Collected Wisdom: Strategies and Resources from Tas For
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collectedwisdomFCBC-toprint.pdf 8/7/07 4:42:01 PM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Collected Wisdom Strategies & Resources from TAs for TAs About this Book Teaching assistants play a wide array of valuable I wish I had had roles in education at Carnegie Mellon and, with an experienced TA approximately 1,000 TAs each year, students in many courses benefit from their contributions. This book tell me things provides practical insights from dozens of TAs and so that several faculty, along with research on teaching and I would not learning, to make TAs’ work with students more successful and more efficient. You should be able have made to use this booklet to prepare for teaching each the mistakes semester and also to find helpful ideas or resources at I’ve made. any time during a course. Mathematical Sciences, The strategies and concerns which are the core of first-time TA this book came from a series of focus groups with TAs conducted in each of the seven colleges. Participants were invited based on both their department’s recommendation and their interest in teaching. Because the contributors include first-time TAs, graduate students with experience in many courses, nonnative speakers of English, and experienced undergraduate TAs, the book offers strategies that should be useful to almost all TAs. We also invited written contributions and received valuable material from experienced faculty. This collection of strategies is organized around what TAs reported as their concerns in the focus groups, so TAs’ ideas are featured prominently. Except for editing for conciseness, their ideas are in the TAs’ own words. To help you decide whether or how a strategy may apply to your situation, strategies are identified by the TA’s department and accompanied by some elaboration about the rationale and details for effectively putting the idea into practice. The major sections represent the most common TA roles – which cut across departments – to encourage you to adapt ideas from other disciplines. Also included are strategies for difficult situations identified by TAs and checklists with supplemental information to help you assess your own teaching and to give you further strategies in an efficient form. Finally, you may find that some of the challenges and questions you encounter do not have straight- forward answers. If these brief summaries don’t cap- Collected Wisdom ture the essence or complexity of a situation you need to deal with, we welcome you to use the Eberly Center Strategies & Resources for TAs as a resource. Rea Freeland, Ph.D. ©2007 Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence Hilary Schuldt, PhD , Carnegie Mellon University Associate Director, Graduate Programs Pittsburgh, PA Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence All rights reserved Collected Wisdom | Strategies and Resources from TAs for TAs Foreword Mark Kamlet Provost Collected Wisdom Strategies & Resources for TAs Rea Freeland, Ph.D. ©2007 Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA All rights reserved Collected Wisdom | Strategies and Resources from TAs for TAs Table of Contents About This Book.......... Inside Front Cover Improving Participation..................60 Creating a Comfortable Atmosphere Foreword .................................. 1 Strategies for Asking Questions Balancing Control and Flow About Expectations ................... 5 Which Students Talk? Understanding Your Role ................ 6 Strategies for Difficult Situations ......70 Clarifying Faculty Expectations When your students’ backgrounds vary or are weak Relating to Students When you have to wait a long time for responses Balancing Approachability and Authority When students have misconceptions Problems with Authority: Sexual Harassment and Cheating When students seem unprepared for class When you can’t cover enough in class Understanding Your Students . 22 When students in required courses seem disinterested Adapting to Different Student Levels When you can’t prepare adequately for class Responding to Individual Students’ Needs When you need to explain a complex problem Helping Students with Significant Difficulties When the room doesn’t fit the needs of your class Being New to Teaching in the U.S......33 Language Strategies for Nonnative Speakers Guiding on the Side..................77 Adjusting to U.S. Students’ Expectations Assisting in Laboratories and Studios .. 78 Asking Questions and Encouraging Independence Strategies for Difficult Situations ...... 41 Preparation Advice When you are new and need more confidence When you are about the same age as your students Managing and Facilitating Groups.....83 When you don’t know an answer Providing Structure and Feedback on Projects When students disrupt class Facilitating Groups in Class When friends are in your class Strategies for Difficult Situations ...... 91 When you are new to a complex lab course In Front of the Classroom..........45 When some TAs are not prepared for lab Clearer Presentations and When there is conflict within groups Explanations ............................... 46 When the grading criteria are defined by others Focusing Students’ Attention When feedback is given to students publicly Selecting Examples Approaches to Coverage Behind the Scenes .................... 95 Appropriate Pace and Level Reviewing for Exams Grading and Providing Feedback ...... 96 Setting Standards and Criteria Preparation Advice Increasing Consistency Across Students Communication Across TAs Clear and Constructive Feedback Responding to Student Writing Collected Wisdom | Strategies and Resources from TAs for TAs More Effective Office Hours . 106 Checklists Helping by Coaching About Expectations ....................... 5 Preparation Advice Questions to Ask the Instructor Up Front . 10 Being Accessible and Approachable Common Types of TA Responsibilities ............11 Strategies for Difficult Situations .....112 Preview of Key Teaching Goals and Strategies.....14 When students request regrades Learning Students’ Names .......................17 When an anonymous grader’s name is revealed Classroom Conduct and Discipline................21 When you have to deal with possible Questions to Ask on a academic dishonesty Student Information Sheet ......................26 When you don’t agree with the professor’s criteria Responding to Student Diversity .................29 When students’ work is ambiguous or incomplete Supporting Students Who May Need Help........32 When an unprepared student comes to office hours Support for International TAs....................40 When some students seem to take advantage In Front of the Classroom................45 of you in office hours Environment, Speech and Board Use . 50 Preparing for the First Class......................58 In the Long Run.......................117 Preparing for a Guest Lecture....................59 Benefits of Being a TA .................. 118 Better Questioning and Responses ...............65 Increasing Your Efficiency Dealing With Tensions Guiding on the Side ...................... 77 Time Savers Being Proactive in Lab...........................82 Adapting to Different Faculty Styles Tips for Students on Effective Group Meetings....86 Using Group Learning Activities in Class . 90 Enhancing Your Teaching...............125 Seeking Models and Mentors Behind the Scenes ........................ 95 Finding Your Own Style Tips for Effective Grading and Commenting . .104 Sample Criteria for Student Papers ..............105 About Teaching Resources .......131 Getting Students to Your Office Hours . 111 Frequently Asked Questions . 132 In the Long Run .......................... 117 Support for Teaching and Professional Development Where Might You Save Time on Teaching? ......124 University Logistics and Procedures Support for TAs and Future Faculty .............128 Laws and Policies Relevant to Teaching Support for All Students Contact Information for Key Resources.............................140 References ..............................141 Acknowledgments ..................142 Collected Wisdom | Strategies and Resources from TAs for TAs chapter1-toprint.pdf 8/7/07 4:07:34 PM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Section 1 About Expectations Understanding Your Role The purpose of this chapter is to give both new and experienced TAs an overview of common TA roles and responsibilities and to help refine their understanding of what is expected of them. Section 1 About Expectations Clarify your responsibilities with the faculty member at the beginning of the course. Clarifying Faculty Expectations It’s good to know what the professor expects of you. Sometimes that information is hard to get. Chemistry, three semesters as a TA Section 1 About Expectations It’s a worst-case scenario not to know what the professor is emphasizing. I’ve wasted whole recitations emphasizing things that the professor didn’t even care about. (Physics) Attending lectures helps you judge where the professor is, his/her teaching techniques, and what the students may not understand. It also helps you to think “on that level” again and get used to how the professor words things. (Chemistry) The students get used to seeing your face. (Mechanical Engineering) Know the timetable of the syllabus, but in real time. That way if the professor doesn’t cover something, the TAs know. Otherwise,