Math Course Assistant Job Description (Math X through Math 21)
All of Harvard's calculus classes are taught in small sections of around 25 students. Each section meets 2 or 3 times per week, taught by an instructor called a Teaching Fellow (TF), who is either a faculty member or graduate student in the math department. Each Course Assistant (CA) is associated with one calculus section and is responsible for working with the TF to ensure the success of the section.Responsibilities
Course Assistants have four main responsibilities:- CAs attend each of their section's classes in order to see what is being taught, and to note the topics which are difficult for students.
- CAs do all of the homework grading for their section during the semester - students typically turn in a problem set each class period, and CAs are normally expected to grade the work and get it back to the students at the next class meeting.
- CAs get to run a weekly problem session (60 minutes) to go over homework problems and other topics which might have come up during the week.
- CAs work in the Math Question Center for an average of 90 minutes each week, alternating between one- and two-hour weeks. The Math Question Center is a general math help center that meets from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Science Center.
Pay Scale
The job usually takes between 15 to 20 hours per week for the semester. The compensation is quite good - in 2007-2008 the salary averaged around $2,000-2,500 for the semester per CA, depending on how many students were in the section. Experienced CAs earn more. The reason for the fluctuating scale is that a significant proportion of a CA's time consists of grading homework, and the amount of time required depends directly on the number of students turning in homework. Thus if there are more students in your section, then you'll be paid more for the increased grading that's required. If you're a CA for two semesters, then starting with the third semester you'll earn a Senior CA rate, which pays several hundred dollars more per semester.Responsibilities
For a position in Math X, 1a or 1b, you'll need to have satisfactorily completed classes through at least Math 21a and b, or taken a higher numbered class such as Math 25, or 55. For a position in either Math 21 course, you should have satisfactorily completed at least one semester of math or applied math beyond Math 21 (for instance any 100 level Math course, or Math 23, 25 or 55).How to apply
Fill out an application form online, and sign up for a microteaching session. Please arrive to the microteaching session promptly. During this session you will be asked to explain a problem dealing with the basic notions of integration or differentiation. You should also have thought about how you would run your weekly problem session. If you are a returning CA, you do not need to participate in a microteaching session, but you will still need to fill out an application.Candidates will be notified by e-mail of their chances of getting a CA job. We'll send out the notification by mid to late May, but final decisions cannot be made until after sectioning is done for the calculus classes in the fall (as the number of jobs depends on how many sections are signed up for). Those people who are told that it is likely or possible that they have a job must attend a half-day training session that will take place several days before the academic year begins in the fall.
If you have any questions about the job, please contact Bret Benesh (benesh@math.harvard.edu), John Hall (hall@math.harvard.edu), or Tom Judson (judson@math.harvard.edu)
We look forward to the possibility of working with you next fall!
Bret Benesh, John Hall, Tom Judson, CA Coordinators
