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GSI
TA Talk Highlight
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.
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