Tutorial Assistants

Tutorial Assistants (TAs) are volunteers that help students learn by removing roadblocks from their learning such as setup issues, or by offering one on one help during exercises where's it's impractical for an instructor to answer questions from everyone in the tutorial.

What Does a TA Do?

As a TA your primary purpose is to help students. Your secondary purpose may be to learn from the instructor, but don't let it interfere with your primary purpose. Don't bring a laptop, take a spot at a table, or take a handout. Do listen and learn when you're not helping.
Help with diagnosing platform-specific problems on a platform the instructor doesn't know or use.
Give general Python help with exercises for students that are relatively new to Python.
Give subject-specific help with exercises where you have expertise in the tools or concepts being taught.
Try to be visible to students who need help, but invisible to the instructor and not distract from their teaching.
By default, don't ask questions and don't correct the instructor, unless they've said they want that. They'd love to hear your feedback after the tutorial, but during a tutorial it may interfere with their teaching.
Ask the instructor how else you can help.
Enjoy your experience! Assisting in a tutorial is a very rewarding experience, helping participants get unstuck, seeing their ah-hah moments, and getting to know them. In large tutorials teachers can't make connections with very many students - but you can with a few.
Help people new to PyCon feel welcome. Reach out to wallflowers during breaks.
Join us for the catered snacks and lunch on us.

How Do I Volunteer?

Add an entry to the table below. Indicate the slots for which you're available, and list your expertise areas so we know where you're best suited to help. This information will be shared with Instructors who are looking for more TAs.

Note: Also consider signing up as a Host / Greeting at the start of tutorials: Tutorial Host Signup

Show up at the Tutorial Preparation Sessions to meet instructors, get last minute assignments to assist in tutorials, and help tutorial participants with laptop setup.
Show up during the Tutorial days to offer ad hoc Tutorial Support.

TA Volunteers

Enter your availability:

Wed a.m.	Wed p.m.	Thu a.m.	Thu p.m.	Contact Info (include your name)	Expertise and Notes
yes	yes	no	no	crg.mabrey@gmail.com	1 year of python, matplotlib and some Django
no	yes	no	yes	Will Farley webpowerlabs@gmail.com	1 year python, primarily Django, reading 2 scoops ;)
no	no	no	yes	Senthil Kumaran senthil@uthcode.com	Few years of Python development. Been a tutorial instructor at previous pycons.
yes	yes	yes	yes	Ramya Narayanaswamy nramya@udel.edu	1 year of Python
yes	yes	yes	yes	Luiz Irber luiz.irber@gmail.com	7 years of Python, HPC, SciPy stack
yes	yes	yes	no	Maxim Brieiev lacrima.maxim@gmail.com	4 years of Python. Linux, Twisted. Can help with setting up dev environment.