that I wish I seriously considered, and I recommend you to do just that. Consider these questions before you immerse yourself in this role. These questions will prep you for what’s ahead. However, my biggest take away from being in LA is not being afraid to speak up and be yourself. In this role, you learn that every opinion matters and no one explains things the same, but different methods work from different students. No matter what method you choose, students will appreciate that you try to assist them. Simply lending a helping hand and wanting to help students will result in them really respecting you and in the end being thankful for your attitude and Aid. So one of the most valuable things I’ve learned is that everybody can be different, and it is okay to be different. It is also okay to change for the better, and make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to accurately prepare yourself and perform ideas that come to mind. It’s okay to be innovative and speak up when you feel it is needed. Most importantly, be yourself, and enjoy this experience that is so valuable. You are chosen for this position for a reason, someone sees the great potential that you have. Now it’s up to you to see that potential to do what you do best. Be you.
Wishing you the best of luck,
Grace Shelton
I wanted to become an LA because I like organic chemistry. I also thought it would help me more with more leadership skills, and since I like organic chemistry I could also help other people try to understand it. My time being an LA has helped me a lot with my communication skills. Before I was an LA I did not have great communication skills, but being a workshop LA has helped. It helped me with my leadership skills and I also got to help people in a subject that I really like. My biggest challenge as an LA would be time management in the workshops. At the beginning of the semester I feel like I struggled a lot with time management, but at the end of the semester I managed workshop time better. My biggest takeaway from being an LA would be that it has had a more positive affect on me than negative. Being able to help other people with a subject that I like was something that I enjoyed. It also helped me personally with my communication skills, time management, and leadership skills. In the pedagogy course I also learned a lot of new strategies to help me in my workshop. If you enjoy a subject and want to help other people learn the subject I would recommend becoming an LA. This opportunity will benefit you in many ways. My experience as an LA has helped me in more ways than one and I enjoyed it.
Dear Future LA,
I chose to apply to the LA program for several reasons. The first reason was that I felt that I could really be an asset to the program by helping students understand the material. I sometimes have a unique way of approaching problems that I believe can be helpful to students trying to learn chemistry. The second reason is that I am considering graduate school and I want to have LA experience on my resume to assist me in obtaining a graduate assistant position. I believe that the LA experience can help prepare me for that role. Thirdly, I knew that the role of LA would force me to improve interpersonal skills such as verbal and written communication. The last and final reason that I chose to become an LA for the chemistry department is that I enjoy the subject and wanted to spend more time studying it and developing a deeper understanding of the material.
Throughout my experience in the LA program I have tried to be helpful to the students in my workshops. I believe that I have helped them to learn the material and to gain better understanding. It has been a good experience for me and I hope that it was for them as well. I received feedback that I was able to make the experience enjoyable for them so. I have always enjoyed doing service work to help others and even though it is not a volunteer position, I have viewed it through that light because it has helped people.
My biggest challenge as a LA has been with student behavior. It is more difficult to keep the students engaged than I knew going into the role. It is important to be assertive and establish norms from the beginning of the semester. Students that are being disruptive are not only losing the chance to cover the material, but they are also distracting to students that might have a desire to. I hope that in the future I will be able to establish higher standards for the behavior in the workshop from the beginning so that I can have a more universally productive experience for all the students.
My experience as a learning assistant has increased my confidence in myself. It has shown me that people tend to look at me as a leader not just in my workshops, but also in the classes that I am enrolled in. I have also gained a greater appreciation for the work of educators. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes and it has been an eye opening experience being able to peek behind the curtains.
For a new learning assistant I would make a couple suggestions. Try to use the experience to learn more about the subject. Going through a class you have to focus on tests and homework, but as a learning assistant you can go into the higher levels of the subject and gain a much better understanding. This can help you explain it to the students and could be useful as you move on to higher level classes in the same subject. I would also recommend that you don’t get stressed out about your performance as a LA. Everybody has a bad day and that’s okay. If you are doing your best, or at least putting forth a genuine effort, everything will go just fine. Good luck and try to get the most out of the experience.
-Sam
Dear Future LA,
I remember the first time I was in class and wanted to be a Learning Assistant. I was In General Chemistry 2 and we were discussing it in class. I really liked bouncing the information back and forth to have me and my classmates grow and learn better. I really hope you had a similar experience because in that moment I felt like I was doing something good for the community. Throughout this semester helping students and practicing the material has meant the world to me and it helped me get through some rough times because it kept me moving and looking forward rather than living in the present and in the past. Even with all of the happiness being a learning assistant has brought, there are still some things that are difficult. The most difficult part is not being able to make every student in the class pass. I wish I could have comprehended this idea more when I first started and was working on material. I know I helped a lot if not all of the students I workshopped with but it didn’t mean that every one of them passed the exam or the class in the end. I think this experience would really help me be a future educator and it really helps other students open their eyes and show more empathy to others. And I think that is something I am going to take away from this class and experience. I think most of the time I am very empathetic towards others, but from this experience I could put myself into other people’s shoes and really experience being a learning assistant. In the end there was one thing or maybe two I could recommend for you is to first, always prepare ahead of time, you do want to always be on edge with the material you are using. And the second thing is to always check on the person, not always the student. IN the end we are all people whether they, being the student, sees you as a classmate or a teacher, in the end we are all people and sometimes people just need to see a bit of attention to get the motivation to push forward during a hard time.
