Work for the Wellesley Department of Mathematics! Many of our majors and minors find that helping other students to learn mathematics is enjoyable and rewarding in addition to being a welcome source of income. The best way to learn mathematics is to teach, grade, or tutor it. You will be surprised by how much better you will understand the subject. (Several of us on the faculty got our start in teaching as undergraduate tutors and readers.) Many students begin as a department tutor, then move into positions as a reader or teaching assistant. This job can be a springboard to a summer job teaching mathematics. If you are considering a career in teaching then some teaching experience as an undergraduate is invaluable. Even if you are not planning a career in teaching, being a TA or reader is an opportunity to get to know the faculty better. A professor and student working together. Department Tutors Math department tutors work on a one-on-one basis with students who are having difficulty in a lower-level math course. This position is ideally suited for the student who wants to maintain a flexible work schedule, or who is not ready to take on the responsibility of being a teaching assistant or homework reader. The meeting times and places are determined by you and the student who needs tutoring. Generally you will meet weekly with a student for four sessions (one per week) and then meet with the course instructor for a progress report. Applications for this position are available at the Pforzheimer Learning and Teaching Center. On the application form, you will be asked to specify which courses you feel comfortable tutoring and to give the names of two faculty references. Our greatest need is for tutors in Calculus. Back to top Readers/TAs The department hires student homework readers and teaching assistants (TAs) for the following courses: 101, 102, 115, 116, 120, 205. A reader's primary duty is to correct homework papers. TAs spend one evening a week staffing the Math Help Room. A TA may also have responsibilities (one hour per week) determined by the faculty member teaching the course. For example, she may be asked to hold a review session or office hours before an exam. Almost all TAs are also readers. Readers should expect to spend 3 hours per week for each section, and TAs spend an additional 3 hours per week on their Help Room staffing plus other duties. Applications are available in the Math Department office (SCI 361) and are due at a date near the end of the semester. Usually we choose TAs at the end of the preceding term. Sometimes, however, we hire additional readers at the beginning of a term. For more information, see Melanie Chamberlin in SCI 361. Back to top

Created by: Heather Barrett '08
Maintained by: Professor Alexia Sontag
Date Created: June 2005
Date Updated: August 1, 2005
Date Expires: August 2007