My first year political science courses were some of my favourite classes I took when I was a first year student. It only made sense, then, for me to apply to be a teaching assistant for the same courses in my fourth year.
The Department of Political Science hires a number of undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) each year, which is a fantastic opportunity for students in their fourth and fifth years to develop skills in public speaking, feedback, and a whole lot of time management.
My first course was POLI 100 Introduction to Politics through UBC Vantage College, UBC's first year cohort program for English as a second language (ESL) students. Being my first time as a TA, the challenge of adapting class learning to be accessible to folks of varying English language skills was certainly a valuable exercise in intercultural communication skills.
I subsequently taught three semesters worth of POLI 101 Government of Canada under two different professors, which as my favourite first year course, was a great time. For me, being able to conduct classroom activities about something I personally have an interest in was a rewarding experience, as were the many opportunities to help students develop in writing, and answer lots of questions about the Political Science and International Relations majors.
After having done it for two years, the most rewarding thing is to have students reach out a semester or two later, to follow up with questions about jobs, and applications, or even just to say thanks for a great tutorial.
It's certainly something I'll miss as I wrap up my time at UBC, and an opportunity I'll certainly be pursuing in grad school