Sincerely
Brooke Nehmelman
- I wanted to become a learning assistant because I remember thinking having a learning assistant would have been useful when I initially took the Politics of the Middle East class in the fall of 2022. I thoroughly enjoyed the course, but I felt like having a learning assistant would have helped me be more comfortable in my writing and confident in asking questions and participating in class. I wanted to serve in that role, and I was honored when Dr. Brahm asked me to do so.
- Being an LA has meant being involved and visible in my campus community. It has meant so much to have students simply say hello to me when walking on campus, or rely on me when they are having trouble completing some often difficult assignments.
- One of the challenges that I have faced while being a learning assistant has been balancing my involvement in a hybrid environment. With the majority of my students online, I have often had to focus my efforts on the online section, and I felt like I received very little from the in-person section as we only had 3 or 4 students in-class on most days. I wish I would have prepared more to be a primarily online LA.
- My biggest takeaway from being a learning assistant is that even the smallest impact on students can be incredibly important. Only a handful of students frequently reached out to me throughout the semester, but I have found that the students who reached out ended up improving their work and over performing throughout the semester. Learning assistants can often bridge the gap in involved learning for online students.
- I think that learning assistants should be for in person and online classes only. The hybrid environment made it hard at first to accommodate the needs of students in my class evenly. I think learning assistants should be able to meet students where they are, whether it is online or in the classroom.
Hello Future Learning Assistant,
There are a plethora of reasons for becoming a learning assistant such as an opportunity to relearn and master material, assisting others in their journey in a subject, or personally for me, trying to develop better communication skills with others, of which it helped me develop.
Overall, being a learning assistant is a great opportunity to not only interact with materials, but develop community in the class. Classes are better with friends and others we can depend on to bolster confidence in one another and with the material. However, a Learning Assistant is a complex role not without obstacles such breaking that barrier between you and the student, my greatest issue, try to slowly melt the ice. Another set of problems faced can be your own knowledge gaps or getting students to mastery/comprehension. Nevertheless, helping others learn material is not one instance or eureka moment, rather a process. So, while time is limited to cover a topic, understand that learning can happen anywhere, ask if they want help outside of class hours. Additionally, Learning Assistants are not omnipotent, there are questions outside your scope, address this. Learning Assistants are not experts, but rather guides. Psychologist Anders Ericsson discusses, albeit arbitrarily, it takes about 10,000 hours of quality practice to reach some level of expertise in a task or subject, so it’s best to redirect those complicated questions you can’t answer to the Ph.D in the room, namely, the professor.
Here are a couple of tips when becoming a Learning Assistant. Do not give direct “correct or incorrect/wrong” responses to students, rather frame your words to respect how well you agree based on your knowledge of the material such as “I agree with that…” and guide them through the reasoning behind their answer. Additionally, learning can be frustrating, sometimes it is good to give an anecdote, empathy beats sympathy. Reach out to other LA’s, TA’s, or Professors, we act as a team not alone. Most importantly, there are plenty of ways of approaching any topic, question, answer, or situation, sometimes patience and caution are best.
The task of a Learning Assistant can overall be narrowed down to these three ideas, help facilitate learning by active participation in a conversation between fellow students, gauge and bridge knowledge gaps or misconceptions of material, and act as a guide who has navigated these topics to reduce topic indimination and help outline the expectations of the course. There are more ideas, but being an LA provided me with an opportunity to be a better student. Teaching and learning are intertwined and both are a group effort, thanks for being part of it,
Jaime Perez Garcia
Dear Future LA,
My name is Paige, and I’m a former Learning Assistant (LA) for Dr. Baillie’s General Chemistry I class. Initially, I was skeptical about the LA program, particularly about the role of LAs themselves. However, as I progressed through my chemistry journey and completed Organic Chemistry II, I decided to join the program. At that point, I had two main reasons for becoming an LA.
The first reason was to help other students as they began their college chemistry journey. Not everyone naturally enjoys or understands chemistry, and I could relate to that kind of student. Once I grew to appreciate and even enjoy chemistry, I realized I could offer support to students who might feel the same initial apprehension I did. I wanted to help bridge the gap in understanding that can make chemistry seem so daunting at first.
The second reason was to help myself. When I took General Chemistry I, I felt unprepared for the content, especially since I took it during a summer session. That experience left me with a distaste for chemistry, and there was no LA program in place at the time to provide extra support. Later, as I took General Chemistry II and both Organic Chemistry courses, I gradually realized how impactful the LA program and workshops could be. However, I still felt there might be gaps in my understanding of the fundamentals even though I performed well in my chemistry courses. Becoming an LA for General Chemistry felt like an opportunity to revisit and reinforce those basics. I wanted to ensure I had truly mastered the material and filled in any gaps.
