Expectations of students in TA’d courses:

To understand philosophical texts, you need to read them actively, and in most cases more than once, keeping in mind the conclusion that the author is trying to establish and his strategy for establishing it. It’s a good idea to read the assignments before coming to lectures on them and then again afterward, in light of points emphasized or clarified in the lectures. A careful reading, even a second reading, will almost always result in questions. There will still be passages that seem unclear, arguments that seem to be missing a premise, and obvious objections that go unanswered. Students should bring their questions to discussion sections and try to get answers before writing a paper or preparing to take an exam.

Secondly, while correlation doesn’t establish causation, it’s worth noting that students who regularly attend lectures as well as discussions tend to do much better on the whole than those who do not. TA’s report that virtually all their A students have had very good attendance records. Lectures provide a kind of road map for getting through the texts. Typically, any one of the works assigned for the courses I teach might serve as the basis for a course on its own, so I choose certain points or arguments to emphasize and bypass others. Even where lecture notes are posted online, moreover, an adequate understanding of the course content is unlikely to be conveyed in a set of bulleted points. The ability to follow and explain philosophical argumentation depends on continual exposure to it, preferably in different formats and through more than one sensory modality. Even if taking in information from oral presentation at first seems difficult and/or unnecessary, it’s important to keep trying. But don't attempt to write down everything that's presented; instead, think about the material and limit your notes to brief summaries.

Finally, in writing philosophic essays, whether for papers or on exams, students are expected to do more than just rehash material from class or their reading. The point is to use what you’ve learned to address a meaty philosophical question, interpret something else an author says, or discuss your own objections or answers to objections. This may be a step beyond what you’ve experienced in some courses where at most you were asked to explain an argument or philosophic position, apply a theory to a new case, or give your personal reactions to arguments, cases, or theories. Where exam questions are given out in advance of a scheduled exam, students are expected to use the intervening time to think about the questions, re-read relevant parts of the texts, and resolve any unclarities (including unclarities about the questions themselves) by bringing them up in discussion. Study groups are also encouraged, though in the end your answer should be your own work. I don’t expect perfection, particularly from your early efforts, but I do expect serious evidence of grappling with the new challenges.