Over the past few years, I’ve worked with several cohorts of students, and with each cohort I attempted to hold office hours. The idea here was that students needed to know where to find me at certain times during the week so that they can ask questions, or get help with their papers, or just have someone that they can sit and do homework with. In theory, it’s an excellent, but in practice I rarely see students during my office hours.
I’ve tried setting several combinations of hours, including daytime and nighttime hours: both with little success. The idea behind the nighttime hours is that I can be available when the professor is not on campus, and while students seem to understand this concept, they often only make an appearance right before their papers are due. I thought daytime hours might provide students the opportunity to drop in for quick questions between classes, or during lunch, but no one seems to show up to those either.
I’ve created flyers, and sent out emails with details of when and where I’ll be at various times throughout the week, and still I find myself sitting alone night after night when I know that students could benefit from stopping in for a visit.
My colleagues and I have tried casual settings, such as the coffee shop across from campus, as well as more formal settings such as the library.
So, if any of my fellow TAs have ideas for making office hours productive, please let me know!
PS– I have a rather long list of topics to discuss in future blog entries, so stay tuned!
Writing TA/Peer Leader 