Graduate Teaching Assistant onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
Verify required credentials: TA training, Graduate teaching certificate (as applicable)
Prepare equipment and access: learning management systems; lab equipment; grading rubrics; video tools
Assign a buddy or preceptor
Enroll the new hire in Graduate Teaching Assistant training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
Follow lab safety rules
Protect student records
Report concerns about students
Follow campus safety
Shadow an experienced graduate teaching assistant through a full shift
Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

Supervised practice: lead your first discussion section
Supervised practice: grade consistently with a rubric
Supervised practice: balance teaching and graduate research
Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

Lead discussion sections: independently
Run labs: independently
Grade assignments: independently
Hold office hours: independently
Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
Begin cross-training on a secondary task
Agree on a credential goal (for example, TA training)
Discuss the career path: Teaching Assistant → Lead TA → Instructor of Record
90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or task	Trained	Observed	Signed off
Lead Your First Discussion Section
Grade Consistently with a Rubric
Balance Teaching and Graduate Research
Subject knowledge
Leading discussions
Lab instruction
Grading

How to measure onboarding success

Time to independent classroom work
Observation and evaluation scores
Licensing or compliance findings
First-year retention

How Graduate Teaching Assistant training maps to this plan

Introduction to the Graduate Teaching Assistant Role
A Day on the Job
Essential Graduate Teaching Assistant Vocabulary
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Common Tasks, Step by Step
Tools, Equipment and Technology
Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
Skills Employers Look For
Launching Your Graduate Teaching Assistant Career
Final Knowledge Check

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Graduate Teaching Assistant Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)