Undergrads Are TFs Too: Tales From the Trenches

Where do Harvard undergraduates go when they have already reached the head of the class?

For undergraduate TFs in many science classes, the answer is: to the blackboard.

In fact, many science concentrators gaze to front of their section only to discover an undergraduate Teaching Fellow wielding the chalk: someone not much older--maybe even younger--than themselves.

Although at Harvard undergraduate TFs are common in the sciences, and especially in computer science, the experience of undergraduate TFs is very different from that of their graduate student colleagues.

"It's strange when you're talking with someone and they say: 'Oh where are you going?' and you say: 'Well, I'm going to teach a section now,'" says Sam A. Yagan '99, a Kirkland House resident, a TF for Computer Science (CS) 50: "Introduction to Computer Science" last semester and CS-51 this semester.

Other undergraduate TFs also found aspects of their teaching experience weird.

"What's strange is that all of the sudden all of these people in your section suddenly believe that you know what you're talking about," says Michael Walfish '98, who also taught CS-50 last semester.

With friends in their classes, some of the undergraduate TFs interviewed admit that teaching has delicate moments. "A lot of the people in your class are your friends so you have to play out two roles with them," says Bridget J. Frey '98, who worked as a TF for CS-50 last semester.

Matthew S. Caywood '98, a current CS-51 TF, says that a particularly strange situation for TFs can crop up in computer science, where it is not unheard of for undergraduate TFs to teach each other in different classes because 100-level courses do not have to be taken in any particular order.

However, Timothy K. Mueller '98, who worked as a TF for Chemistry 10: "Foundations of Chemistry" this year, says his experience as an undergraduate TF was not as bizarre as he had anticipated.

"It wasn't as strange as you thought it would be...just things you would expect to be strange like teaching people who are older than you or running across your students socially," he says.

Although most undergraduate TFs interviewed say that their jobs are sometimes disorienting, all are adamant that their youth in no way affects the quality of their teaching, and maintain that they do gain the respect of their students.

Mueller, who taught mostly first-years in his Chemistry 10 section, says he found them even more respectful than the children to whom he had taught science in a summer program.

While Walfish says he noticed less of a barrier between his students and him, he says that such a situation was not necessarily negative.

"When [other undergraduates are] in your section and you're at the front of the room answering questions, I think they're going to naturally trust you," Walfish says.

Suzan H. Sandik '98, an undergraduate sociology concentrator who worked as a TF for Science A-22: "Chance, Necessity and Order" last semester, also said she was able to earn the trust of her students.

"I did know a lot of the people taking the class, but it didn't interfere with the class dynamic. Our section was really awesome and everything treated each other with respect," she says.

Sandik, who took Science A-22 her first year, says she enjoyed teaching a discipline different from the one she studies.

Science A-22 involves quantum physics, cosmology and biological order, according to Sandik.

"Exploring different parts of thinking patterns is really crucial to the liberal arts education," she says.

A Two-Way Street

Sandik, like many undergraduate TFs, says teaching also gave her the opportunity to learn.

"It was a great opportunity to be on the other side of the table because I gained a lot of respect for my peers, my classmates," Sandik says.

Like Sandik, Walfish also found his TF job rewarding.

"What's cool is that...you have the chance to try to make sure that a group of students--namely the students in your section--can understand the material, and I think that's especially important in an introductory science course where students are often discouraged," Walfish says.

Most undergraduate TFs interviewed said their understanding of the demands of undergraduate life at Harvard actually enhanced their teaching skills.

Mueller says he enjoyed teaching Chemistry 10 because he could empathize with his students, who were not much behind him in their study of chemistry.

"It was nice to be able to interact with the students, especially because they were learning a subject which I had taken only several years before, so I knew where they were coming from more than some of the graduate students TFs," he says.

"I think the real advantage is for students because [undergraduate TFs] are much more approachable. You see them in the dining hall. I've had students come knock on my door or call me well after midnight," Yagan says.

