Teaching TAs to Navigate Difficult Discussions

This article highlights key ideas from an interview with Clara Bosak-Schroeder, an associate professor in the Department of Classics. Dr. Bosak-Schroeder teaches a large (300+) lecture course on Greco-Roman Antiquity and U.S. Minority Cultures, a course that merges classics and ethnic studies with lectures supplemented by TAs.

Clara Bosak-Schroeder understands the challenges that Teaching Assistants face in her course. Not only is the subject matter challenging, but TAs are expected to navigate uncomfortable discussion topics that regularly arise in class. Below she shares some of the strategies that she practices in her own teaching, and suggestions for helping TAs develop the skills and confidence needed to face these challenging situations.

Building Trust Through Vulnerability

Teaching Assistants often report feeling unprepared to navigate difficult or controversial topics that come up in classroom discussions. Even when they know the course material well, they can still feel vulnerable when unexpected comments are made or student conversations turn tense.

Bosak-Schroeder encourages TAs to lean into their vulnerability and let students see that they are sometimes uncertain or uncomfortable. This has the effect of humanizing the TA and can often help defuse a tense moment. Being willing to share a personal story—especially involving non-marginalized identities—is another important skill. When students see the TAs taking risks and describing how they struggled, made a mistake, or learned a hard lesson, they are more willing to accept that the TA isn’t trying to be something they are not. And if the TA’s story is humorous as well as self-effacing, that’s a plus.

Responding to Problematic Comments

Fear of offhand or rude comments in the classroom is another challenge that faculty and TAs face. Although seriously offensive comments may be rare, it’s important to understand the polarizing effect this can have on the learning environment. Many students will remain silent, unsure of how to respond, but others may jump in with comments of their own.

Bosak-Schroeder is clear that this situation can’t be ignored. Instead, she teaches TAs to name the discomfort out loud. Recognizing that an issue has been raised is the first step. Then the TA may ask if peers want to respond, emphasizing the use of “I” statements to clarify what was heard and its implications. It’s especially important to address the offending comment directly, but in a way that does not shame the person who made the comment. A private conversation with the offending student may be held later.

A TA may also suggest that the discussion be tabled to allow for feelings to settle or encourage students to gather research-based facts so that a more balanced and informed discussion can be continued in the next class.

TAs can also prepare for ambiguous or potentially harmful comments by practicing likely scenarios ahead of time. In weekly meetings Bosak-Schroeder will often present scenarios where the TA can think about responses and develop learning activities that will build and strengthen student understanding.

Using Silence Effectively

it in the classroom. This can feel like an eternity, but Bosak-Schroeder assures TAs that waiting for students to think about and prepare a response, particularly during a challenging moment, lets them know that you care about what they think, and that you are willing to give them space and time to process their ideas and develop their viewpoints.

Silence can be especially useful when trying to get students to think more broadly about a topic. TAs who learn to wait before rushing in with their own answers are usually rewarded by students who propose more nuanced definitions or open up to sharing their unique and diverse perspectives. Creating that small bit of space can open the door to deeper and more meaningful conversations.

Checking in and Encouraging Multiple Modes of Participation

No one method works for every class or every TA, but Bosak-Schroeder emphasizes that checking in with students is a powerful tool for connecting. In the same way that showing one’s vulnerability helps to build trust, so too does the simple of act of showing that you care enough to ask how someone is feeling.

Having a variety of teaching tools and discussion activities can also help TAs be more prepared. Bosak-Schroeder suggests different methods for getting students to participate, such as writing prompts, pair and share, role play, and small group activities that build their confidence and encourage them to be more productive contributors over time.

This kind of scaffolding is especially important for engaging marginalized students who don’t feel safe sharing their ideas or feelings, and international students trying to understand US politics and classroom dynamics. Bosak-Schroeder explains that it all comes down to trust: students must trust the TA, and the TA must also trust the students. Because students who feel listened to and cared for, who believe that the classroom is a safe and supportive community, will become more aware of their authentic selves and be more willing to grow in knowledge and experience.