On Being a TA

If you’re a frequenter of the blogs, first of all, I love you. Second of all, you may be wondering: where have I been all semester?? As I’ve mentioned, the last few months have been a whirlwind. I did the common Oberlin thing of way over-committing by saying yes to a myriad of irresistible opportunities. I don’t regret those decisions, but I am relieved that this next semester will be less scattered. This is partially because I’ve learned my lesson but perhaps more due to the universe deciding to step in- for example, the class I TA’d for last semester won’t be taught again until next fall. Consequently I will be using my time off to yap about how much I loved it. 

I’ve always wondered how one becomes a TA (it seems to vary by department), so I’ll go back to the beginning in order to demystify the process. Sophomore fall, I took Feminist Research Methodologies with Emilia Bachrach. As the name implies, it centered on how to navigate the complexities of how to do research in a feminist way. We read bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and other feminist icons. One of our texts was Sarah Achmed’s “How to Live a Feminist Life”, a book that shifted my worldview and healed the feminist killjoy in me. But what really made the class was the discussions, and the research proposals we crafted (mine was on the history of the relationship between feminism and the fiber-art). Since it was a small class (maybe seven in total), we all worked very closely together. 

These factors combined to create an environment at once comfortable and invigorating, challenging yet safe. Of course, so much of the credit for this also goes to our professor, but I’ll save my gushing for another time, and simply say: I loved the class. I suppose my professor could tell, because she recommended me as a TA to the next professor to teach it, Professor Mattson, at the beginning of this year. At first I was befuddled, expecting a class of under ten, but interest in the course had apparently skyrocketed- this semester it was over 20 students, which is a lot to manage. As a TA, my job was mostly to go to class, answer questions, and give feedback on weekly memos regarding students’ ongoing research proposals. It was such a privilege to be a part of shaping these projects and watching them grow. I had so much fun chatting with peers about their special interests and sharing sources with them. I felt like I learned a lot myself. So many discussions we had ended up informing the research I’m currently working on.

My experience of this course (as both student and TA) has made me an infinitely better scholar, but perhaps more importantly, a better person. This is what I love so much about the GSFS (gender, sexualities, and feminist studies) department. GSFS isn’t just about the academy or preaching from the ivory tower. It’s about how we live our lives and who we are as people. It’s about becoming wiser, more understanding, more empathetic, and more intentional in the way we do things. 

Though this semester is over, I’m going into the next one with all the knowledge this experience has given me, and the connections as well. This has been one of the most enriching experiences I’ve had at Oberlin, made all the better by the occasional presence of Professor Mattson’s adorable little dog, Howie.