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FROM STUDENT TO TEACHING ASSISTANT: TRANSITION

Ms. Sonal Singh, Teaching Assistant, Kalinga

Department of English

University, Raipur (CG)

 

Turning from a student to being as Teaching Assistant has changed me a lot. Teaching comes up with lots of responsibilities. When I was a student, I felt very secured because I knew the teachers are their for us but I didn’t realize that teachers too had to deal with the pressure in the profession. And that accountability and that pressure takes you to the way of perfectionism. I was raw and immature a bit during my post-graduation. Even I wasn’t ready for pursuing PhD because I thought that I didn’t had that intellectual level which PhD demands. But I think I was destined to do PhD. Hence, eventually I opted this course. PhD has transcended my level of  knowledge and made me more insightful. Hence, I was able to analyse my knowledge till where it is confined. But the thing which still remained was fear of interacting with the audience.

 

When I was hired as Teaching Assistant, that anxiety and that fear erupted like a lava in my mind. The fear that I was not experienced. The fear that I was an ex-student of the institute. The fear that I had to give the interview in front of my teacher who taught me prior and is currently a dean now. The fear that what if I don’t get selected and what impression I would leave in my teacher’s mind because as a student I had got good remarks from the teachers in terms of studies, behaviour, and conduct. Overall, I made a good reputation as a student. Hence, that same reputation to earn as a teacher was difficult. Then I realized that everyone feels the same fear when not experienced and applying first time for the job. When I entered the institute, I couldn’t feel that I was a teacher. I felt that I was still a student and I still feel that I’m not self-reliant just only going for studies rather than for working because everything seemed same to me, the institute as well as the acquainted faculties. One more fear factor was the age-gap with the students because I had a slight age difference with the students. Even some of the students were very older than me. And sometimes the students as well as the faculties mistook me not as teacher. Thus, I hesitated and fumbled while teaching and interacting with them. One more fear was the oblivion subjects which was allotted to me. I did my specialization in English Literature. The subjects were completely new for me even though they belonged to my department. But gradually I adapted myself and through constant teaching I got the proper acquaintance about the subjects.

Fear is a natural emotion that everyone faces. Analysis of your fear is very important. People see fear with two perspectives. Either they face it and find the solutions to it or they try to runaway. What I did was I analyzed my fear in a positive way and imagined its future outcomes. I decided to combat with it because I knew it would definitely help me grow in my profession. Hence, in my transition from being student to teaching assistant, fear was the hindrance and it was the solution too that has helped me soar what I’m today. I would say face your fear and embrace it in a positive way then it will definitely lead you to

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