TA Testimonials

If you are considering applying for a Teaching Associate position in Cal Poly’s English Department, perhaps consider the following testimonials shared by past and current TAs. Please direct any additional questions to Dr. Brenda Helmbrecht, Writing Director.  

Aurora Matzke, Doctoral Candidate (ABD) Rhetoric and Composition, Miami University, Ohio

Aurora graduated with an MA in Spring 2006. She is also a recipient of the English Department’s TA Teaching Award.

The TA program at Cal Poly really set my career in motion. I knew I loved books, reading, and writing, but I was blown away by how much I learned (and loved learning) in the classroom. Completing the TA training program and working with students on their own readings and writings gave me a much deeper understanding about how English, as a discipline, "worked." I discovered that although I thought I understood how ideas, paragraphs, sentences, even punctuation (!) worked together in socially nuanced ways, the genius and intensity of students hungry to do caught me unawares--and kept me hungry through the difficult portions of my own coursework.  

As I moved from the MA at Cal Poly onto an English PhD at Miami University, my teaching experience became invaluable. While a new graduate program is enough to make any sane person struggle, the classroom became an eye in my storm--because I had a grasp of the rhythms of the classroom that only teaching can give you. Learning as a TA also created a richer cognitive tapestry of English for me, as I watched the interweavings of creative writing, composition, rhetoric, and literature on a daily basis. Being a TA at Cal Poly was my springboard to working as an assistant director in a campus-wide writing center, and as an assistant director of the Composition Program--where I co-taught 700 and 600 level teaching courses--in my new home at Miami University. In the end, the TA program at Cal Poly oriented me to the discipline in a way that changed my life forever. There is no other one experience in the MA program at Cal Poly that I would recommend more for anyone desiring to learn and grow in the discipline of English.   

Kyle Loughman, Tenure-Track Professor, Bakersfield College (CA)

Kyle Graduated with an MA in spring 2007. He is ABD in the EdD program at UC Santa Barbara.

It wasn’t until my second year in Cal Poly’s Pasters program that my education started overlapping with my career goals, and that’s mainly due to my experience as a TA. Prior to teaching freshman composition at Cal Poly, I was an “English person” because I liked to read and write; it was about me. However, once I was introduced to the field of composition and then given the opportunity to teach, I saw how I could impact others, and that’s when my education began to mean even more.

The writing and reading strategies I had internalized over my years of English education and the composition theory I was introduced to during the first year of graduate work at Cal Poly were finally put into use. I witnessed how different theoretical concepts played out in the classroom while also experiencing the fulfillment of seeing my students improve as writers. And because the program is designed to have TAs teach and take composition theory courses concurrently, there is plenty of theoretical, professional, and emotional support available.

Ultimately, the TA program shaped what I wanted to do after earning my masters, and it gave me the tools to accomplish that goal. And to this day, three years after graduating, I have close ties with the program because of what it meant to me and what the people who are affiliated with it still mean to me.

Genesea Carter, Doctoral Candidate Rhetoric and Composition, University of New Mexico

Genesea graduated with an MA in Spring 2007.

When I think back to my experiences as a Cal Poly TA, I remember how much I learned about writing. For those who have never taught, this concept may seem odd, but learning how to teach writing and the writing process made *me* a better writer. I remember planning lessons on compositional basics—-paragraphing, transitional sentences, etc.—-and having epiphany after epiphany over *my own* poorly paragraphed ideas, clunky transitions, and vague topic sentences written in my graduate course papers. To this day, I credit teaching composition for strengthening my own writing. 

As well, my TAship taught me to be a shrewd, discreet observer and people "reader." When you are a TA, you must navigate a classroom of twenty-two eighteen-year-olds.

