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I found this article on "The Dartmouth"'s website...http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2004050701040.
It talks about the condition of TAs at dartmouth. well we all know that dartmouth prides itself upon a focus on undergraduate education. it also claims that no classes are ever taught by TAs. keeping that in mind, there was a paragraph in the above mentioned article...
"Teaching loads required of graduate students at Dartmouth varies. Departments with fewer graduate students often require more teaching responsibilities. The biology department requires graduate students to teach one term, while the chemistry department requires students to teach twice per academic year for their first three years."
What exactly are these teaching loads? Are TAs actually teaching classes, contrary to what dartmouth claims?

By Wisconsinguy (Wisconsinguy) on Saturday, May 08, 2004 - 02:53 pm: Edit

Teaching loads vary by department. In most science departments, TAs assist with labs, though there almost always is a Ph.D. observing. In humanities departments, while professors lecture and lead study groups, TAs lead small-group language drills and assist with Academic Skills Center study groups. Does that set your mind to rest?

By Variance173 (Variance173) on Saturday, May 08, 2004 - 05:02 pm: Edit

wisconsinguy, thanks for your post...the article says that "the biology department requires graduate students to teach one term, while the chemistry department requires students to teach twice per academic term."
when they say "teach," what exactly does that mean, apart from supervising labs?
thanks!

By Wisconsinguy (Wisconsinguy) on Saturday, May 08, 2004 - 07:38 pm: Edit

When they say "teach," they mean supervise labs and study sessions.