Responsibilities of the Intro COS Lab Interviewers

Prior to interviews:

1. Familiarize yourself with the debugging question.
2. Claim interview time slots.

During interviews:

1. Introduce yourself. This includes name, year, major, and involvement with the IntroLab.
2. Verify eligibility. Please confirm the position that the interview is for and whether the candidate meets the basic criteria to continue. (Ex: Completed COS 226 + 217 for 2xx Lab TA position)
3. Brief summary of role. Explain that the purpose of Lab TAs is to help debug and teach students how to debug, NOT explain how to approach assignment or give conceptual explanations. You can provide details from your own experience and confirm that the candidate understands the expectations.
4. Ask about preferences. Note whether the candidate has a preference between full-time (4 hrs/week), part-time (2hrs/week), and substitute TA (16 hrs/semester). Also note whether they are interested in other COS positions (Ex: Grader)
5. Conduct debugging simulation. (30 - 40 mins) Explain that the candidate should help the interviewer understand their code, why it doesn’t work, and provide direction towards getting the code into a working state. You MUST mention that they are not allowed to reference their past assignment solutions or the internet aside from the appropriate assignment page. Feel free to turn the candidate’s focus onto the error messages if necessary.

After interviews: Following the conclusion of the interview, please save your notes onto the appropriate document provided by the Head Lab TA.