New and Returning TAs
Facilitator: Shaya Golparian
This page gathers notes and thoughts about this meeting.
Facilitated activities:
Brainstorming activity
What needs do returning TAβs have?
- Preparing for Job Market
- Professional Development
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- Transit into Sessional Teaching
- Novelty/Stimulation
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- change in role β Mentoring
- Disciplinary Teaching Perspective
- Time Management
- Mentoring New TAs
- Role
- Self Reflection Process
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- Reflection on their Eval or Student Eval of TEaching (SEoT)
- “Venting Space” – Conflict Resolution (Teachable Moments)
- Community/networking/support
Design a Returning TA program
What would the program look like? How would it function? Logistics of getting it started.
PROGRAM A: Mentorship and Leadership in Teaching
PROGRAM GOALS:
- How to provide constructive feedback
- Setting boundaries and expectations (time, etc)
- How to motivate your mentee
PROGRAM COMPONENTS:
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- 1. Half day workshop before term that reviews fundamentals – eg: feedback, empathetic/active listening, goal setting
Faculty round table with TAs to talk about experiences around mentoring and leadership
(i.e: great mentors, less than ideal, what class?, etc)
- 1. Half day workshop before term that reviews fundamentals – eg: feedback, empathetic/active listening, goal setting
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- 2. Experiential Pair-up with Junior TAs
Regular scheduled meetings (to help with accountability)
Peer feedback on teaching (lows tress, formative, casual) -
- Senior TAs observe Junior TAs and also later Junior TAs observe Senior TAs
(Note: Informal Cop (or e-mail list among mentors))
- Senior TAs observe Junior TAs and also later Junior TAs observe Senior TAs
- 2. Experiential Pair-up with Junior TAs
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- 3. Mid-term booster
Check-in that things are working
Address challenges
Identify things to improve on
- 3. Mid-term booster
- Check-in/Feedback at the end with mentors and Mentees
LOGISTICS:
- Connecting with CTLT and other units for resources, support, etc to run workshops
- TA Training coordination:
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- Pairing up, resources and support for mentors
Reviewing feedback -modify program (formative eval)
Room bookings
- Pairing up, resources and support for mentors
- Tangible reward structure (letter of recognition, etc) (for buy in)
- Coffee/Food/Snacks from budget (for buy in)
PROGRAM B:
PROGRAM GOALS:
- Develop Mentorship Skills
- Foster Sense of Empowerment
- Respond to critical Feedback
PROGRAM COMPONENTS:
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- 1. Peer Review – Class-based (2 sessions)
- Introduce program structure
Learning to give feedback
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- 2. Outside Mentorship
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- 3. Session on how to understand and respond to evaluations (this could lead to course development)
- Elicit feedback from undergrad group
using “venting” to create case studies for practice improvement
LOGISTICS:
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- Coordinating who has expertise in what
Coordinating between undergrad, grad and faculty
Certification (for buy in)
Coffee/Food/Snacks from budget (for buy in)
- Coordinating who has expertise in what
PROGRAM C:
PROGRAM GOALS/COMPONENTS:
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- 1. Professionalization
- Disciplinary approaches
Reflection
Own courses
- Disciplinary approaches
- 2. Time management/Efficiency
- 1. Professionalization
PROGRAM COMPONENTS:
- Peer visits & feedback
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- Self reflection
Peer mentor interviews
- Self reflection
- Session on effective and efficient feedback
LOGISTICS:
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- Pay TAs to participate in peer feedback/visits (buy in)