Workshop: W-A

Important Issues in Preparing Graduate Teaching Assistants

Organizer:  Kathleen Harper (harper.217@osu.edu), The Ohio State University

Where:  Union Parlor A

When:  8:15 – 9:45 & 1:45 – 3:15, Thursday, August 11

Theme:  Graduate teaching assistants can have a profound effect on the students they teach, but often they are asked to do their job with little training or support. For those who will go on to be faculty in higher education, this also leaves them unprepared for the teaching component of their jobs. Traditionally, TAs go through a few days of intense initial training, then assuming they are doing a good job. Discussions among faculty development professionals have identified a baseline of issues that should be addressed with beginning TAs. Additionally, there are more efforts to go beyond the 'inoculation' model and develop programs of ongoing support throughout the TA's appointment. Several models will be shared with participants, who will have the opportunity to plan possible applications of these ideas to their own programs.

Goals:  Participants will realize that TA preparation encompasses many areas beyond competency with content and extends beyond an 'inoculation' at the beginning of the academic year. Participants will leave having seen several models of TA preparation programs, some University-wide and some housed within specific departments. Participants will have ideas for implementing new elements as part of their TA preparation and support programs.

Activities:  1) Participants will list common complaints that they have either heard TAs make about their preparation or that faculty have made about TAs. 2) Participants will brainstorm about critical elements of TA preparation and support. These elements will be grouped into larger categories and each will be discussed. 3) Participants will be asked to think of a particular TA preparation program; this can be one they have experienced themselves, helped create, or have heard about. They will compare this program's characteristics against the elements identified in activity 1. Perceived strengths and deficiencies will be shared with the whole group. Additionally, as a group, connections between these deficiencies and the complaints in activity 1 will be explored. 4) Widespread deficiencies will be selected and smaller groups of participants will develop a list of possible activities for incorporating into existing programs to address these issues. These will be shared with the larger group. 5) The facilitator will share several examples of TA preparation and support programs, both University-wide and based within specific disciplines. 6) Participants will spend some time outlining a revised version of their TA preparation and support program.