Giffin 1

Lessons of an RUTA

Being an RUTA this time around has been such a unique experience given the fact that I

was able to mentor and teach a wonderful new crop of 1st UTAs. UTAing for 388V was a stark

contrast from assisting in an ENGL101 course and it taught me more than I could have ever

imagined. Even having taken the course myself last semester, this time around my students

enlightened me even further on a variety of topics and I cannot thank them enough for doing so.

Witnessing my students group projects and the conversations we furnished in our

classroom truly helped illuminate the state of higher education in an even different light than

before. You would think that in my final semester as an undergraduate, I would “have all the

answers” but that is far from the truth. One subject in particular that they taught me a lot about

was working with second language learners. Flashback to my first semester as a UTA, there was

one lovely exchange student who enlisted my help on nearly every draft and assignment

possible. It made me so happy at the time, and I did not focus too much on grammatical concerns

but at times I did mention them. After learning more about the perspective of second language

learners this semester, my approach would now be entirely different. In a video from Roberto

Guzman included in this group project, he says “I have to remove from my students the notion

that making mistakes is somehow bad.” (11:13) All students, but especially 2L learners, should

have their mistakes be celebrated and used as moments for learning. Without mistakes, we

cannot truly learn. Additionally, as educators we should be celebrating the fact that the student is

adamantly trying to write in a language which is not native or natural for them. As someone who

is learning a second language myself, I can attest to the frustration and awkwardness of trying to

express yourself when you do not quite have the words or grammatical structures for it.
 Giffin 2

However, much of higher education at the moment is either too concerned with

grammatical correctness or immune to giving feedback at all. Students are not being given the

tools they need to succeed on a regular basis, something that seriously needs to be ratified.

During another group project about responding to student writing, conversations were had about

students lacking genuine constructive criticism and applicable feedback in their writing. Once

again, I can attest to this from personal experience where my writing is either given only positive

comments or seemingly redundant corrections like comma errors that did not impede

comprehension. Not only does it pertain to the final products of writing, but students in higher

education are also lacking the tools to get started on writing especially when it comes to

researching. Another one of my students’ group projects tackled this subject and gave an

incredibly informative presentation about research methods in the writing process. From one of

their resources, 15 Steps to Good Research from Georgetown University Library, step #4 says to

“Reevaluate the research question based on the nature and extent of information available and

the parameters of the research project.” In the context of a writing assignment, this might mean

reevaluating one’s thesis throughout the research process and changing based on their findings.

This is certainly something that I have unconsciously or naturally done but I had intentionally

revisited a thesis during research to make sure that it still aligns. Honestly, I would have been

more likely to research in accordance with my thesis rather than the opposite. But now, given

their presentation, my steps towards writing and researching might be subject to change in the

future and I am incredibly grateful to them for opening my eyes to new ideas even as their TA.

Even with the qualms of higher education at the moment, there is still hope especially

with bright young students such as mine this past semester. Pedagogy is by no means an easy

feat, so one is bound to make mistakes in their instruction, grading, or feedback. The importance
 Giffin 3

is that instructors take notes from people like Roberto Guzman and use errors as an opportunity

for improvement. There have certainly been moments where I have slipped up, both as a student

and as a TA, but I always try to bounce back and do better next time. For example, once this

semester there was an issue with certain files on a discussion board and multiple students

reached out to express this but I was unavailable at the time to help. Whilst it was understandable

for me to be unavailable during a weekend, I took that moment to learn about setting my

boundaries and being proactive about ensuring assignments were clear or resources worked

properly. One is never done growing in any capacity, so constant improvement in all areas is

important especially when it comes to a position of authority and leadership such as being a

UTA.

A leader is not something that I saw myself as much of growing up and through my own

undergraduate journey. Taking initiative and speaking out is within my wheelhouse but I never

imagined being considered an example, a role model, or a leader. Being a teaching assistant this

semester certainly showed me that I am capable of that, especially given the special role that I

was able to be in. Without having much more expertise or experience than my 1st UTA students,

I worked hard everyday to learn more alongside them and give them the best advice I possibly

could. Fortunately, my hard work seemed to pay off and numerous students of mine thanked me

for my help and advice throughout the semester; they applied my tips and ended up improving

their own classroom environment, becoming leaders themselves.

This semester was incredibly special for me. It has taught me so much about myself, the

current state of higher education, and taking on a leadership role. Being a UTA was an

experience that I will never forget, and has the potential to shape my future in large ways.

Becoming a teacher is not off the table for me, and might be a likely possibility. Regardless, I
 Giffin 4

know I will carry the things that I learned in this role with me for the rest of my life. Education

will always be a part of my life in some capacity, whether I am educating myself or helping to

educate others.
 Giffin 5

Works Cited

“15 Steps to Good Research.” Georgetown University Library,

library.georgetown.edu/tutorials/research-guides/15-steps. Accessed 08 Dec. 2023.

“Teaching English without Teaching English | Roberto Guzman | Tedxuprm.” YouTube, 26 May

2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pZa6R3rmRQ&t=660s.