[bioundgrd] 7.014 TAs, Tutors, Graders Needed

[MacKenzie Outlund]

Hi Course 7 Majors,

My name is Robyn Tanny and I will be the course instructor for 7.014,  
Introductory Biology, this coming spring semester (Sp 2007). We are  
currently looking for one undergraduate TA and several undergraduate  
tutors and graders to help with the course next semester. Below are  
the descriptions for the different positions:

Graders: You could grade problem sets, exams, or both.  If you are  
grading problem sets, you would be grading on your own time, although  
you would be expected to grade your problem sets within a reasonable  
time frame (roughly 4 or 5 days).  There will be seven problem sets  
during the semester, roughly regularly spaced, and you will have no  
more than 50 problem sets at a time. If you grade exams, then you  
would grade as few or as many hours as you are free on the dates of  
the exams, which are not set yet, but would be Mondays or Wednesdays  
or Fridays, and grading would occur from noon until anywhere between  
7pm and 11pm.  There will be three regularly spaced exams during the  
semester and one final exam during finals week.  You will be paid for  
grading by the hour at the departmental rate.

Tutors: There is not a set schedule for tutoring. Your name will be  
posted on the 7.014 website and the students will be able to contact  
you. Together, you can then set up a schedule. You can agree to tutor  
for as few or as many hours each week as you like. You will be paid  
for tutoring by the hour at the departmental rate.

TAing: There are lots of responsibilities for TAs!  But then again,  
it is by far the most intensive and rewarding teaching experience of  
the three. The responsibilities would be:

-- To attend lecture, 3 hours a week (MWF 12-1pm)
-- To attend staff meeting one hour a week.  Staff meeting will be  
scheduled for either M or W or F either before or after lecture,  
depending on the schedule of all of the TAs.
-- To give recitations.  Recitations for 7.01 meet twice a week. You  
will have one recitation section of 25 students that you teach for 2  
hours a week.  Section material will be provided for you, so you do  
not have to prepare your own section material (although you are  
welcome to if you want to).  You will be able to pick your section  
times from a set list of options.
--   Grading.  You will be required to grade the problem sets for  
your section. There are seven problem sets during the semester,  
roughly regularly spaced.
-- Review sessions.  Before no more than one exam, you might be asked  
to stand up in front of the class and give a review session with one  
other TA.  Review session responsibilities will be divided among the  
TAs and you will have a chance to sign up for the timing of the  
reviews that you prefer.
-- You will write the solutions to one problem set at some point  
during the semester.  You will be able to pick which problem set you do.
-- You will hold 1 office hour a week; you can schedule it based on  
your preferences.
-- Time Commitment and Pay. TAing is a very large time commitment and  
you will be paid the maximum amount per week that the department can  
pay you. This ends up being about 18 hours a week, which might be how  
much you end up working some weeks.

If teaching next semester sounds like fun and you have the time to  
help out, please e-mail me at ret at mit.edu. When you write back, be  
sure to let me know if you are interested in tutoring/grading or  
TAing and what courses you have taken. To be a tutor/grader, you must  
have taken 7.01, 7.02, 7.03, 7.05 and 7.06 and done well in these  
classes. If you want to be a TA, please think about this carefully  
because being a TA requires a lot of time and effort on your part,  
but it is very rewarding. To be a TA, you should have taken the all  
of the core biology courses offered here at MIT and done well in  
those courses. You should also feel comfortable explaining concepts  
taught in those courses to other people. If you other TAing or  
tutoring experience that is helpful, but not necessary.

I will regard your e-mail as an application and arrange meetings with  
qualified applicants before the end of the semester for a short (but  
relaxed!) interview. Also, feel free to contact me if you have any  
questions.

I look forward to hearing from those of you who are interested in  
being a part of 7.014 next semester!

Robyn


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