However, being an LA has meant far more to me than I initially imagined. I thought this role would help me “heal” from my General Chemistry I struggles by rebuilding my knowledge base. Instead, I discovered I already had a strong foundation all along—there were no gaps. That realization gave me a renewed confidence in my abilities. Furthermore, I never expected to have a meaningful impact on individual students. I approached the role thinking my efforts might go unnoticed. But during the final week of the semester, several students approached me to thank me for helping them along their journey. Their gratitude was unexpected and deeply touching.
That said, the biggest challenge I faced as an LA was realizing how much patience and empathy teaching requires. These are two qualities that don’t always come naturally to me and I worked hard to respond to students in ways that made them feel supported and comfortable sharing their struggles with coursework. It’s important to offer a judgment-free environment where students feel safe asking for help.
My biggest takeaway from this experience is that if you’re passionate about a subject or a specific course and you have a strong mentor in the professor you’re assisting, becoming an LA is an incredibly rewarding opportunity. You might surprise yourself with what you gain from the experience.
Best of luck on your journey as an LA!
Sincerely,
Paige
Dear future LA,
I wanted to become a learning assistant because I wanted to be able to advocate for students in my major. I know that classes can be difficult, and the professors do not necessarily understand assignments from the student’s perspective. You have recent shared experiences with these students, whereas professors might have graduated undergrad decades ago. You have to approach being an LA in a way that helps the student–in a way that facilitates a relationship between the students and professor that benefits them both.
Being an LA has meant that some of my friends perform better in classes. They learn better. They themselves become encouraged to help others as have I. It has been incredibly rewarding and has meant that I feel a part of something larger than myself.
I must warn you. There are some challenges to being an LA. The biggest challenge is time. You will spend lots of time helping your professors, sitting in meetings with them, going to your workshop, and going to classes. You might even have office hours. But I assure you that it is all worth the effort. Even more so because you will be paid for your time.
My biggest takeaway from being an LA is that you still have more to learn. It is true that you will be LA’ing in a class you have already taken. You might feel as if you know all there is to know on the subject. But be prepared: your students will teach you. They will bring up perspectives and facts you have never considered. And, in your workshop, you will learn how to teach. You will read articles and hear lectures that widen your knowledge of how humans learn, which you will use to your advantage when teaching your peers.
I urge you to become a learning assistant. And after you have done it for the first time, you should do it for a second time, and a third time, and every chance you get until you graduate. This experience is not something you will want to miss out on. You will learn so much about teaching, your class’s subject, and even more about yourself.
Best,
Owen Haynes
Political Science LA
In the beginning I wanted to become an LA so I could help students with the struggles I had when I took the class. I could remember some topics where if someone would have told me something or explained it to me in a different way I would have been able to better understand. Being an LA has meant just that to me. An LA is an extra person who can view things from a student perspective and explain it from a peer to peer standpoint. My biggest challenge was time management. I struggled with fitting time in my schedule for all the tasks I had this semester. I wish I came up with a set schedule I could stick to beforehand. My biggest take away from this is that I realized I enjoyed spreading the knowledge that I do have to help out my peers. LAing not only helps the students in your class but it also helps you. To be able to teach something you have to really know a subject. So, by LAing you get the chance to really learn the subject you a LAing for.
Dear Future Learning Assistant,
Congratulations on becoming a Learning Assistant (LA)! You are about to embark on an experience that will not only help others but also push you to grow in ways you might not expect. I’d like to share some insights and advice that I hope will help you along the way.
I decided to become an LA because I wanted to help students grasp challenging concepts while developing my own skills in communication and leadership. I found the idea of guiding others through their learning journey, especially in chemistry, incredibly rewarding. What I didn’t realize at the time was how much I would learn and grow in the process.
Being an LA has been more than just assisting in the classroom — it’s been an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. This role allowed me to develop my confidence, improve my communication skills, and learn how to ask the right questions to help students think critically. It has been incredibly fulfilling to see students gain confidence and understanding through my guidance.
One of the biggest challenges I faced was the lack of consistent communication with the professor and the other LAs. There were no regular weekly meetings, and this made it difficult to align our efforts and address concerns in a timely manner. If communication had been stronger, many issues could have been resolved earlier. My advice is to be proactive in reaching out, whether through email or by setting up informal check-ins, to keep everyone on the same page.
My biggest takeaway from this experience has been recognizing the diverse active learning styles and study techniques that students use. I learned to adapt my own approach to better match their needs, which also deepened my understanding of the material. This flexibility in teaching and learning is something that will benefit you not just as an LA but in any future career or leadership role.
Lastly, remember to be patient with yourself and your students. Every student learns differently, and sometimes progress is slow, but your efforts truly make a difference. Take the time to reflect on your experiences regularly, and don’t hesitate to ask for feedback from your peers and instructors. You’re going to learn a lot, and this journey will be incredibly rewarding if you stay open and adaptable.
Good luck! You’ve got this.
Best,
Jasmine Clark