Tips for TeachersFrom the 2015 College of Letters & Science Teaching Fellows

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If you have questions or concerns about your teaching, please contact the

L&S Teaching Assistants Resource Center

Brian Bubenzer, Assistant Dean brian.bubenzer@wisc.edu, 608-265-0603307B South Hall1055 Bascom MallMadison, WI 53706-1394

Kim Moreland, Project Assistantadminpa@ls.wisc.edu, 608-890-3850307A South Hall1055 Bascom MallMadison, WI 53706-1394

 We produce training materials for use by L&S departments and TAs, provide TAs with information about professional development opportunities on campus, and maintain a web site with information relevant to Teaching Assistants at UW-Madison.

 

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The Reluctant Student:Motivating Students When Teaching a Required Course

Carolyn Abbott, Department of Mathematics

Have you ever been required to take a course you’re not interested in? How did you react to a class that did not play to your strengths? What motivated you to do well? When teaching a required course, many students will be in your classroom because they have to be. However, with a little help from you, they can become active, engaged members of the classroom.

Know your audience• Knowing who your students are will help you find connections between the course

content and their interests.• What are their majors? Their interests? Have they taken any courses that relate to

yours? Try giving a survey on the first day of class. Giving them a choice of office hours on this survey can make them feel like a valuable member of the class.

• How can this course help them with their college goals? If the course is simply filling a core requirement, it may not directly help them, but think outside the box! Does your course encourage critical thinking, writing skills, or logical reasoning? All of these are important skills across disciplines. Every course they take will teach them how to think, how to learn, and how to teach, all of which are important parts of a college education.

• Be sure your students know each other, as well, particularly if your section is discussion-based. Consider using ice breakers on the first day of class, or simply have them introduce themselves.

Look for applications/connections• At the beginning of the course, give your students an idea of the overall progression

of the course. This is a appropriate place to use the syllabus to give the students a roadmap of where the course is headed. Give them the big picture of the course right away, and show them how the different pieces connect to each other. This is also a good time to discuss how the course fits into the subject as a whole.

• Don’t be constrained by the details of a particular class assignment, which may not be relevant to the students after they finish the class. Find connections to the bigger picture. How does the assignment fit into the overall course? How does it relate to other assignments in the course? How does it fit into the subject as a whole? Beyond specific facts and procedures, what do you want your students to learn from this assignment?

Keep the classroom interactive• Most of your students already have a lecture for this course; the goal of your

discussion section is to engage them in the material. • Have them talk to each other, in pairs or small groups. Some of them will be more

comfortable sharing their ideas in a small group rather than in front of the entire class.

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• Challenge their ideas, and push them to think more deeply about the topic. Ask them to support their claims with evidence and to respond to their classmates’ ideas. Ask them if there is another way to reach the conclusion. Ask them to expand on a classmate’s comment.

Strive for an intellectually safe classroom • Students will participate and feel engaged when they feel comfortable sharing their

ideas and suggestions without fear of embarrassment or ridicule. • Stay positive! Everyone will struggle at some point — even you! You do not need to

know the answer to every question. Let your students see you think; show them how you approach a problem when you do not know the answer.

• Do not refer to steps or ideas as easy or trivial. Understand that many of them will struggle the first time they see the material, in particular because the course is outside their subject area.

• Share your enthusiasm! You love your subject, and your enthusiasm may be infectious and motivate them to participate.

Motivating and engaging students will go a long way towards combating frustration and confusion. A positive classroom environment helps students vanquish their anxieties about the subject, overcome their lack of enthusiasm, and encourage independent thinking. You will have students from a large variety of backgrounds, and, with a little effort and a few key techniques, this class can be one of the most interesting and rewarding to teach!

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Foreign Language Classrooms: Students’ Diversity Matters

Adeola Agoke, Department of African Languages and Literature

This workshop emphasizes cultural diversity as a very rich ingredient for channeling instructions in the foreign language (FL) classroom. In this type of classroom environment, it is very easy for foreign language teachers to focus attention on the linguistic contents of the course, concentrate on some aspects of the target culture, get sufficient satisfaction in the language production of the learners, but ultimately neglect the diversity presented by the different cultural backgrounds that the teacher and the students bring to the classroom. In this presentation, we will explore the following:

a. How to understand the cultural atmosphere of a foreign language classroomb. Discuss how the teacher and the learners can engage intercultural competence as a way to

sustain meaningful classroom interaction.c. How to design an interculturally relevant pedagogyd. Provide answers to some interesting scenarios on students’ cultural diversity in foreign language

classroom

Tip A: How to understand the cultural demography of a foreign language classroom

There are some important tips to note about the cultural diversity of a foreign language classroom

Learners may either be mono or multi cultural: Many students have experiences with one or more cultures depending on their backgrounds and experiences

The different cultural backgrounds of students in a FL classroom encourages multiple perspectives to cultural understanding

The students’ culture may diverge from or converge with the target culture

Practical steps to finding out the above tips in a FL classroom

On the first day of class, design survey questions that elicit information about the above tips Through classroom interaction and participation, create a classroom that constitutes a

community of friends and family Ensure to design culturally driven activities that are task based and are done or performed in

groups

Tip B: How the teacher and the students engage intercultural competence for meaningful classroom interaction

Most classrooms are teacher-fronted. The teacher does most of the talking while the students’ voices are less heard during classroom instructions. This kind of practice is not ideal for a foreign language classroom. Instead, the teacher should play the role of a facilitator who engages the students in the classroom discussions.

