Why be an Instructional Support Assistant (ISA)?

The Instructional Support Group is continually seeking enthusiastic and dependable people to assume valuable roles in the course teaching team. A teaching team consists of course instructors, graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs), graduate Instructional Apprentices (IAs) and Instructional Support Assistants (ISAs). Our ISAs are usually undergraduate students in the co-op program.

As an ISA, you will provide the primary student contact, serving as consultants for course-related material and ensuring the smooth running of the computer laboratory sessions. You will also have an opportunity to gain teaching experience while conducting lab lecturettes or tutorials.

Junior students are welcome to apply for ISA positions. Our ideal teaching team consists of a mix of people with different strengths; technical superiority is not a requirement of this position, only a desire to learn and a desire to teach others. Here is what some of our past ISAs had to say about their experience as an ISA (previously tutor):

I had the opportunity to refine my knowledge of the subject. The best way to learn is to teach.
I gained teaching experience. This experience will be invaluable if I decide to continue with graduate work or become a teacher. It also gives me a taste of what it's like on the "other side".
I had the opportunity to develop a relationship with faculty members from a different perspective than is possible as a student.
Being a tutor is a position of responsibility but also considerable freedom. The hours are flexible and there is room for initiative and self-direction.
As a tutor, it was possible for me to have an immediate and direct effect on the quality of education offered by the university.
Tutoring is challenging. It was the first time I had to stand up before a group as an authority figure.
Tutoring is a chance to network with people who can contribute to the achievement of my future goals.
My place of work was located on campus.
It was intensely gratifying to help a student over a monumental hurdle that I struggled with myself.

David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1

Tel: 519-888-4567 x33293
Fax: 519-885-1208

Contact | Feedback: isg@cs.uwaterloo.ca | David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science | Faculty of Mathematics

Last modified: Friday, 11-May-2012 15:29:37 EDT

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