Getting Started as a Teaching Assistant
Getting Started as a Teaching Assistant (YELC 6001) is designed to support doctoral students completing their teaching practicum* or other teaching assistantships. As a course participant, students will both learn practical skills commonly needed as a TA and join a community of other TAs. With the facilitation of teaching specialists from the Elkana Center, students explore expectations of the teaching practicum or TA-ship and how to manage them, how to grade and provide actionable feedback, how to use Moodle and classroom technology effectively, how to contribute to accessible and inclusive learning environments, and how to make the most of the TA-ship as a developmental experience. Because it is a credit-bearing course, there will be short assignments and structured opportunities to reflect on the TA-ship. At the same time, it is not a traditional course in that it is designed to help students make the most of their experiences in the classroom.
For this reason, students who take the Getting Started course must take it either in the same semester as the teaching practicum or teaching assistantship, or in the semester that precedes it (provided it is in the same academic year).
Students are encouraged to continue their teaching development by pursuing the full Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education and its gateway course, Foundations of Teaching in Higher Education course (YELC 6101 and 6103). Among other things, Foundations provides extensive support for designing and teaching a session. Students who do not intend to pursue the full certificate are recommended to take Getting Started Lecturing and Facilitating (YELC 6002) at the same time as Getting Started as a TA. YELC 6002 provides support for designing and teaching a session but does not provide credit (or broad basis) for the Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education.
The Getting Started as a TA course meets intensively in the beginning of the semester and then approximately once a month to provide ongoing community and support. The Getting Started Lecturing and Facilitating course meets in other weeks of the semester at the same time so that both can be taken simultaneously.
*Note: The teaching practicum is the initial, unpaid TA-ship at CEU. It is designed to provide an opportunity for pedagogical development, giving students direct experience in higher education teaching with the support of a faculty member (in the practicum) and with the support of teaching specialists in the Getting Started course.