Teaching Assistant Development
A Guide for Graduate Instructors, Teaching Assistants and New Faculty,
the online teaching guide that has been created for beginning teachers---teaching
assistants, graduate instructors, and new faculty. It is an attempt
to provide practical suggestions that you can use in your classroom
and is the compilation of the advice of many experts on this campus.
Love
and the Cabby
One person's goodwill can make a difference. This is a story. This
is a story to show that one student’s goodwill also can make a difference.
When
to Supervise...When to Mentor (Supervising and Mentoring TAs)
One model suggests three phases in the development of TAs: Senior
Learners, Colleagues in Training, and Junior Colleagues. [4] Each stage
suggests a need for a very specific type of supervision.
Working With
Teaching Assistants
For many TAs, the only opportunity to learn basic teaching skills
is with the course professors for whom they grade or lead discussions.
We believe that faculty have a responsibility to prepare TAs for their
teaching duties, not only to ensure high quality classroom instruction,
but also to prepare them for teaching careers when they finish their
degrees.
Working With
a Faculty Supervisor
If you are working as a discussion leader or grader, having a clear
definition of your duties is critical. If you don't ask questions, the
course professor will often assume that you know what you are supposed
to do. Try to get your duties in writing to reduce the chances of misinterpretation.
Ask for precise answers about:
Teaching
Assistants and Section Leaders
Guide,
train and supervise Teaching Assistants
Implementing good practices in teaching assistant guidance, training
and supervision. The following list of good practices is recommended
to faculty members for enhancing both undergraduate instruction at Berkeley
and the development of future college and university teachers.
Especially for TAs (PDF file)
This chapter discusses the unique roles and responsibilities of both
Graduate Teaching Assistants and Graduate Students and offers advice
on improving professionalism and managing workloads. Also covered are
the various components of the Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE),
which supports teaching enhancement for TAs.
Teaching
Assistant's Role
TAs have a lot of roles, such as instructor, representative from
the department, friend and so forth.
Tips
for Teaching Assistants
Handbook
for Teaching Assistants (PDF file)
The Center for Teaching publishes a popular Handbook for Teaching Assistants
(faculty members and others are allowed to read it, too).
Teaching
Tips for International Graduate Student Teaching Assistants
1. Be Prepared for class. Look up words for pronunciation. Know what
you want to say and have a lesson plan set-out. You may not end up following
it precisely but it will give you a guide and allow you to walk into
the classroom with confidence. You can always practice any presentation
you want to give beforehand too. 2....
Student Technology
Assistant Programs.
Proven approaches for using well-trained undergrads
to provide a variety of kinds of support for teaching and learning with
technology, including skilled support for faculty.