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How does this play out in a culturally diverse FL classroom?

The teacher designs a curriculum that generates classroom interaction from the perspective of the students’ culture

The teacher creates tasks that raise learners’ curiosity about the target culture Students’ curiosity would generate discussions that foster intercultural learning Overall classroom experience establishes students’ understanding of their own culture, the

target culture and other cultures that may be present in the classroom

TIP C: How to design an interculturally relevant pedagogy

Select a multiliteracy based theme Flesh out the themes across units Integrate genres that are relevant to the cultural demography of the classroom and assign

homework that prepares the students ready for class participation Create a practice model to encourage learners’ understanding Generate tasks that elicit students’ understanding of the different culture included in the

selected genre Students transform the classroom experience to an idea that they find most interesting about

the topic of discussion

Scenarios

As a way to experience the importance of diversity in our foreign language classrooms, we will explore some of these scenarios.

You present a culture topic in the target language. However, one of your students has a contrary perspective about your presentation. In what way can you as the teacher take advantage of the student’s perspective to facilitate rich intercultural experience in the classroom?

You observe that your students always revert to presenting ideas in their own culture whenever they engage in classroom discussion. Do you find this appropriate? If no, how can you get them to talk about other cultures using the target language?

Because you have a classroom that is culturally diverse, your students come to the classroom with multiple perspectives of the culture topic for the unit you are teaching. What strategy would you use to transform this challenge to a productive learning experience in your classroom?

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“Relax, You’re Going to Do Great:” How to Make the Most of the First Day of ClassRichard Becker, Geoscience

Key Goals for the First Day: By the end of the first day, I want to…1. Establish rapport with the students . Welcome them to the classroom. Take an interest in them

(see #2). Tell them a bit about yourself. Who are you? Where are you from?2. Know who the students are . What are their names? Where are they from? What are their

interests? What relevant coursework have they already taken? Why are they in the class?3. Begin developing a learning community . Most students should know most of their classmates

names, where they are from, and a bit about them.4. Introduce the students to the material . What topics are going to be covered in the course? Is

there a “natural order” that we’ll be following through the semester? If so, highlight that. Why should the students be excited to be in your class?

5. Set expectations . Review the syllabus and be clear about what you expect from them; tell them what they can expect from you (especially with regards to when you’re available to them, etc.).

I typically find that it takes 1 hour to cover all this. The first 3 points take the majority of the time. Point 5 should always be last. When I was a brand-new TA, I was teaching a course that I had never taken before, so my sales pitch (#4) fell flat. As a result, I did not attempt it again for years. If you think that you can pull it off – go for it! – otherwise, skip #4 and wait until you are more experienced before incorporating it. It’s good to do, but not essential.

How I Accomplish These Goals: I center my first day on a “name game,” but before I give you the details, I need to say that your TAing situation may be different from mine. I have typically taught 2-3 hour long (geology and geography) labs where the professors gave me a lot of freedom (I was the only TA). As a result, I could spend 1 hour on an ice-breaker activity and still have time to cover course content. You might be in a different situation, but our goals should still be the same.

1- Be organized, be prepared, and be early . Arrive at your classroom prior to the official start time and have all your materials ready. I do not like looking out at a sea of strange faces looking back at me, all being awkwardly silent – it makes me nervous. So, if there is extra time before class begins, I wander around in the hallway and walk in the door exactly at the official start time.

2- Welcome students to the class . “Welcome to <name of class>.” Briefly introduce yourself (name, department, etc.), save the details for later.

3- Hand out 3x5 index cards . I give every student a 3x5 index card and ask them to put their name, major, year in school, and hometown on it. In addition to this, try to learn something interesting about them. Asking what they did for summer/winter break is good; you’ll get some stories that way. If you think it would be useful, ask what previous classes they have had in your subject. In addition to all this, ask them to think of alliterative nicknames. This makes learning names easier for everybody and the students generally enjoy it.

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4- Have the students share their info . Once the students have had a few minutes, find a volunteer to share his or her new nickname, major, year in school, hometown, and what they did over break. From there, go around the class.

