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Professional License to Help and Discussion Prompts

Charmian Lam

What are the professional limitations in my ability to help?

 

Professional License to Help

Given your role to assist your instructor in helping students learn, you may think that you have to be responsive to students all the time. But, there are instances where helping students means NOT giving them what they ask for. In the case of overly dependent students, giving them every answer may limit their growth as a responsible student. In other cases, students may share a need for help with personal problems that are beyond the description of your role as learning assistant.

For example, students who ask you for information that is posted on Canvas may learn to turn to you instead of checking Canvas when they have any questions. Consider the long-term learning goals of your students when helping them. In addition to learning the content of the class, students are also learning how to learn in the class and to be responsible learners. You giving the answers every time prevents them from finding out how to figure things out for themselves. In the case of someone asking for information on the syllabus, it may be best to refer them to the document on Canvas and to help them find it. It’s not always most useful to help by providing everything a student asks. When in doubt, defer to your instructor.

What would you do in this scenario?
You’re in the first month of your new role as a learning assistant, and your role is starting to feel familiar. The students in the class are getting to know you more and feel more comfortable around you. You’re generally prepared and can answer their questions. In fact, one student asks you questions non-stop, both face-to-face and through email. Many of the students’ questions can be answered by looking at the assignment sheet or the syllabus. But, they ask you over and over about different easy questions. What do you do immediately (next 30 minutes)? What do you do in the longer term?

Drawing boundaries on when not to help is also beneficial to you. You may find that your inbox contains multiple emails from the same student with many questions.   While you are available and ready to help students learn, setting boundaries on the times of day you are able to help is respectful of your own needs as a student. You may share that you are not available for help during certain times, or that you may not be able to respond immediately. Consider holding online or in-person “office hours” in which you are immediately available for questions.

Professionalism Quick Tips

Graphic: lit lightbulb with teh words "quick tips" in a speech bubble

  • Avoid assumptions by using gender neutral language
  • Being welcoming and available for questions
  • If comfortable, making some eye contact with students
  • Moving around the room to check on student progress
  • Listening carefully to questions before answering
  • Encouraging students through your comments
  • Using humor appropriately
  • Checking expectations with your instructor

 

Prompts for Group Discussion

The questions below are designed to help faculty and their learning assistants have productive conversations about what it means to be professional in the classroom.

  • In what ways are faculty members professional in their role? What kinds of things do they say or do that show professionalism?
    1. Could the learning assistants emulate some of these behaviors?
  • What are some boundaries that all people set between work, school, and personal life? These boundaries can be interpersonal ones (e.g., not dating students) working times (e.g., not working from 12pm – 2pm), or something else. Why have you set those?

 

License

[DRAFT] Preparing to teach and mentor your peers in their classes Copyright © by Madeleine Gonin and Charmian Lam. All Rights Reserved.

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