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GSI
TA Talk Highlight
Taking Advantage of Resources for Professional Development
by Joanne Holladay
Working as a TA or an AI is an important part of your professional development in graduate school. In addition to your appointment, there are other options to help continue your professional growth and many of them right here at the University of Texas at Austin.
398T Supervised College Teaching
Depending on your department, in many instances, the supervised teaching course is required for you to be a TA or AI. Taking this course is a wonderful opportunity to gain knowledge and experience with pedagogy as you develop content knowledge in your particular field.
398 GRS Courses
The graduate school offers 16 graduate-level, cross-disciplinary courses as a part of the Intellectual Entrepreneurship Program. These courses fulfill out-of-department requirements for many masters and doctoral programs. Some of the courses include: The Culture of Academic Writing, The Culture of Academic Communication, Culture and Communication for University Teaching, Advanced College Teaching Methods, Academic and Professional Consulting, and Academic and Professional Uses of Technology. Please use the following link to see a full listing of all available courses with descriptions: http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/grs/.
PFF Internship
Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Internship one of the 398 GRS courses. PPF is a program that was designed to help prepare graduate students who desire to go on to academic careers. Interns work with one of five Colleges or Universities in the Austin area: Austin Community College, Huston-Tillotson College, St. Edward's University, Southwest Texas State University, and Southwestern University. Students who participate in this internship will have the opportunity no only to teach a class at another type of institution, but to see what goes on in the day to day life of a faculty member. For more information and student testimonials please go use the following link: http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/pff/.
National/Regional/Local Conferences on Teaching
- TA/AI Seminars. Each September and January, the Center for Teaching Effectiveness and University of Texas Learning Center (UTLC) cosponsor a day-long teaching seminar specifically geared towards graduate students. September's seminar focuses on the training of new TAs and AIs to help graduate students with the transition and manage new responsibilities. January's seminar focuses on building on the teaching skills of experienced TAs and AIs. Sessions at the various conferences have included some of the following topics: Time management, grading, leading successful discussion sections, developing classroom authority, Blackboard, and improving student learning. Watch the CTE web site for future announcements about TA/AI Seminars: http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/
- Become a part of the planning committees for TA/AI seminars. The semiannual TA/AI seminars are planned based on the input and current needs of TAs and AIs. Planning committee members gain valuable experience working with a group towards a common goal as well as developing leadership skills. Letters are also sent to committee members' departments informing the graduate advisor of the member's role in planning the conference. These letters become a part of a student's permanent file.
- Lilly Conference on College & University Teaching Learning Community! The International Alliance of Teacher Scholars sponsors Lilly Conferences which address excellence in college and university teaching and learning. The LILLY conferences incorporate a variety of formats: workshops, discussion sessions, and major addresses, and informal discussion. Scholars, faculty members, and administrators from all over the world gather to discuss topics such as incorporating technology into teaching, encouraging critical thinking, using teaching and student portfolios, implementing group, and evaluating teaching. For more information please use the following link: http://www.iats.com/conferences/index.html.
Informal Ways of Professional Development
- Develop a Teaching Portfolio
One of the newest methods of developing and demonstrating teaching skill is to create a teaching portfolio. Teaching portfolios document selected information and activities as well as evidence of their effectiveness. Graduate school is an excellent time to begin building your teaching portfolio as many hiring committees as well as tenure review committees require evidence of good teaching. To find out more about developing a teaching portfolio, please use the following link: http://www.lgu.ac.uk/deliberations/portfolios/ICED_workshop/seldin_book.html - Peer observation/Supervisor Observation
Enlisting the help of a colleague or a supervisor to watch you teach can provide a wealth of information about the things you do well and areas in which you need to improve. Videotaping your teaching can also help you to discover your strengths and weaknesses. There's nothing like having to sit through one of your own lectures to find out how you are doing. - Informal Midsemester Evaluations
Creating an informal midsemester evaluation for your students to fill out is an excellent way to check in and see what changes can be made before the end of the semester. It also shows your students that you are concerned about your teaching and learning. For more information on creating a midsemester evaluation, contact the TA Coordinator at the Center for Teaching Effectiveness: mvachacoso@mail.utexas.edu. - Books/Journals
There are many excellent journals that focus on developing your teaching skills. Some examples include Journal for Graduate Teaching Assistant Development, College Teaching, and the Journal of Excellence in College Teaching. Each discipline also has journals for promoting good teaching in particular fields. Consult with your adviser as to specific titles for your field of study or contact Michael Sweet, the TA Coordinator at the Center for Teaching Effectiveness for further information.