5- The “name game .” As they go around, I require every student to list the names of everybody who has gone before them. I have mixed feelings about this – it gets tedious – but it works. By the end of the exercise, you and all the students will know at least 80% (if not all) of the names. Perhaps you can find a better “name game,” but highly recommend some element of repetition.

6- Introduce yourself . Introduce yourself last and give the students a rich history of who you are. As a student, I often wondered who my instructors were. Where did they grow up? Why did they choose their field of study? When you’re done, recite all the names.

7- Collect the 3x5 cards . I save the cards and look at them periodically over the semester. Once you know your students, going back to the cards can be eye opening – you’ll learn interesting things about people! Also, I bring the cards to class, shuffle the deck, and use them to call on people when I need people to talk. All in all, the 3x5 cards are invaluable.

8- Hand out the syllabus . If you are going to do the “sales pitch,” do it now. When you are done with it, switch to reviewing the syllabus. Rather than reading it myself, I use the cards to randomly select students and have them read short passages. I then repeat and expound upon key points. Cover the entire syllabus in this fashion.

9- Time remaining ? Go on to cover course content…

After the First Day: A few thoughts for the second day… and the third… and the fourth…1- The few spare minutes before class begins are among the most useful. Once you know the

students (day 2 and afterwards) use this time to chat with them. Demonstrate that you care by asking about their lives, what they have going on, etc.

2- Experiment with appropriate humor . If you have a funny story that relates to the material at hand, try it out. If they don’t laugh, change the delivery for next time or don’t use it again. Humor in moderation helps keep the students engaged.

3- Not every answer is a great answer , so don’t always say “Great!” after a student response.4- Be friendly, but not friends with the students.5- Passion, passion, passion for the subject – the more passion you show for what you’re teaching,

the better you’ll do.6- Think about the best teachers and professors that you’ve had . What did they do? What did you

like about their classes? Are there some teachers that are almost – but not quite – this list? This is the most instructive group; they were good, but not quite awesome. Why is that?

7- Be thinking about your “teaching philosophy .” There is a good chance that someday as part of a job application you are going to have to write an essay about your teaching philosophy. There are workshops on campus to help with this (look for them). The sooner you discover your teaching philosophy, the more time you will have to generate examples of it in action. This is important because you should “pepper” your teaching philosophy with anecdotes.

8- Save all your teaching evaluations . Departments occasionally thin old records.

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First Things First – Preparing for Your First Day as a TARachel Thayer Boothby, Geography Department

The first day of class can be scary (for you and for your students!) but it can also be an empowering and energizing launching point for the semester. Here are some tips to help you confidently set foot in the classroom on your first day as a TA, and to begin to cultivate positive relationships with your students that will continue to grow over the course of the semester.

BEFORE THE FIRST DAY Reflect on your experiences of teaching, whether from the perspective of teacher or student.

Think through your approach to teaching, so you can communicate it to your students. Who were your favorite teachers in the past? What was it that inspired you? How could you take lessons learned from your favorite instructors and implement them in your own classroom?

Identify your own strengths. You will bring a unique set of abilities and challenges to the classroom, just like each of your students. Are you uniquely empathetic? A questioner? Good at synthesizing information? A confident speaker? Quietly observant? There’s no one way to be a good teacher – play to your strengths.

Coordinate with the rest of your teaching team. Look over the course syllabus carefully. Get your hands on a course

syllabus as soon as possible – if the professor does not have one finalized yet, that’s OK! Ask for a past syllabus to get a sense of the major assignments and learning goals for the whole of the semester.

Coordinate section syllabi with other TAs (if there are any). The more you can coordinate policies from the beginning the better. Will you allow electronics in the classroom? What is your stance on late assignments? What is your attendance policy? Aim for consistency and clarity.

Personalize your section syllabus. Once consistent standards are in place, personalize your syllabus with your own contact information and expectations for your sections.

Come prepared. To have fun! The first day is about setting the tone for your classroom,

and to get students excited about the course. But it’s also about being clear with your students who you are and what you can expect from one another over the course of the semester.

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Bring a lesson plan. Lesson plans are your friend. You don’t want to stick to them too rigidly, but you do want to have a clear plan and plenty of strategies in your back pocket.

Plan the information you’ll put up on the chalkboard. Some TAs like to put the agenda up weekly so students can know what to expect, others start each section with a question on the board for students to think about (or free write about) as they enter the class. Regardless, on the first day you’ll want to make sure your name, the class number, and your contact information are on the board for all to see.

Bring materials you’ll need. Most classroom materials can often be found in your department’s supply office. Make sure you have access to a printer, copier, and a projector if it’s not installed in the classroom. Do NOT spend your own funds on materials for the classroom if it can be avoided (and it usually can).

ON THE FIRST DAY Introduce yourself and each other.

