Office Hours and Review Sessions

Before the quarter starts:

Knowing your purpose:

o Meet with the professor and ask what is expected of you
o Ask the professor what they envision happening in office hours
o Ask about review session content: will professors provide any
materials? Do materials from previous years exist somewhere?

Knowing department policies:

o Know the policies for handling grade complaints.
o Know the penalties for late assignments.
o Know how to handle honor code violations.
o Know the class policies on group work and/or group homework
submissions

Choosing a location:
o Is the location easy to find? Are there codes for doors, etc., that the
students need to know about? Consider a student-friendly location.
o Is your office big enough to accommodate several/tens of students at
once?
o Do you need to reserve a place with appropriate materials (boards,
large table, etc.)? Remember that your needs may change from week
to week.

Making a schedule:
o How many hours per week do you need? Sometimes one is enough.
o Meet with the other TA(s) assigned to the course to coordinate times
o Consider how to schedule in order to accommodate student needs
the day before homework is due
not during common class times
during a time that most students can meet
o Identify possible backup times if your first choice doesnt work out
for the students.
o If you plan to use your office for office hours, let your officemates
know your schedule, especially if theyre also TAing.

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 o Resources: Your courses website (on CourseWork at
http://coursework.stanford.edu ), Google Calendar or Drive,
http://www.doodle.com/main.html

Advertise your schedule:

o List office hours/review session times and locations on the syllabus.
o Post them on the course webpage and on your door.
o Ask the professor to make an announcement in class.
o If you teach section, mention your office hours again each section
and/or advertise them in writing on a corner of the board during
each section.

During the quarter:

Explain in class/section the purpose of your office hours/review sessions.

Clarify course policies and your own policies.

o Will you meet with students outside regular office hours?
o Will review sessions have a rigid ending time?
o Will you answer email every day, all day? How quickly should your
students expect a reply from you? Set Limits and Manage
Expectations (Email cut off at night ex/ I will only answer emails that
day that I receive before 9pm that night. )
o If the rules are clearly laid out on the course webpage and/or in a
handout, students know what to expect, and you have an easier time
saying no when you need to.

Be disciplined and professional

o Be there when you say you will be!
o Devote your full attention to the students once they are there.

Hold special sessions devoted to difficult topics to help prevent sudden,

unexpected surges in attendance.

Keep track of student progress when grading. Keep an eye out for problems
that could manifest themselves near exams (e.g. students who have
problems with homework but have not shown up to office hours) and reach
out early to students you suspect may be struggling. Its easier to correct a
problem early!

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 Schedule review sessions in advance before exams and other major course
events.

Gauge student progress and get direct feedback on the course: readings,
assignments, etc. Adjust accordingly, and communicate observations with
other TAs and with the professor.

Resources for online conversations: Course website (via CourseWork

discussion forums); a course blog using a platform like WordPress or
Tumblr; a course Wiki (such as using a site like http://pbworks.com/ );
Google or Yahoo! Groups; e-mail; a course Twitter account

Students should not be learning new material in the review session but rather fine-
tuning what they have already learned. Keep textbook and slides on hand
to refer to them during the session.

Discuss review session content with the professor in advance. See what
information and concepts they see as most important. Discuss the exam
format and expectations. Have review session handouts approved by the
professor in advance.

Talk with the students about the review session in advance. Have them send you
any questions they have before the review session date. Its much easier to
prepare answers for questions if you know what the students are having
trouble with.

Hold the session late enough so that the students have had a chance to study on
their own and find any questions they have, but
Hold the session early enough so that you can respond to any questions that
arent answered in review session before the test. You may not know the
answer to every question they have, and it helps to have some time to be
able to say Ill get back to you shortly on that.

But DONT see the test in advance if you can help it. This will help you to avoid
any biases about what may be covered on the test and what students
questions are important.

Do take advantage of any opportunities you might have to hold a practice review
session with only your professor (and any other TAs for the class). This kind of

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 practice session is also something you can arrange on your own, if your
dept. does not offer it, by setting up an appointment with an Oral
Communication Tutor at the Speaking Center. See:
https://undergrad.stanford.edu/tutoring-support/hume-
center/resources/speaking-resources

During office hours / review sessions:

Keep your office door open. This avoids any hint of inappropriate behavior,
and indicates your availability or accessibility to other students who may
arrive late.

Make the best use of your time.

o Be prepared. Look through assignments and be aware of the trouble
spots. For review sessions, have very specific examples that you can
carry through from start to finish.

Encourage students to prepare their questions in advance. Its not easy

when youre asked, for example, to explain all of Chapter 9.

When students need one-on-one attention (e.g. going over a paper or exam),
set up a schedule or sign-up sheet for individual meetings to take place
during your office hours (if your department allows this). The key is to
make such individual feedback sessions available to all students in your
class. Keep this in mind if you have a large class where this would not be
manageable.

Encourage students to work together.

o Group students with similar problems and concerns.
o Encourage the enthusiasm of bright students who often attend office
hours by having them help a small group of their classmates while
you help another small group.

Be firm but tactful with latecomers.

Keep a running outline of the session to keep yourself (and students) on

track with time allocation.

Focus on problem-solving strategies, not answers to a given problem.

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 Ask questions to get students to think. In text- and writing-based courses:
o Why do you think the author wrote this? (audience, perspective)
o What happened in the text? (plot, argument)
o How does this relate to other texts and the lecture?

Ask questions to get students to think. In problem-based courses:

o How would you get started on this problem?
o What have you tried so far?
o What does the text have to say about this topic?

Keep the atmosphere casual. The more relaxed students are, the more
comfortable they will feel in asking questions. You can sit instead of stand,
wear less formal clothes, and/or bring snacks to convey a relaxed
atmosphere. Consider games or other methods that can get students
participating actively and enjoyably.

Have a plan and a backup plan. Some students will feel comfortable asking
questions on their own, mid-session. But it might be helpful for you to have
a structured review prepared in case no one asks any questions.

Know about the logistics of the exam or quiz. Discuss with the professor in
advance whats expected of the students, how many questions will be
asked, the format of the questions, etc. Knowing this kind of information
will help many students calm their nerves.

Remember:

Let students know you are available and happy to help.

o Some students, especially freshman, may be intimidated by the idea
of 1-on-1 office hours.

Make students do the work they will learn far more effectively.

If you do not know the answer: tell them I dont know

o Its far better than leading them astray, and theyll respect you for it
o As hard as teaching is, un-teaching is far more difficult!
o Redirect them to the professor or another TA, or make sure to find
out and get back to the students later.

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 Know where to send students for extra help or if crises should arise.
o The Writing Center: (650) 723-0045;
https://undergrad.stanford.edu/tutoring-support/hume-center
o Learning skills support for undergraduates (academic tutoring,
community centers, & wellness resources):
https://undergrad.stanford.edu/tutoring-support
o The Office of Accessible Education (OAE): (650) 723-1066;
http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/oae
o Vaden Heath Center for counseling: (650) 723-3785;
http://vaden.stanford.edu/caps/

Be patient, compassionate, and enthusiastic. Attitude makes a huge

difference!

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2013 Fall TA Orientation, Stanford University. Handout created & modified over the years by CTL
Graduate Consultants Teresa Nava, David Futer, Matthew Booker, Jessica Purcell, Ignacio Zuleta, Gill
Ward, Lauren Hall-Lew, Joanna Sturiano, Ashley Adams, and Katherine Breeden.