New and Returning TAs

UBC TA Training; Community of Practice
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Facilitator: Shaya Golparian

This page gathers notes and thoughts about this meeting.

Facilitated activities:

Brainstorming activity

What needs do returning TA’s have?

Preparing for Job Market
Professional Development

Transit into Sessional Teaching

Novelty/Stimulation

change in role --> Mentoring

Disciplinary Teaching Perspective
Time Management
Mentoring New TAs
Role
Self Reflection Process

Reflection on their Eval or Student Eval of TEaching (SEoT)

"Venting Space" - Conflict Resolution (Teachable Moments)
Community/networking/support

Design a Returning TA program

What would the program look like? How would it function? Logistics of getting it started.

PROGRAM A: Mentorship and Leadership in Teaching

PROGRAM GOALS:

How to provide constructive feedback
Setting boundaries and expectations (time, etc)
How to motivate your mentee

PROGRAM COMPONENTS:

1. Half day workshop before term that reviews fundamentals - eg: feedback, empathetic/active listening, goal setting

Faculty round table with TAs to talk about experiences around mentoring and leadership

(i.e: great mentors, less than ideal, what class?, etc)

2. Experiential Pair-up with Junior TAs

Regular scheduled meetings (to help with accountability)

Peer feedback on teaching (lows tress, formative, casual)

Senior TAs observe Junior TAs and also later Junior TAs observe Senior TAs

(Note: Informal Cop (or e-mail list among mentors))

3. Mid-term booster

Check-in that things are working

Address challenges

Identify things to improve on

Check-in/Feedback at the end with mentors and Mentees

LOGISTICS:

Connecting with CTLT and other units for resources, support, etc to run workshops
TA Training coordination:

Pairing up, resources and support for mentors

Reviewing feedback -modify program (formative eval)

Room bookings

Tangible reward structure (letter of recognition, etc) (for buy in)
Coffee/Food/Snacks from budget (for buy in)

PROGRAM B:

PROGRAM GOALS:

Develop Mentorship Skills
Foster Sense of Empowerment
Respond to critical Feedback

PROGRAM COMPONENTS:

1. Peer Review - Class-based (2 sessions)

Introduce program structure

Learning to give feedback

2. Outside Mentorship

3. Session on how to understand and respond to evaluations (this could lead to course development)

Elicit feedback from undergrad group

using "venting" to create case studies for practice improvement

LOGISTICS:

Coordinating who has expertise in what

Coordinating between undergrad, grad and faculty

Certification (for buy in)

Coffee/Food/Snacks from budget (for buy in)

PROGRAM C:

PROGRAM GOALS/COMPONENTS:

1. Professionalization

Disciplinary approaches

Reflection

Own courses

2. Time management/Efficiency

PROGRAM COMPONENTS:

Peer visits & feedback

Self reflection

Peer mentor interviews

Session on effective and efficient feedback

LOGISTICS:

Pay TAs to participate in peer feedback/visits (buy in)