The Successful Teaching Assistantship: The Basics

Peer Facilitator Workshop

Donna L. Pattison, PhDInstructional Professor

Department of Biology & Biochemistry

Our Mission

To promote excellent teaching in order to provide our students with the highest quality education possible.

The Peer Facilitator Workload

•Attend lectures (twice a week; 3 hours total); assist as needed•Arrive 10 minutes prior to recitation for setup•Attend a one-hour meeting with your course instructor weekly•Prompt, courteous e-mail responses to students (within 24 hours)•Accurate attendance records•Prep time as needed

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Provide appropriate accommodations for your student. These may involve moving equipment, rearranging the room furniture, or modifying an activity. Applies to the lecture hall as well as recitation or discussion sessions.

Student Privacy Rights:• It is a violation of student privacy rights to allow students to see the grades of

other students or to discuss their grades in the presence of other students.

• FERPA (Family Education Rights Privacy Act): You may not share information about a student with their parents, siblings, spouse or children. This includes grades, attendance, and even class enrollment. If you are asked for this info and the individual will not take NO for an answer, refer them to your course instructor.

Academic Dishonesty

1. What might this look like in the lecture hall?

2. What can instructors do to discourage it?

3. What can you, the TA, do to discourage it?

4. What should you do if you see it happening?

Academic Dishonesty 1. Confiscate any evidence of suspected

violations of academic honesty and report it to the course instructor. Do not return the confiscated work to the student(s).

2. You cannot take off points or assign a zero for cheating on an assignment. This is in violation of university policy. Only the course instructor may do this.

3. Do NOT deal with the incident in front of the entire class.

4. If a student(s) is/are cheating on a quiz or exam, issue a reprimand. If the behavior continues, move the student to another seat and report the incident to the instructor.

Departmental Policies

E-mail Etiquette• Use polite, professional language• Respond within 24 hours• Do not forward responses from instructors to students when

you have asked for assistance. Reword the response and send the message in a new e-mail.

• When e-mailing the class, put the addresses in the blind-carbon copy box.

•Formal visits to evaluate both the program and how you are doing•Informal walk-throughs

Purpose:•To provide constructive feedback•Help improve teaching performance•Identify problem areas in teaching•Identify weaknesses in the curriculum•Monitor student receptiveness to the class structure and activities

***see handout

Teaching Evaluations

•Maintain student-teacher distance and professional appearance.

•Do NOT date the undergraduates you are teaching.

Conflict of Interest

Medical Emergencies

1. Call 911 from your cell phone.

2. Have another student call 713-743-3333 (campus police) to alert them to the situation.

3. Send a student to find a lab coordinator or instructor. Anyone that works in the 108 Suite can help you.

Fire Drills (or maybe not a drill)

• Evacuate the classroom• Take the attendance sheet with you• Let your class know where to meet (go out the back of the

building toward Fleming). • Be sure all your students are accounted for.

Getting off to a Good Start on Day 1

AppearanceDress to be taken seriously by the students.

Teaching Tips

Be confident If you act uncertain or scared to be in front of the room, you

lose credibility with your students.

Speak SLOWLY, CLEARLY, and LOUDLY.

If you find your students are constantly asking you to repeat yourself, you need to concentrate on these three principles!

What behaviors will you have to deal with if your students give up asking you to raise your voice or slow down?

Take your time so that your letters are legible. Print instead of using script.

Write CLEARLY on the board.

•Go over your lesson at least one time before actually delivering it to be sure YOU are clear on the details.

•Do the homework ahead of time.

•Read the lesson ahead of time so that you can answer questions during class and know what to expect.

•Know the topic in more depth than you need to teach it. Get to class early to set up and find your supplies and set up the board.

Be prepared.

Treat students respectfully.

•Listen to your students.

•No rude, snide remarks. No question is a dumb question.

•Use your tone of voice carefully. It conveys a message just as the words themselves do.

