Outline for Spring TA Orientation

11 - 12 PM, Friday Jan. 20, 2006

405 Schermerhorn Hall

We will cover the following topics, though not necessarily in this order. Please read through this outline prior to the start of the term, and bring your questions with you to the orientation.

I. Introductions

II. Being a TA

III. Your responsibilities as a TA

IV. Specific Sticky Issues

V. How to get things done in the department

VI. Classrooms

VII. Using the web, email, and CourseWorks in your teaching

VIII. Special Privileges

IX. Misc issues re your TAship

 

I. Introductions. Who we are, what our positions in the dept. are, what course you're TAing for and have TA'd for in the past.

II. Being a TA (see Pica; download the Stanford TA manual)

Most of you have a genuine interest in teaching. You're a TA not only because it's a requirement of the program and a critical part of your training for the Ph.D., but also because you have an enthusiasm for teaching psychology.

You will need to take the initiative to be sure you get the most out of your TAships

  • you will be intermediary between prof and students, so you need to know both well and meet with both frequently. A TA meeting with prof once a week is ideal
  • course planning
    • be involved, from beginning to end
  • preparation for each class
    • do it carefully, whether a lecture, section, or review session
  • you will need both mastery of the material and good communication skills
    • make a well-organized presentation (in review sessions, disc or lab sections)
    • be able to interact well with student; asking and answering questions
    • work effectively with students one-on-one
      • office hours
        • liberal, flexible, inviting
        • find ways to get students to come
      • be welcoming of students before and after class. Don't rush out! Don't avoid eye contact. Try to get to know their names.
      • help students learn to help themselves,
  • create a learning environment
    • through your own leadership, flexibility, energy, humor
  • anticipate difficulties students will have
    • talk to prof/previous TAs
    • prepare to help students with these topics (e.g. signal detection theory)
  • steps to improve your teaching
    • participate in the workshops and conferences of the GSAS Teaching Program
    • participate in our own Teaching Practicum, offered in alternate years
    • take advantage of opportunities to lecture or lead discussions
    • assemble a teaching portfolio
  • self-evalution; student evaluation

IV. Your responsibilities as a TA (see Teaching Guidelines)

    • Being available for the entire semester, as well as for
      • planning meetings prior to the semester
      • end of term exam and paper grading and grade entry
    • Attending all lectures and doing all assigned readings
      • (free desk copies of books; see publisher's web site; see B & N web site)
    • Meeting with professor, weekly
    • Setting up electronic classrooms and laboratories
    • Preparation of course web sites
    • Assisting with Psychology Library reserves
    • Preparation of exams
    • Grading exams and papers
    • Holding office hours for students: 2 scheduled hours per week
    • Conducting review sessions
      • not all students are able to fit these into their schedule
      • don't reveal what will, or won't, be on exam
      • good to ask for questions in advance, so you can prepare
      • you need to know the material
    • Leading discussion or lab sections (4 pt courses)
    • Offering guest lectures
      • special occasions matching your expertise with needs of a particular course

    • How much time will all of this take?
      On average, graduate teaching fellows should expect to spend 12-15 hours per week on a regular TAship, although some weeks will be lighter and some heavier. Time you put in during course planning and preparation before the term begins will be counted in the hours expected of you. Full time Undergraduate/Postbac TAs are paid for 180 hours per term, which works out to 12 hours per week if spread evenly over 15 weeks.

V. Specific Sticky Issues

A. Testing, grading, and cheating

  • preventing plagiarism and cheating
    • be aware of methods of cheating, and create environment to discourage it
    • multiple copies of exams, scrambled questions (or alternatives)
    • careful proctoring, spaced seating, no advance exams, don't store exams on computers to which students have access
  • grading fairly
    • blind grading, esp if an undergrad TA is assigned to course
    • for essays or papers, have prof and other TAs review your grading on both high and low papers
  • posting grades
    • do not reveal even a portion of soc sec number.
    • what now?
      • have student give you a code that you will use.
      • use PID from SSOL class roster
      • use CourseWorks to post grades

B. Dealing with difficult situations

  • students will come with dire stories; some true, some fiction
  • only the prof has authority to grant exceptions, make-ups, etc.
    • prof should require Dean or Dr's note
    • see prof immediately about any disturbed/distraught student
  • Avoiding dual relationships
    • treat all students equally; don't do for one what you wouldn't do for all
    • romantic relationships: they do happen, but wait till term is over.
    • paid tutoring: not for students in the course you're TAing for.