Figuring out the personality of your classroom, and how you're going to approach your students' needs, requires that you watch students for important cues with hawk-like determination and accuracy: Are they yawning? Are their eyes glazed over? Are they engaged and laughing? Why are do they have expressionless faces? Teaching has taught me how to "read" each one of my students while facilitating our class time. This skill transfers to my work as the Core Writing Program Graduate Assistant, where I co-teach the TA Practicum course, lead TA/PTI Orientation, and interact with all Core Writing English Department TAs/PTIs. There are over 100 different personalities I interact with throughout the semester, and as one of the primary faces of the Core Writing Program, my observations and "readings" must be made accurately and discreetly. Without the experience of TAing, I would not be as successful in what I do. 

Teaching has taught me to be a more effective member of society. I know that statement sounds like an exaggeration—yet it isn't. You become part of a diverse group of people (your students), you learn that students have a lot to teach you about life, and you learn about your character and personality in new and challenging ways. To be sure, teaching can be maddening and may cause you to want to pull out your hair (or someone else's hair), but it's an opportunity that should not be missed. 

Brian Fotinakes, Doctoral Candidate IN Composition and TESLOL at Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Brian graduated with an MA from Cal Poly in spring 2007. 

I can’t understand why anybody wouldn’t be a TA if they want to have a career in education. If you are planning on teaching in the future or just want to see if this profession is for you, then this is the perfect opportunity to experience a small-scale version of what the benefits and struggles are in the life of a teacher. It’s like wading into a pool instead of jumping right into the deep end. And I think Brenda supports her TAs immensely by providing an open office door and productive discussions. For me, my time as a TA and working with Brenda have led directly to opportunities that helped me grow as an educator, and I am very thankful for that fact. 

Larrah Feliciano

After earning an MA in fall 2008, Larrah pursued a teaching credential and is currently teaching 10th and 11th grade English.

My year as a TA in the English department was both intellectually stimulating and downright fun. I think if we begin with passion for writing and for students, teaching composition becomes a joint journey toward exploring multiple meanings of texts. I had wonderful support from my fellow classmates in the program and from Professor Helmbrecht, and that allowed me to dedicate my energy to my students. I deeply value the experience and would recommend it to graduate students looking to become educators themselves. 

Sarah Grieve, PhD Candidate Arizona State University

Sarah earned an MA from Cal Poly in spring 2007, after which she earned her MFA at Florida State University.

I was a TA at Poly during the 06-07 school year and have gone on to TA at Florida State University and now at Arizona State University. While I have grown as an instructor over the past 5 years, my first experiences teaching English 134 were foundational for how I view composition, education, and myself as both an instructor and a student. When I left SLO, I was prepared to teach college freshmen, but I was also prepared to take part in discussions about pedagogy and composition with the very scholars we read as part of our training. I would recommend becoming a TA in Cal Poly's English department because I believe teaching composition offers perspectives on education, writing, and research that benefit scholars while also empowering them to encourage the next generation of writers, our students, to find authorial authority in the college classroom.

Calin Anderson

Calin is currently working to complete his MA degree. He is also Writing Consultant at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA and a clinician at Lindamood Bell Learning Processes in Del Mar, California.

 Being a TA was undoubtedly the best choice I made in my collegiate career. I had the pleasure of working alongside a cohort of dedicated faculty and peers who assisted and inspired me daily. Having such a great network of support enabled me to become a stronger instructor than I ever could have been alone. My classroom experience, while personally fulfilling, also commanded the attention of my current employer who greatly appreciated my hands on experience.

Lizzy Gilbert, Current MA student

Teaching English 134 was quite an experience. It forced me to step out of my role as the more passive student absorbing valuable information from my professors and take up the more active role as an instructor. I could go on and on about what I learned from the students and how I was challenged, frustrated, overjoyed every day. However, what I think was most important for me was learning how to occupy both student and instructor roles. Teaching didn't just broaden my horizons academically--it broadened my comfort zones. If future grad students are up for it, they are generally interested in teaching (and don't just feel like they want to add another feather to their cap), and can balance their time efficiently, I would definitely tell them to consider becoming TAs.