the keys to success as a teaching assistant
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The Keys to Success as a Teaching Assistant
Presented by Amy HollingsworthThe University of Akron
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Who am I?
• Undergrad in Biology, Masters in Education, PhD in Secondary Education with an emphasis on STEM Education
• Six years as a Biology Laboratory Coordinator• Trained and worked with over 150 graduate
TAs
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First things first. What should I call my advisor and co-workers?
• Professor, Instructor, Mr., Miss, Dr., just ask.• Err on the side of formality, until you are told
otherwise.• Good questions to ask as you get to know your peers
and mentors – What is your research interest? Where are you from originally? What do you like to do in your spare time? (usually met with laughter)
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Why am I here?
• Student, teacher, and something in between• Socialization• Professional Development• Becoming a teaching assistant entails learning and
performing tasks, the acquisition and nurturing of relationships with mentors and new colleagues, and the early stages of developing an individualized approach to teaching
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And Research has Shown..
• Graduate Students' Teaching Experiences Improve Their Methodological Research Skills.
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Things to ask your department
• How do I go about…• balancing graduate school and teaching, • giving and accepting criticism, • handling upset students, • classroom ethics, • appropriateness of making exceptions to rules, • saying "no" to students, • establishing authority.
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Shifting thoughts
• Perry (1968) describes an individual's development as moving away from a "right/wrong“ dichotomous approach, to a formulation, recognition, and commitment to one's personal perspective amongst of opinion
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Record everything
• Keep good notes• Journaling or blogging• Zotero or RefWorks• Evernote, Google Groups/Sites• Scan and enter every slip of paper• Keep your CV up to date• Record other TAs, practice your teaching, record yourself
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Working with Your Advisor
• Ask EXACTLY what is expected of you – – time in lab, – time teaching, – time writing– Ask about formats
– Your advisor is trying to juggle teaching, research, and service with a life – don’t take their moods personally
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Find a Mentor
• Even if no one is “assigned” to you• Ask your advisor for a peer mentor• Surround yourself with success
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Embrace things that are uncomfortable
• When things feel uncomfortable to you, there is a reason why.
• Dialogue with yourself• Look for understanding• Try new things – even outside your field• Talk to everyone – you never know when the
AHA! moment might be.
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Students
• Experience with students will be completely different than your own journey
• Diversity is more than just nationality, ethnicity, or skin color.
• EVERYONE has a different story, a different journey, and a different viewpoint. That doesn’t make them wrong, it makes the different!
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The Future Professoriate
• Graduate students may be described as the "ambassadors of our disciplines"( Nyquist and Wulff 1996)
• Go forth, and make your discipine proud!