V. How to get things done in the department

  • See Winnie McClarin to reserve and check out A/v equipment (transparency, film, video, and slide projectors, laser pointer, cart, etc.). Special procedures may be required for early or late classes. Talk to Winnie about this.
  • Obtaining course supplies: send list to Winnie McClarin winnie@paradox
  • Copying handouts, exams, and transparencies (see Winnie)
    1. do-it-yourself jobs (quantities, card, key, paper, etc.)
    2. 406 copies (when, why, how)
    3. Village Copier at 115th & Broadway
      • they pickup and deliver, or
      • you take and pickup (for quicker service)
      • get form from 406
    4. CopyQuick is now Renaissance Copy in NJ!
      • they will pick up at 10 am and return copies by 4 pm
  • Practices now discouraged:
    • leaving student handouts in 406.
    • collecting student papers in 406.
    • posting class notices and grades on bulletin boards.
  • Films and videos:

VI. Classrooms

  • Electronic classroom training (501, 614, 558)
    • see TA Manual for new procedures
    • please support the prof by taking responsibility for the smooth functioning of all equipment
    • arrange for a practice session before first class
    • get to every class at least 10-15 min early
    • set up and test everything
    • always bring a fresh battery for the mic.
    • if something isn't working, report it ASAP (see below)
  • Reporting classroom problems
  • 200b and 200c use, training, and access
    • all should have swipe access; test your cards on both doors today. If don't get solid green light, report to Winnie McClarin .
    • to reserve room for a review session or office hour, use online reservation.
      • please follow reservation form instructions
      • please don't request the only available room if it is being used for Open Lab Hours.
      • for small groups, you can reserve 405 through Winnie McClarin
      • for larger groups, you can reserve an electronic classroom (allow 2 weeks notice).
    • top priority for our own Instructional Lab Rooms is the smooth functioning of scheduled classes/lab meetings
      • therefore, we all need to know what we're doing and to follow the Lab Guidelines
      • before using the epodium or video projector, arrange for training with Phredd or one of the lab TAs.
      • video projector lamps are fragile; don't turn on and off needlessly
      • Lab Asst and lab TAs will have regular hours to help with lab training, course web pages, etc.
  • Macs in 200B and C [Phredd will talk to us about this]
    • have been upgraded to OS X
    • OS X application include:
      • Office 2004 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
      • Fugu (for file transfer)
      • Terminal (for email)
      • Firefox (web browser)
    • Classic applications include:
      • Office 2000 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
      • Word 98 (use this to "save as html")
      • Dreamweaver, Fireworks (a few computers)
      • Adobe Acrobat full version (a few computers)
      • SPSS
      • PsyScope
      • Netscape, IE
    • guidelines
      • training before you use podium equipment; contact Phredd or lab TA
      • personal and course files
      • software installation
      • shutting down computers: Don't
      • reporting problems (log book, phone and email to Phredd and lab manager Mandy )
      • sharing files and folders
      • food and beverages: never at computer stations; remove garbage
      • clean whiteboards after use
      • admitting and ejecting visitors before you lock up
    • other equipment:

VII. Using the web, email, and CourseWorks in your teaching

  • the web
    • posting course syllabi
      • get help from CCNMTL, Lois, your peers
      • Dreamweaver installed here (show)
      • how syllabi are linked to Dir of Classes and dept curric materials:
        • send Shane word or pdf files of new syllabi to post
        • ask Shane or Lois to correct links, if necessary
    • Psychweb membership
      • will allow you to publish web pages within the cu/psychology/ directory
      • read the Psychweb Guidelines
      • practice in your own cunix directory
      • once you're a competent web author, ask Phredd for Psychweb membership
    • CourseWorks:
      • See online tutorials
      • Take advantage of CCNMTL workshops
    • email distribution lists:
      • use SSOL to set up a list for your classes
        • do not make the list public; always use blind copy for addresses
      • use CourseWorks
    • other CourseWorks uses
      • discussion boards
      • Test & Quiz section for mid-term feedback on your TAing

VIII. see Special Privileges page

•Library: extended loan period and no fines
•Computing and email: more memory; printing allowance
•Free photocopies of other course materials
•Desk copies of any books used in course
 •Access to electronic podiums

IX. Misc issues re your TAship

•How's it going? What problems? Confusions? Concerns? Questions?

•email, web, and phone mail issues

•reserving office hours in 200b/c or TA Office (318c = "Scantron")

•Psych web pages and the InfoPack

•Reminder: Grad Teaching Fellows must register for G6500 (Supervised Teaching)

•Do you need Scantron training?

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 last modified by lep on January 19, 2006