PhD comics and TA training

Piled Higher and Deeper, a grad school comic strip, created by Jorge Cham, has long been a source of inspiration for the TATP trainers in delivering initial TA training sessions across the University of Toronto campuses. Cham’s comic strip provides many humourous takes on the challenges facing TAs.

Here are some of my favourite lessons about grading that Piled Higher and Deeper illustrates:

• Returned papers should not have more red ink than black on them (http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=690)
• TAs may need to grade using someone else’s system (http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=4)
• A grading key is your friend (even if you’re tired)! (http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=979)

Check out www.phdcomics.com for further comic strips.