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GSI Teaching & Resource Center
University of California, Berkeley

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Questions Frequently Asked by GSIs

Click the links to see answers to the questions.

Preparing to Teach

1. Where do I go to find out about my teaching assignment and what is expected of me?
2. How can I find a GSIship if no position is currently available to me in my department?
3. What should I do if I am told that I need to take a language test in order to be appointed as a GSI?

Once the Semester Begins

4. What should I do if my first few classes/sections don't go well?
5. What can I do to get a sense of how my sections are going?
6. Suppose I want to make overheads or slides to complement my teaching, or want to show a film or videotape in class?
7. How can the library help me create more successful research experiences for my students?
8. Are there any funds available for me to implement projects or activities that will enhance student learning in my class?

Working with Students

9. What do I do when a student with a disability asks me to provide extra time for her examinations or to arrange for a separate, quiet room in which to take them?
10. What should I do if I know some of my students are struggling in the course (e.g., if they receive a D or F on their first paper or exam)?
11. What should I do if a student comes to me with a personal problem?
12. I find myself interested in a student in my section or in the course. Is it appropriate to ask him/her out on a date?
13. A student handed in a paper that I think was plagiarized. What should I do?

Working with Faculty and other GSIs

14. What should I do if students complain about the workload for the course or the professor's lectures, assignments, or exams?
15. What should I do if I ever encounter difficulties with either the course instructor or other GSIs I am working with in a particular course?

Administrative and Pay Issues

16. I've been appointed as a GSI for Fall/Spring. How do I go about getting a GSI position for coming semesters?
17. When, how, and how much do I get paid?

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