Convey enthusiasm. What is it that you love about your discipline/subject? Help your students see the path you’ve taken to where you are today and why you’ve chosen to spend the next several years of your life becoming an expert in your field. Your enthusiasm about the topic will be infectious.

Break the ice. Any icebreaker is fine – simply getting students to talk on the first day is a win – but the best are fun segues into course material. In geography classes, I ask my students to draw a map of Madison, share it with a neighbor, and introduce each other to the class.

Stay calm. Remember, your students are ultimately responsible for their own learning. Your job is to help empower them to take ownership over the course material.

Set ground rules. Set specific times that you’ll be available outside the classroom and

stick to them. Teaching can take up as much time as you let it. As a TA, graduate student, and person with a full life, you need to protect your time outside of the classroom. For example, set limits for when you’ll respond to emails, make these very clear, and stick to them.

Clarify expectations of the course as a whole. Highlight important information from the course syllabus, and be honest. Is the class going to be conceptually difficult? Reading or writing-intensive? Assist your students in setting realistic expectations, and let them know you’re available during office hours to help.

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Clarify expectations for behavior in the classroom and explain why these are important to you. Some TAs like to have a large-group discussion about “what makes a good discussion section?” on the first day. Your students are experts in their own education and will have lots of good ideas. Consider writing these on the board, voting on them, and typing them up later to share with your students as a contract you’ll all agree to abide by for the semester.

Point to campus resources. Learn@UW can be a helpful way to share information, host a

discussion forum, or receive submitted assignments. Training sessions are listed at learnuw.wisc.edu/training/.

The Writing Center helps students with all stages of writing, from brainstorming to polishing. I always encourage my students (no matter their skill level) to visit.

Life, school, and the combination of life and school can be hard. Don’t be afraid to direct students to University Health Services’ counseling, or to visit yourself.

Finally, remember that experienced TAs are without a doubt your most valuable resource! You’ll be amazed at the wealth of institutional knowledge available in your department and across campus. Ask to sit in on others’ sections, or for sample materials to modify for your own use. All were once in your shoes, and you’ll find that most will be happy to help. Good luck, and best wishes for a smooth first day and a fun, learning-filled semester!

Team Teaching: Managing Relationships Between Students, TAs and SupervisorsSophia Maxine Farmer, Department of Art History

As a teaching assistant, you will have to navigate a number of professional relationships, especially if you are working in a teaching team (i.e. more than one teaching assistant assigned to any course). The most effective teaching teams are cohesive and save everyone involved time and energy. As a new TA you will find yourself at the center of a network of relationships that can be both supportive and challenging. Maintaining minimum levels of stress can be achieved through learning to be explicit about the role you play both with students and with your teaching team. But how do you create an effective teaching team? How do you maintain consistency among sections with fellow teaching assistants? What do you do if you disagree on grading practices? How do you maintain a professional relationship and also remain friendly with those you work with? Below I outline a number of tips and strategies to address the aforementioned questions. These tips are designed to prevent many of the common issues that may challenge newly formed teams. Moreover, they will provide you with the tools you need to successfully manage relationships with students, fellow teaching assistants and supervisors.

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Communication—Having good communications skills is the most important strategy for maintaining an effective teaching team. This does not just mean you need to be able to talk to your fellow TAs and supervisor when a problem arises, it also means keeping them in the loop when students bring up questions, or you implement a new approach to reviewing material in section. Good communication lines are often established through a system of regular meetings, emails, and day-to-day interactions.

Know Your Role—Before starting your new position as a TA it is essential that you understand what your role is within your team. The makeup of every teaching team is going to be different. It may include seasoned TAs, a head TA, a supervisor new to the course, or even TAs from outside the department. Everyone has something to offer whether it is lesson plans from previous semesters or new approaches to teaching course material. If you are not yet aware of what your role is, it is best to contact your supervisor and fellow TAs as soon as possible to gain a better understanding of what you have to offer to the team.

Be Professional—While you may or may not develop friendships with those you teach alongside it is important to maintain a high level of respect for those you work with. This means being mindful of differences, backgrounds and diverse approaches to teaching. In order to be respectful of your fellow TAs and supervisor you must also consider their lives outside of teaching, whether it is graduate work, conferences, family or extracurricular activities. Being a graduate student and a teaching assistant is a full time job so be sure to schedule all of your meetings in places and times that are accessible to everyone (i.e. On campus and between 9:00am-5:00pm Mon-Fri).

Maintain Boundaries—Keeping a separation between your private life and your work life is vital. This means not only keeping gossip at a minimum but also respecting others privacy by refraining from asking inappropriate questions.

