Award-winning teaching assistant supported 12 courses across Mac while carrying a full-course load and working part-time

Along with winning an award, Nabil Rajput may have set a record that’ll prove hard to break.

Last month, the Honours Life Sciences student won the Teaching Assistant Merit Award from the McMaster Students Union and Macademics. The annual student-nominated award recognizes TAs who’ve demonstrated exceptional organizational skills, comprehensive knowledge of the subject, excellent communication skills, enthusiasm about the subject and teaching and the ability to engage students.

A sessional instructor who’d taught Rajput encouraged him to apply to be a TA. Rajput led his first tutorial in the summer heading into his third year.  He closed out his fifth and final year having been a TA 19 times, supporting 12 courses spanning the Faculties of Science and Engineering, the INSPIRE Office of Flexible Learning and Faculty of Humanities where Rajput was the head TA for four courses. This year alone, he ran five tutorials in the fall term and another four in the winter term. Rajput estimates he taught upwards of 1,300 undergrads in his tutorials.

He led discussions on topics ranging from sustainability, water systems, pollution and resource management to leadership, personal development and student success. Rajput did research for every tutorial, adding information and using real-life examples that students would find relatable.

And he managed all of that while carrying a full course load himself and working at Housing & Conference Services. Rajput could definitely teach master classes in time management.

“I’m really passionate about teaching,” says Rajput. “Being there for other students brings me a lot of joy.”

His passion for teaching goes back to Grade 9. Rajput founded a program at his local mosque to help middle schoolers with their homework with extracurriculars mixed in as added incentive to participate. The program received federal funding and is still running.

Rajput is quick to thank his faculty supervisors Brandon Wooldridge, Luc Bernier, John Maclachlan and Girsh Zilberbrant who helped him become an award-winning TA. “They provided lots of mentorship – constantly pushing and uplifting and helping me face challenges with courage.”

What was some of the best advice he received from his mentors? “Don’t focus on being perfect – tutorials won’t always go according to plan. Just be present for your students. Know that your students don’t expect you to have all the answers – but they do expect you to be supportive, responsive and interested in their learning.”

Rajput would make a point of arriving a few minutes early and staying a few minutes after his tutorials. He’d give students as much time as they needed to answer questions in class. And he’d follow-up with students who didn’t participate, missed tutorials and weren’t responding to emails.

“Students have a lot going on in their lives and some are facing challenges beyond their control. There are lots of supports available at McMaster and I’d make sure students knew how to access them to get whatever help they needed.”

The only downside with being a TA who’s taught 1,300 students? “I’d be studying in the library and a student would pull up a chair and ask for help with their assignment.” And how many times did Rajput tell students to save their questions until the next tutorial? “I made a point of always being approachable.”

Rajput graduates in June. He’s taking a gap year to work full-time with Housing & Conference Services. Planning for residence move-in is about to begin, an experience he missed out on due to COVID-19. “I want to give first-year students an experience they will always remember.”