Our roundtable discussions on existing courses/programs for TA training

We started with these questions:

If you have a course or workshop series on TA training? What role does it fill?
Now that we have a good sense of the diversity of training courses out there, what components are essential?

Here are the (incomplete) notes that I took during our discussion.  It was an interesting session.

UBC, Biol535 – Teaching and Learning in the Life Sciences
Targeting students in Life Sciences, covers wide spectrum: teaching experiences, feedback, pedagogy, literature, developing a portfolio
Overlap with other initiatives on campus
Regular course, 1 term, 3hrs / week
http://botany.ubc.ca/courses/biology-535

Course at University of Alberta, Graduate Teaching and Learning
Participate in practicum, course covers what students may encounter while lecturing, runs twice a year, 13 sessions, 2x week. Purpose: replace actual teaching experience for TAs who do not have the opportunity to teach. Free
http://www.gradstudies.ualberta.ca/gtl.aspx

Courses at University of Saskatchewan
Non-credit, over two terms, certificate of completion
Hands-on, microteaching experiences,
Course design courses, development of course going to teach
http://www.usask.ca/gmcte/courses

University of Windsor
Multiple courses on teaching and learning, Credit courses, student + faculty mixed audiences. Progression through courses is mapped out. Green guides from STLHE are used as textbooks. Two certificate programs (including practicums), 1 year programs – 3 years total.
http://www.uwindsor.ca/ctl/utc

Champlain College
Workshop series, mandatory for incoming new faculty (often grad students)
12hrs, introduction to college teaching
http://www.lennox.champlaincollege.qc.ca/

Mentoring aspects to program (were mentioned by multiple programs) are important
incentives for mentoring, release time for becoming a mentor to an incoming new faculty – assigned mentors in different departments

University of Victoria
Critical incident video series was mentioned during panel
http://ltc.uvic.ca/servicesprograms/taprod/index.php

UBC, graduate student perspective
Graduate courses in Faculty of Education, teaching assistants can come from Faculty of Education and therefore can benefit from embedded teaching experiences in courses, like SCIE113

Idea: Could peer review of teaching model be used in an “educational” mentorship relationships?

Idea: Importance of instructional support meetings as a way to foster effective learning communities.

Idea: An important aspect of learning about teaching is being supported and/or being provided with guidance about how to learn about and reflect on their own teaching practices.

From here our conversations wandered into evaluations of teaching for graduate students and how to give formative feedback.

Now that we have a good sense of the diversity of training courses out there, what components are essential?

  • theoretical framework, how people learn
  • opportunity to practice (i.e., mini lessons) with feedback, lesson planning
  • assessment as a topic (rather than a tool), i.e., formative vs syllabus
  • first day of class – practice sessions that include putting together a syllabus
  • classroom management scenarios, dealing with difficult situations (perform skits)
  • approaches for dealing with diversity in the classroom
  • help start developing a teaching dossier – statement of teaching philosophy
  • collecting evidence of teaching effectiveness, reflecting, changing practices
  • ongoing discussions on teaching and learning, as a way to encourage reflective teaching practices (discuss what is going on in the classroom)
  • build relationships within a cohort, use course/programs to build supportive relationships – especially across disciplines, develop a sense of belonging to the teaching profession
  • small groups are ideal
  • offer strategic opportunities that offer learning that match teaching experiences
  • perceptions and valuing these experiences is important, so that these training experiences are valued

 

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