Time Management—Developing good time management is key to ensuring you work with in your limits. Establishing regular meeting schedules and being aware of how long you should be taking to complete each assigned task can help to ensure that you do not take on too much. For example, if you are at a 37.5% appointment and therefore are required to work 15 hours a week you should factor in the following: 3 hours lecture; 3 hours of section; 2 hours of office hours; 1 hour weekly meeting with instructor; 1 hour for collaborative lesson planning with co-TAs; 1 hour to read materials; and 1 hour to prepare for section. That is already 12 hours, this means that any additional work cuts into the remaining 3 hours a week designated for grading and responding to student inquires. This example is based off of my own teaching schedule and will vary depending on what course you are teaching at what percentage appointment you have. Obviously, your first two or three weeks of teaching may take you longer as you get the hang of things but this kind of hourly breakdown is something you should work out as soon as possible. You could easily spend 40 hours a week on teaching if you do not set proper limits with yourself, your fellow TAs, your instructor and your students.

Develop and Maintain Teaching Strategies Across Sections—A good teaching team is committed to ensuring that all the students in the course—not just those that you instruct—receive the same level of education and dedication to their learning experience. This can be achieved by keeping the group organized and consistent in their teaching practices. Make sure everyone’s voice is heard and that the students’ learning experience takes center stage in this collaborative process. By developing lesson plans, handouts, grading rubrics and other class materials together a teaching team will save time, stress, and allow you to maintain equal expectations for all students.

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Be Aware of Your Resources—By being aware of what resources are available to you—both within your team and on campus—you can save a considerable amount of time planning and developing sections.

Your Team: Fellow TAs—This is the first and foremost resource you can utilize in your teaching practice. Your fellow TAs can cover a section for you if you need to miss one and they can help you work with difficult or unresponsive sections.Supervisor—Your supervisor has a wealth of experience from which you can draw. Moreover, they were part of planning the course and are the best resource when it comes to finding answers to questions like, “why is this reading relevant?” They are also the best person to go to if you have a problem with a students or one of your fellow TAs.Department—The members of your department—faculty, fellow grads, and staff—can be a vital resource. Whether it’s getting PowerPoints or notes from a graduate student who previously taught the same course or booking an alternative exam room with the staff, utilizing your department can making the teaching experience less challenging.Students—Listening to your students’ suggestions on what is working and what is not can help you to alter the course in a way that makes it accessible to everyone. If you are having trouble getting vocalized feedback you can provide an anonymous evaluation a few weeks into term asking student to clarify things they like and do not like about the discussion sections so far. Other Resources on Campus:Teaching Assistant Association (TAA): https://win.wisc.edu/organization/taa/about L&S TA Resource Center: http://www.ls.wisc.edu/ta.htmlL&S Learning Support Services: http://lss.wisc.edu/Writing Center: http://www.writing.wisc.edu/ ESL Center: http://www.english.wisc.edu/esl/ Library Services: https://www.library.wisc.edu/services/teaching-learning-services/ Division of Information Technology (DoIT): https://www.doit.wisc.edu/

Civil Discourse: Teaching Controversial Subjects & Facilitating Meaningful Conversation

Kristin Fox, Department of Political Science

While some students thrive on confrontation, debate, and lively discourse, others noticeably shrink from any possibility of classroom confrontation. Particularly for those of us who teach contemporary controversies, this presents an ongoing professional duty: pushing our students to challenge themselves (and one another!) which ensuring that the classroom environment remains safe and collegial, with every student drawn into the discussion to the greatest extent possible.

Every course is different – indeed, every section is different! – but we will discuss some fairly universal tips that help in formulating your own policies regarding discussion. While these are not inherently limited to teaching controversial topics, they become even more vital when the topics tend to ignite passionate responses from students.

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Encouraging Discussion while Maintaining a Safe Learning Environment

Creating a safe space. This starts on the very first day and must be nurtured throughout the course, and it's one of your greatest responsibilities as a TA. You set the tone for the course, and students will get a sense of your classroom expectations – even the implicit ones – very early in the semester. Laying this out in the syllabus is important, but practicing it every day is what makes it meaningful. Whether your personal style is more participant or moderator, you are responsible for not only maintaining professionalism for your own words, but also for holding your students to the same standards so that your classroom is a safe and productive learning space for the gunners, the quiet types, and everyone in between. After all, it's easier to step outside of your personal comfort zone if you're in a comfortable and safe learning zone.

Establish parameters for discussion. This could be as simple as logistics (such as “raise your hand and wait to be acknowledged,” “don't dominate the discussion,” or “prepare to be cold-called”) or more substantive, like setting out the course expectations for proof/support. These standards of proof and support may necessarily look different in a chemistry course than in a philosophy course, and that's okay. The important component is helping students understand what will be expected of them in classroom discussion throughout the course.

Check your own assumptions. Let's be honest: there are no shortage of preconceived notions about the political, social, and (ir)religious leanings of students (and faculty) affiliated with UW Madison, and as a general statement, there is a great deal of truth in those preconceptions. Our campus is more liberal, more activist, and more socially progressive on many political issues than many universities; however, be careful not to fall into the trap of assuming that you know your students' politics and preferences. It's not fair to the students, and it may be setting yourself for some awkward backtracking!

