Is it acceptable or normal for professors to ask first semester grad students to teach a class? I'm currently pursuing a Master's/PhD integrated program at a university in Korea. It's my first semester, and I along with two other first-semester students are TA'ing for our advisor's undergraduate class.

Our professor is very busy for various reasons. Conferences, events, seminars, etc., and due to this schedule he won't be able to teach three classes in November. He called us into his office and said that "How would you guys like to each teach one of those classes? It's an undergraduate course and so it shouldn't be too hard, plus it'll be great experience."

My response was (almost word for word) "Professor, I'm really flattered that you think so highly of us, but I'm not sure if it would be appropriate for us to teach a class. We're graduate students, but we're still in our first semester. Wouldn't it be better and safer for your reputation if you asked one of the PhD students or research professors, or if you scheduled a separate make-up class instead? I'm mentioning your reputation because many students probably believe that it's inappropriate for relatively inexperienced and less knowledgeable students like us to teach them when they're paying tuition to be taught by experts in the field."

In the end he said he appreciates my feedback but that he'd probably find it difficult to schedule a make-up class, and that "the PhD students and research professors are too busy," also adding that "I want to do you guys a favor by giving this opportunity and experience to you."

Preparing and teaching a class isn't the problem, but I'm just wondering is this normal? I've heard of PhD-level students teaching classes in these situations, but freshmen like us? I'm honestly very concerned.
Whether this is normal, uncommon, or outrageous will differ a lot from university to university. Where I did my PhD (in Austria), this would be standard operating procedure. Where I teach now (in Sweden), it would be uncommon but not really a huge deal as long as the teaching quality remained reasonable*. I am sure there are other universities where this would be unheard-of.


  Preparing and teaching a class isn't the problem, but I'm just wondering is this normal? I've heard of PhD-level students teaching classes in these situations, but freshmen like us? I'm honestly very concerned.


It would help to answer your question if you said what exactly you are concerned about? It sounds like you feel you can prepare the class well (and it also sounds like you don't mind doing so too much), in that case this sounds more like an administrative matter that should not concern you too much - ultimately, it's your professor's problem if your Dean of Studies (or whatever the comparable role in your university is) is unhappy with how exactly your professor decided to organize the teaching in your course.



*There would likely be some questions if the professor in fact delegated three classes in a row, but not because he delegated it to young grad students, more because designated teachers are in fact expected to do all, or at least the vast majority, of their teaching themselves, not just find somebody to do the teaching for them.