Many students said that being an undergraduate TF involves a great deal of effort and commitment.

"It's a hell of a lot of responsibility," Sandik says.

Walfish also says that undergraduate TFs put a tremendous amount of energy into answering questions by e-mail, preparing assignments, grading, holding office hours and performing other general duties.

Caywood says that teaching for a computer science section is as much work taking a fifth course, and Sandik says she spends hours creating lesson plans.

"I spent a lot of time coming up with creative ways [to teach] and since I'd taken the class I knew what was a good way to present the material and what was a not-so-good way," she says.

Yagan, who says proximity to his students motivates him to do a good job, says, "There can be more pressure on an undergraduate TF."

"It makes me prepare for sections more thoroughly. It makes me feel like there's a real need to perform well," he says.

Still, Lori J. Park '96-'97, who was also a TF for CS-50 last semester, says being an undergraduate TF sometimes disrupted her life because students had fewer qualms about calling her at any hour than if she were a graduate student.

Gender Balance?

Undergraduate TFs interviewed acknowledged a striking gender imbalance among their peers.

Last semester, only about one-fifth of the CS-50 TFs were women. This semester, of the 12 TFs for CS-51, only one is a woman, according to Yagan.

Yagan, Walfish and many others interviewed, however, say the gender imbalance among undergraduate TFs reflects the low numbers of women in the sciences.

"Certainly, given that most of the TF positions for undergraduates are in the sciences and fewer women are in the sciences, you're going to have [an imbalance]. The TF representation is proportional to the number of male and female concentrators [in the sciences]," Walfish says.

"Obviously, there should be more female TFs," he adds.

Mueller agrees that the gender imbalance is a symptom of a problem endemic to the sciences, and not specific to undergraduate teaching fellows.

"I think the gender imbalance [in student TFs] reflects the gender imbalance within the Chemistry department rather than any bias," Mueller says.

Park, one of the few female TFs in CS-50 last semester, says she sees a need for female role models in computer science.

"I've had lots of women call me up and I've have numerous women write to me and ask me if they should take computer science...I think a lot of women feel more comfortable talking to me than to their other [male] TFs," Park adds

Caywood says that teaching for a computer science section is as much work taking a fifth course, and Sandik says she spends hours creating lesson plans.

"I spent a lot of time coming up with creative ways [to teach] and since I'd taken the class I knew what was a good way to present the material and what was a not-so-good way," she says.

Yagan, who says proximity to his students motivates him to do a good job, says, "There can be more pressure on an undergraduate TF."

"It makes me prepare for sections more thoroughly. It makes me feel like there's a real need to perform well," he says.

Still, Lori J. Park '96-'97, who was also a TF for CS-50 last semester, says being an undergraduate TF sometimes disrupted her life because students had fewer qualms about calling her at any hour than if she were a graduate student.

Gender Balance?

Undergraduate TFs interviewed acknowledged a striking gender imbalance among their peers.

Last semester, only about one-fifth of the CS-50 TFs were women. This semester, of the 12 TFs for CS-51, only one is a woman, according to Yagan.

Yagan, Walfish and many others interviewed, however, say the gender imbalance among undergraduate TFs reflects the low numbers of women in the sciences.

"Certainly, given that most of the TF positions for undergraduates are in the sciences and fewer women are in the sciences, you're going to have [an imbalance]. The TF representation is proportional to the number of male and female concentrators [in the sciences]," Walfish says.

"Obviously, there should be more female TFs," he adds.

Mueller agrees that the gender imbalance is a symptom of a problem endemic to the sciences, and not specific to undergraduate teaching fellows.

"I think the gender imbalance [in student TFs] reflects the gender imbalance within the Chemistry department rather than any bias," Mueller says.

Park, one of the few female TFs in CS-50 last semester, says she sees a need for female role models in computer science.

"I've had lots of women call me up and I've have numerous women write to me and ask me if they should take computer science...I think a lot of women feel more comfortable talking to me than to their other [male] TFs," Park adds