Leading by Example

Be fair – to all sides. This is two-fold: first, remember that many issues do not fall neatly into a black/white, left/right, yes/no dichotomy, so be careful that you don't set up multifaceted issues as such (e.g., a discussion on social welfare programs looks very different to a conservative, a liberal, a socialist, and a libertarian, and each come to the table with different backgrounds and notions informing their views). Second, don't fall into the trap of taking on the straw-man or the low-hanging fruit. The second that you make that Trump joke, you're going to find that there is at least one student in the class who is ready to pound the pavement for The Donald's campaign, and you've now risked embarrassing and alienating the student unnecessarily (even if s/he never speaks up/you never know it). This is not the same as straining to give equal credibility to all viewpoints (no one at a research university would expect a paleontologist to devote a week to young earth creationism as a viable competing theory), but if you've set out your expectations for the tone of discussion and the parameters of support early on – and then adhere to those guidelines yourself – you lower any inclination to take that shortcut of going straight for the “easy target.”

The Devil's Advocate hat. You may find that adherents to one side of the issue tend to dominate a discussion, whether through group dynamics or simple numbers. This is a perfect opportunity to push the group out of its comfort zone by – even if you may personally agree with the group – in order to facilitate a better-rounded discussion. Some set this out in the first week by explaining that the TA's role is to push the students to think critically; so, rather than argue all issues as Jesse TA, s/he will often taken multiple positions to challenge the students. Some take it on a more case-by-case basis (e.g., “Okay, let me push back on that a little – let's say that I'm someone who xyz”). Let your course/topic/classroom dynamic guide you in the appropriate approach.

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Encourage them to borrow the hat sometimes as well! As anyone who has taken a debate class probably knows already, the best way to gain an understanding of another position is to research and consider that position as those you would be required to defend it in front of others. Again, whether you offer to let them explicitly and voluntarily “wear the hat” or you set out the expectation that all students will be asked to defend different positions throughout the course, create an environment where this growth process is safe and encouraged.

Disclosing Your Own Beliefs

There is no inherently right or wrong method. Some TAs (and professors!) never disclose their own beliefs, and some are quite open about the content of their personal opinions. If you've established a foundation of trust and mutual respect, most students are perfectly willing to accept that their TAs and professors have personal views that may differ from the students' own – some even prefer it! But (within a respectful environment and professional parameters) it's ultimately a matter of personal comfort and preference.

...but be aware of your social media presence! If you truly want your students to see you as “completely neutral,” having a public Facebook page vehemently and repeatedly denouncing one political party will certainly damage your attempt at neutrality. While this is not confined to teaching controversial subjects, it bears repeating that you should frequently vet your own social media presence and lock down anything that you (or your department) wouldn't feel comfortable sharing with your students.

Know your own limits. There are issues that are largely considered “settled” topics (e.g., slavery is a very, very bad thing). There are others that are not quite as settled in the general population as they may be in the United States, in Madison, in your department, or even with your own background. If there is an issue that you are absolutely unwilling to compromise on and/or play Devil's Advocate against, then fairness and transparency suggest that you might consider either removing your personal opinions from those discussions (while still facilitating student discourse in an impartial manner) or, at the very least, disclosing that information when appropriate. Everyone has “that issue” that is deeply personal and/or problematic due to own own background and research: just be honest about the reasons for it and the subsequent limitations that it may entail.

Encouraging Participation in Quantitative DiscussionsAndrew J. Kidd, Department of Economics

Teaching and engaging participation and discussion in quantitative-based courses can be a challenge due to the course material itself. Yet, regardless of what is being taught, bringing students into the conversation can be done so they better understand and internalize concepts and problems from these courses. This workshop will go through the challenges of teaching quantitative classes and discussion sections, develop techniques to encourage participation and engage students in these types of courses, and create a teaching plan personalized to your subject area.

Challenges of Teaching Quantitative Classes

1) Covering all the material required

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a) Easy part! Usually, the material you are supposed to cover in the course is provided. Planning and executing the teaching plan is essential to keeping the class on schedule and engaged in the material.

b) Essentials of Teaching:i) Know what needs to be covered that day. Lesson planning involves understanding the

progression of material and what should follow from the previous lesson or discussion section. Prep time is necessary to keeping your students involved in the class.

ii) Practice timing to respect the students’ time. Your discussion sections are not very long and you will realize very quickly that there is just not enough time to cover in depth everyone topic you need to in the alloted time. Arrive early so you can start class on time, and never go beyond 5 minutes after the class should be over. Your class is one of many the student will be taking this semester.

iii) Have plenty of material to cover, but do not spend too much time on only one of many topics. Although discussion sections are not long, they still need to be filled, so keep backup examples and questions for times when you have completed everything you need to but still have time left. However, don't spend 40 minutes on a topic when there are 4 other essential topics to discuss. This goes back to planning ahead and structuring your time for each topic of the day.