•Be sure to remain firm in upholding grading standards and departmental policies.

• Student should not be talking while you are introducing material or giving instructions to the class as a whole. Don’t tolerate it. • You can stop and wait for them to get quiet. Verbalize your intention.• You can directly correct students if they fail to quiet down on their own.

• Begin with, “We are ready to start” so students know it is time to settle down.

• Students should not be roaming the classroom while you are speaking.

I’ll wait.

Expect to be treated respectfully by your students.

1) If you behave as though you don’t want to be there, your students will be uncooperative and unpleasant in return.

2) Share how you use the lab techniques or material being covered in your student research or in other classes.

Show some enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm. It’s contagious.

• Ask questions to engage students and monitor understanding.

• Encourage students to ask questions.

• Find answers if necessary. You are not expected nor are you required to know everything about the subject you teach.

• When in doubt, defer the question with “That’s a good question. I’m not sure what the answer is. I’ll find out for the next class period.”

• Ask more questions than you answer.

Ask questions and encourage question asking.

1) Last week we did X.

2) Today we are going to do Y.

Establish the class flow (set the compass)

• One better understands science by doing science.

• Students will wonder: “Why am I doing this activity?”“How does it fit with what I am learning in the

lecture course?”“How does it apply to the real world?”

Make the Material Meaningful

Teaching Resources1. Your fellow peer facilitators. Sit in on their classes.

2. Your course instructors and or program coordinators.

Dealing with Disruptive Behavior and Students in Crises

Slides by Ana MedranoInstructional Professor, Department of

Biology and Biochemistry

According to the UH Student Handbook:

– “Obstructing or interfering with University functions or any university activity. Disturbing the peace and good order of the university by, among other things, fighting, quarreling, disruptive behavior or excessive noise, including but not limited to, a disruption by use of pagers, cell phones, and/or communication devices”

Disruption - defined

Refusal to comply with direction

Behavior that distracts the class

Speaking up and hiding

Repeatedly leaving and entering the classroom during class without permission

Loud, distracting or erratic behavior

Answering cell phones or texting

Overt hostility, defiance, insults

Verbal or physical threats to self or others

Sexually explicit language or behavior

Physical intimidation

Excessive emails, phone calls or demands for attention outside class

Examples of disruptive behavior

Promptly address student privately and calmly

◦ If disruptive behavior continues, allow both parties to calm down and speak again, after a “pause” Do not let the student get the best of your emotions

In cases of high level disruption

◦ Address the student’s behavior immediately

◦ If necessary, contact UH Department of Public Safety (UH-DPS) and have student removed from location

◦ Refer incident to your supervisor Document the situation: witness or other students’ statements, any supporting

documentation, description of behavior, direct quotes.

What to do?

Dates:◦ Start and end of semester◦ Late October-mid-November◦ Mid-March-mid-April◦ Holidays

Issues that affect:◦ Financial or legal problems◦ Workload increases, Homework assignments, final exams◦ Personal relationships: divorce, roommate/partner conflicts◦ Health◦ Returning home for Holidays

Stress levels increase…

Tell your students you are concerned for them

Do not be afraid to ask questions

Know your limits and when to refer

Know campus referral resources:

◦ UH-DPS

◦ CAPS: Counseling and Psychological Services

◦ CSD: Center for Students with Disabilities

◦ Academic program management

◦ Human Resources; Training and Development

◦ International Student and Scholar Services; Cross-Cultural counseling

Tips on showing sympathy:

Information taken from: http://www.uh.edu/dos/pdf/Civilityflyer.pdf

Who is eligible for services?◦ All currently enrolled students

Up to 10 free individual/couples sessions every academic year

Limited to a lifetime total of 40 sessions while enrolled at UH

◦ UH staff and faculty Three counseling sessions, free of charge

Crisis intervention

Consultation

Referrals

How to recognize students in crisis◦ http://www.caps.uh.edu/crisis-helping-students-of-concern.aspx

CAPS