--- title: Teaching Assistant (TA) description: "Springboard TA vs. On-Demand Mentor: TAs offer quick, async technical help. Mentors offer 30-min live support, screen sharing, & in-depth project guidance" --- [Skip to content](https://help-center.springboard.com/student/teaching-assistant-ta#main-content) English Show submenu for translations Springboard - [Default HubSpot Blog](https://springboard-2784014.hs-sites.com/blog) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Default HubSpot Blog](https://springboard-2784014.hs-sites.com/blog) - English Show submenu for translations - Contact us Contact us How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Help Center](https://help-center.springboard.com/student?hsLang=en) 2. [Online Community](https://help-center.springboard.com/student/online-community?hsLang=en) # Teaching Assistant (TA) **TA Support: Getting the Help You Need** Teaching Assistants (TAs) are an invaluable resource to support you outside of your regular mentor calls. They are available to answer quick technical questions, clarify concepts, and help troubleshoot issues you may encounter while working on your coursework. TAs are experienced professionals who are familiar with our curriculum and provide fast, reliable support through the Springboard Slack community. --- What Is TA Support? TA support is designed to provide **quick, technical assistance** for course-related questions. TAs are not substitutes for mentors but serve as an additional resource to help you stay on track. **What TAs Can Help With:** - Answering technical questions related to coursework or projects. - Clarifying concepts and strengthening comprehension. - Reviewing take-home assignments that you have already submitted to a company. - Troubleshooting errors and debugging code issues. **What TAs Cannot Help With:** - Capstone or sprint projects (refer to your mentor for these). - Assessment-related questions (intended to be completed independently). - Career advice or job application support (contact Career Services for that). - Take-home assignments from active job applications (for integrity reasons). --- How to Reach Out to TAs TAs are available **5 days a week** through the **Slack community**. To get the fastest response, ask your question in the **#questions-answers** channel. TAs operate on a **24-hour SLA** Monday-Friday and strive to respond promptly to unblock you. **Guidelines for TA Support:** - Spend at least **30 minutes troubleshooting** based on prior feedback before reaching out again. - If your question would be better addressed in a live session, consider booking an **On-Demand Mentor Call**. --- How to Effectively Ask Questions To get the most accurate and helpful responses from TAs, follow these best practices when asking a question: 1. **Be Specific:** Clearly state the problem and include the unit and subunit number. 2. **Provide Context:** Detail the conditions under which the issue occurs. 3. **Show Your Efforts:** Explain what you’ve already tried and why it didn’t work. 4. **Include Visuals:** Share screenshots, video walkthrough, text descriptions, or links (e.g., Google Docs with pre-approved access to view). **Example Question:** “I’m having trouble with (x) in unit (y). It’s giving me issues because (a). I’ve tried (b) and followed the lesson, but it’s still not working. Here’s a link to my work (insert link). Any insights would be appreciated!” --- Developing Problem-Solving Skills While TAs are here to support you, **independent problem-solving** is a vital skill that you will use throughout your career. Here are a few tips to enhance your problem-solving ability before reaching out: 1. **Search Your Springboard Community:** Use the Slack search function to see if your question has already been addressed. 2. **Use Online Resources:** Platforms like ChatGPT and Google can provide answers to common issues. 3. **Break Down the Problem:** Try isolating the issue to narrow down the problem area. 4. **Refine Your Question:** The clearer your question, the faster you’ll get help. Taking these steps not only helps you find solutions more efficiently but also demonstrates initiative and critical thinking. --- When to Use TAs vs. On-Demand Mentors | **Use TAs When:** | **Use On-Demand Mentors When:** | | --- | --- | | You have a quick technical question (5-10 min). | You have complex or multiple conceptual questions. | | The question can be answered asynchronously. | You need to share your screen and work through a series of issues. | | You’re troubleshooting an error in your code. | You want to discuss a project in-depth or get detailed guidance. | On-Demand Mentors are better for **longer sessions (up to 30 minutes)** and in-depth guidance, while TAs are best for **short, quick responses and async problem solving**. --- Need More Help? If you’re ever unsure whether your question should go to a TA or an On-Demand Mentor, reach out to the **Advising Team at advising@springboard.com** for guidance. 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