2) Encouraging participation and engagement in the subject and current class perioda) Set up questions and topics to provide students the opportunity to participate. It is so easy to

simply go through what needs to be covered without even asking for any student input. But the essence of the discussion section is to find out what the students need help understanding and aid them in working through problems and examples of what is applied from the main lecture.

b) Three basic forms of teaching to accomplish this:i) Call and response. This is easy but can become a crutch and lack consistent feedback. Asking

for student input in large group problem solving can be beneficial if they understand what is going on. Often times this can also lead to only a few students participating, while others sit and do nothing, never engaging the material. Yet, with certain classes, this can cover the material, keep students involved, and increase understanding and application.

ii) Group activity followed by presentation. Splitting the students into groups to work on problems together can be very beneficial. Those students who know the material better can aid those students who do not. Working with peers is less intimidating than trying to answer questions from the instructor or TA. You can also walk around the classroom and question individual groups to see how the problem solving is going. This gives you a some good feedback as to what you might want to address back to the large group. Once you have given the students adequate time to complete the problems or examples you gave them, bring back the discussion to the large group. You may wish to go through the problems in a similar call and response way now with more students know what the process in solving the problem is. You might also want the individual groups to present one problem so the other groups can check and see if they followed the same logic. Teaching others increases your own understanding of the material.

iii) Conversation. Very few classes will be able to operate in this manner, but sometimes, discussion sections can be taught through a conversation with the students. This is a great way to get the feedback you need to shape the course and teaching style to best help the students. Conversations can usually start with you asking what the students are struggling with from the previous lectures. You will want to let them know you will ask this so they can come prepared with questions. You will want to have a few examples to talk through but check with the students as to what part of the problem solving or topic they do not understand. A variety of examples can draw out the struggles and help you see where their greatest need is.

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iv) Alternating between forms from class to class keeps students' interest in the material and helps tailor the teaching to their needs and builds your style toolbox.

3) Ensuring students understand material and are able to apply ita) Offer several examples of problems. As mentioned before, students need to see several examples

of problems because it helps them understand the problem solving method, rather than just knowing the answer to specific problems. General frameworks and step-by-step plans can be presented to help students understand examples. It is a common tendency in quantitative classes to know answers but not methods. Memorization and repetition of the same problems or types of problems should be avoid.

b) Use participation by students as feedback. By having the students active in the discussion section, you will be able to draw on their questions and wrong answers to help you structure your teaching and what needs to be emphasized or walked through more explicitly.

c) Find out what works for you and your students. No method will be universally applicable to all classes of all types. Get to know your students and talk with them prior to the start of class. Learn what gets them to participate, what type of teaching style they prefer, and help them in the process of learning your subject. This will make the discussion more interactive and lead to better results.

Teaching a Stand-Alone Course

Katie Lanning, Department of English

Having the chance to teach a stand-alone course as a graduate student instructor is an exciting opportunity, but it can also seem like a daunting challenge. This workshop is intended to help you meet that challenge and to feel confident and prepared as you design and teach your course. What do students expect from a TA instructor? How does teaching a stand-alone course differ from other TA appointments? What responsibilities does such an instructor have both inside and outside the classroom? This workshop will address these questions and more and will provide a variety of resources that can help you as you prepare to teach your own course.

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The following is a brief overview of topics we will discuss. More specific strategies and examples are offered in the workshop.

Designing a Syllabus

Shape of the Course : Consider what kind of pace or movement you want your course to have. How many units do you envision? Are there three or four main concepts or levels that you’d like to move students through? Think about the “shape” of your class, particularly where you’d like to see your students end the course. What are the necessary lesson-planning steps to get your students to that end goal? Once you have a sense of the shape of your course, you can begin to build specific lessons and assignments to reach each phase of that shape. Set clear goals for your students and mark those goals in the syllabus. Be open and transparent with your students about the design of the course.

Assignments : There are two main things to consider with assignments: their design and the rate at which they appear on the syllabus. Be aware of what level your course is when deciding on assignments. Are you teaching an intro level or will you be working with a classroom full of advanced majors? Consult with your department chair or faculty members to look at old syllabi to get a sense of how many assignments will be appropriate for your course. What do these assignments look like? How do they relate to each other? Think about how you can scaffold assignments to build on each other and build increasing skills in students as the semester progresses. Don’t forget to look at the academic course calendar when deciding due dates for your assignments.

