When your Teacher is the Employer

One of the many perks of keeping up a good performance in class is that you could potentially land yourself the job of being your teacher's assistant at the end of the course. However, once you become your teacher's assistant, he or she is no longer just your teacher, but also your employer; and needless to say, there's a gulf between the two roles. Here are some things to look out for once you make that transition.

Expect the unexpected
Teachers often put up a certain personality in order to have the attention of the whole classroom. However, they could very well be much different outside of the classroom, and that's okay. Don't be shocked if your jolly, good teacher turned out to be a rather stern employer or vice versa. A background check about him or her as an employer, especially from the people who have worked as their assistants before, always comes handy.

Do not question your teacher's methods
Once you become your teacher's assistant, you'll be getting an inside scoop on what happens with the copies, how the routines are set, most of which you'll be doing yourself. And chances are it was done the same way by another teaching assistant during your batch. Once this realization kicks in, it's possible that you feel as if your teacher does not pay much attention to his or her students, but think about it -- after taking classes from dawn to dusk of some thousand not-so-cooperative students, is it possible for a teacher to check every copy, set every routine, take care of every single detail that maybe someone like you could manage to do? He or she does have a personal life and you need to consider it. If it still feels wrong, talk to your teacher and try and make it better.

Be professional
With time, we often develop a friendly relationship with our teachers. He or she could very well be your go-to person for advice on any personal matter, but here's the rule of thumb: keep your professional life out of it. Say if you were to work in a bank, would you greet your employer with a high- five? No, right? The circumstances are no different when your teacher becomes your employer. Students usually take up these jobs at the very beginning of their careers, and getting accustomed to these little things can be difficult but honing these skills is mandatory. You might end up offending your employer without even wanting to. You don't want that, do you?

Don't consider the job 'easy'
You'd honestly be fooling yourself if you think checking copies is a matter of pretty, red tick marks. Trust me, I know. And that's not the whole scenario. You'll have to check copies, make schedules, set the question papers, help out the students when they face any problem -- you'll have a lot of tasks on your plate. And as in any other job, dedication and punctuality is vital towards each and every one of them.

Last but not the least -- don't slack off just because your teacher seems lenient. He or she will understand when you're making pointless excuses to skip work or have someone else do the work for you and keep in mind that there are plenty of people in line who are eligible to take your place. Being a teaching assistant is one of the best jobs you can have as a student. I myself had been a teaching assistant for some time, and the experience definitely counts when you are taking on bigger responsibilities in other aspects of life.