You can find the complete job description here. In addition, the obligations and responsibilities of Graduate Teaching Assistants (and also lecturers and students) are laid out more fully in the Code of Good Practice for Undergraduate Programmes: Teaching, Learning and Assessment .
A summary of the main duties is detailed below.
Class teaching
Allowing for some minor variations between courses, the main duties of a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) are to support the weekly lectures by running class groups of students using the problem sets provided. The lecturer in charge of the course sets much of the content to be covered in the classes.
You should be punctual for your teaching commitments. Classes run for fifty minutes, starting at five minutes past the hour and finishing at five minutes to the hour. You should teach for the full fifty minute period.
End your class on time out of consideration for your students and for the next class teacher scheduled to use the room. Leave your classroom tidy. Clean the whiteboard, log out of the computer, return furniture to default positions, and take all your materials out with you. If you find that another class teacher repeatedly overruns his/her class time, and/or leaves your room in an unacceptable state prior to the start of your class, you may drop Timetables an email informing them of your concerns.
If you need to cancel a class, if for example you are ill, inform Timetables as soon as you can. You should arrange to make up the missed class at the next available opportunity. Also email econ.teaching@lse.ac.uk and tell the Course Lecturer as a matter of courtesy.
Preparation
In addition, you should spend time each week preparing well for classes, even if you are confident with the course material. Familiarise yourself with the course material, plan your class and try to anticipate questions students may ask. Course materials will be provided by the Course Lecturer. Over time you will become more familiar with the course materials, so the preparation time needed will be less.
Office hours and attending meetings
You will arrange one weekly office hour (two if you teach four or more class hours per week) at a time convenient to both you and your students. You will provide academic support, discussing course material and answering questions arising from the lectures and classes. Regularly remind and encourage your students to make good use of the office hours.
Room 32L.1.30 on the 1st floor of the 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields building can be used to meet with your students. To maximise accessibility, office hours and other open-door times should start and finish on the half-hour.
Depending on the course, you may be expected to attend some or all of the weekly lectures. There may also be weekly, fortnightly or less regular meetings with the course lecturer which you should attend.
Marking
There are variations between courses, but generally you will set and mark at least four pieces of course work over the year. You should read the 'Formative coursework' section in the course guide for the course you would like to teach for more precise information about coursework marking duties.
Course Lecturers will advise on the standards to which course work must be marked and will discuss the marking criteria, where applicable. Course work should normally be collected, marked and returned with written comments, within two weeks.
In the Lent and Summer Terms, you will be expected to undertake examination related duties such as script marking. You should be in London and not make any travel plans during January and May - June. Before you accept any offer of teaching you should bear in mind that you will be expected to mark scripts even if you are sitting your own examinations during the same period. It is not sufficient reason to opt out of marking because you have your own exams.
Administration
You should record student class attendance after every class using the Online Class Register system available via LSE for You. This is a strict LSE requirement for all GTAs.
You should also use the system to record marks for course work, failure to submit course work and instances of regular, unexplained absenteeism.
Another strict requirement of GTAs is to provide an end of term report (see Section 5.1 in the Handbook for Graduate Teaching Assistants) on each student, at the end of the Michaelmas and Lent terms.
Wherever possible, try to make concrete rather than generic statements. Be as objective and factual as you can. Avoid being too judgemental. Positive feedback is helpful since Academic Advisors can read your comments and may rely on them when providing references for students. Suggestions for improvement are also helpful. Since students can read your comments, please ensure that anything you write is appropriate for them to read. In general, it is best to take a supportive rather than critical stance, even if a student is performing below the required level.
The report also should include a grade for class work and class participation during the term.