Framing this section is our belief that bringing an awareness of and anticipation of typical/atypical trouble spots is key to "Avoiding and Managing Problems During the Course" whether these manifest as explicit or subtle troubles. Trouble spots may range from TA conflicts with students (e.g. grades) and potential classroom power dynamics between and among TA supervisors, TAs, and students (e.g. gender, race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality) to general miscommunication among TA supervisors, TAs, and students. This section of the checklist focuses specifically on grading conflicts, tense classroom moments, and structuring departmental guidelines.

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Grading Conflicts

• As the course begins, TA supervisors can present TAs as the first people students speak with regarding questions/concerns/problems with grades.TA supervisors can present and discuss their grading criteria to their TAs.
• TA supervisors and TAs can meet to "norm grades" for class assignments by swapping a few papers from each teacher's section during a grading session.
• TA supervisors and TAs can compare and discuss grades on class assignments.
• TAs can seek out feedback (perhaps via a short free-write) from students about the comments or grades on class assignments.
• TAs can offer the "24 hour" rule to students –that students must wait 24 hours after receiving graded paper before the TA will discuss the grade of the paper and comments.
• TAs and instructors might "troubleshoot" during a regular team meeting by talking about ways to apply explicit grading criteria before students present specific conflicts/questions. With regular meetings (in person or by a teachers' list serve) addressing "How is class coming along? Any wonderful or problem students? How is lecture coming along?," supervisors and TAs may be able to stop a problem situation from developing.

Tense Class Moments

• Opening discussions among students, TAs, and TA supervisors can create tense class moments (e.g. the use of inappropriate language especially regarding gender, class, race, or sexuality; the monopolization of class time by a troublesome student; the privileging of particular ideological or thematic arguments in discussions among students, TAs, and TA supervisors). Depending on the course and subject matter, it may be useful for TAs and TA supervisors to discuss possible tense moments that may occur in class in order to come up with ideas about how best to avoid these moments and/or how best to deal with them.
• Weekly meetings keep communication lines about these issues open, especially when a segment of time at each meeting is devoted to ways of defusing tense classroom moments. When addressing problem-posing and problem-solving supervisors can foster this discussion by addressing their own challenges and successes.
• Understanding the backgrounds -- as well as diverse stages of idea development, ways of learning, and multiple intelligences -- of the students, TAs, and TA supervisors and the ways in which these backgrounds inform language may be helpful in facilitating open communication.
• Working as a group -- in sections as well within the teaching team -- to create a set of discussion or facilitation guidelines demonstrates willingness on the parts of the TA supervisors and TAs to discuss these moments, as well as giving class members tools to use in creating a communicative classroom.
• If communication breaks down completely, TA recourse certainly needs to be clarified: as the course begins, talk among the teaching team about formal and informal chains of command (e.g. a lead TA among a class's group of TAs, a grievance committee among the graduate students of a particular program or home department, mediation that might be provided on campus or by professors within the department).