Quotes from teaching assistants (TAs) and teaching monitors from Instituto Superior Técnico included: “It’s been very positive for me,” “Being a teaching assistant is a truly life-changing experience,” and “It’s a recommendable experience.”
The 10th edition of the “Contigo+” programme, held on 16 June, in room IA of the Mining Engineering building at Alameda campus, promoted a moment of reflection where teaching assistants and other stakeholders shared their experiences, seeking to optimise the relationship with students and departments at Técnico. Attendees included speakers from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Department of Physics. These speakers included department heads, teaching assistants, and teaching monitors.
Diogo Vaz, a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, emphasised the importance of this teaching experience, stating, “In a world where we have always been students, being able to have this experience in teaching is very important.” He noted that this role also helps him ‘stay current’ with tools that can benefit his research process, thanks to the new methods and approaches ‘introduced by students’.
There are advantages for students as well. Leonor Gonçalves, a teaching assistant in the Department of Physics, highlighted the “trusting atmosphere” fostered in classes taught by TAs, where students feel more comfortable asking questions. She also mentioned a “culture of mutual help among the students”. However, she suggested that the selection process for TAs should prioritise the motivation and profile of candidates rather than focus mainly on their grades.
Leonor Gonçalves noted that she attended training at Técnico’s Academic Development Unit (NDA) when she began teaching, describing the experience as “enriching” for honing her teaching skills. She proposes making this training “accessible, recommended, and ideally compulsory.” The “Espaço +Física”, created at the end of 2024, was also recognised as a positive initiative that bridges the gap between students, TAs, and professors, as it is “a space created by students, for students.”
The “Contigo+” Programme is an initiative of the Pedagogical Council aimed at enhancing the teaching skills of the school’s faculty. Its goal is to encourage faculty reflection on the relationship between professors and students, tailored to current realities, while valuing diversity, essential pillars for the development of Técnico and the promotion of its culture. Additionally, the programme seeks to innovate teaching tools and strategies to address new challenges in higher education within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and architecture.