Reading Selection : When deciding what readings to include on your syllabus (if that is part of your course), it is again a good idea to read through old syllabi, both from your department and from online. Crowdsource suggestions from your colleagues and faculty members. Consider how much reading is appropriate to assign for one class period. Readings should feel productive for students, and their relevance to the lesson should be apparent. Think back to the shape of your course: where would each reading fit best? Are you teaching a history or literature class in which moving through texts chronologically makes the most sense? Should you arrange readings by topic or concept? Remember, too, that readings can build in difficulty as you move throughout the course.

Constructing Course Policies

Classroom Etiquette and Participation : Foster a welcoming environment in which students feel comfortable speaking. Be clear on the first day about your expectations regarding acceptable forms of participation. Discuss and demonstrate constructive ways to disagree with another student and emphasize the importance of mutual respect in the classroom. Include in your syllabus a policy on technology in the classroom (Will you allow laptops? What will happen if you catch a student texting?) Let students know early if your class will perform group work or require student presentations. Mark in your syllabus a weighted system of grades for these various types of participation and go over this grading system on the first day to demonstrate the importance of participation. Consider how you will handle students who never participate or students with attendance issues.

Grading System : Decide how you plan to grade assignments. You might design a rubric that you share with students or provide examples of “A” work vs. “B” or “C” work – again, transparency in your goals is important in helping students meet your expectations. Decide, also, how you will respond to assignments: What kind of commenting or feedback will you provide? Will you require brief meetings during office hours? Will you give a letter grade or a number grade? Consult with other faculty members in your department on the best practices regarding grading in your field. Whatever grading system you decide on, go over this system with your students on the first day. Let them know how you grade and what they can expect when a test or assignment is returned. Also be realistic with students about the time it takes you to grade! Let them know that it is an important

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process and that reviewing their work takes time. Set these precedents early to avoid issues later in the semester.

Establishing Authority

Setting Clear Goals : As I’ve indicated in the tips above, one of the best ways to get students on board with your course is to set clear goals, both for yourself and for your students. You might write an agenda on the board each day in class, indicating what the aim of the lesson is, or you might include signposts and goal-markers in your course calendar on your syllabus. A student is more likely to trust in your authority as the instructor if they can see clearly how the course is developing and what they are trying to achieve. Encourage students to set goals for themselves: do this early in the semester, and check in again around mid-term. When meeting or talking with students, discuss how they are (or are not) meeting both the goals you’ve set for them and the goals they have set for themselves.

Transparency, Openness, Expectations : Remember these three words as you design and teach your course. Be clear and specific about what to expect from students and clear and specific about the purpose and goal of every activity you do and why you have designed each lesson and assignment in the way that you have. You should also aim to be very open about your service to students. Emphasize your availability in office hours, your readiness to answer questions or concerns, and your willingness to hear ideas or suggestions that stray from the syllabus or assignment sheet. Be sure to note limitations, however, such as when you are not available (perhaps a certain hour at night in which students can no longer expect a prompt reply via email, for example) or when a student has strayed too far from the point of the lesson or course to be productive. This openness invites reciprocity in students. Because they know precisely what you expect from them, they understand your authoritative position as instructor. Because they know precisely what to expect from you, they can find you more approachable and easier to talk to.

Creating Feedback Loops : Feedback loops are a great way to keep a consistent and constant open dialogue with students about their work and performance in your class. Create opportunities to check in with students during office hours, and use your grading as another chance to check in with students and provide feedback. Think about grading less as a way to assess the single performance of the student on that particular assignment, and instead think about grading as part of a continuous feedback loop: How can your feedback or response to this particular assignment prepare and improve a student for the next step in the course?

Knowing Your Resources

Academic Calendar:o Always be sure to consult the UW academic calendar when designing your syllabus and

selecting due dates for assignments. You can find the calendar here: www.secfac.wisc.edu/academic-calendar.htm

Academic Misconduct Issues: o A good starting place is the “Academic Integrity” page on the Dean of Students Office

website: www.students.wisc.edu/doso/academic-integrity/ o You can also access the official university policy and procedures on academic

misconduct here: students.wisc.edu/doso/docs/UWS14.pdf DoIT:

o The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) offers several courses and workshops for your class or for you as the instructor that might prove beneficial depending on your

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course material. Visit their site to check out the types of classes they offer: http://www.doit.wisc.edu

McBurney Disability Resource Center:o McBurney offers specific resources for faculty and staff regarding students with

disabilities. These resources include, among many others, UW Disability Policies, media accessibility options, campus resources, optional training, and guidelines for including in your syllabus an invitation to students with disabilities to request accommodations. Visit: mcburney.wisc.edu/facstaffother/index/php#studentdis

MyUW:o The Teaching Tab in MyUW contains a wealth of resources on teaching, academics, and

course services. Requesting Textbooks:

o You might be teaching a class that requires certain textbooks. For information on how add required texts to a course, visit your Faculty Center in MyUW. For instructions on how to use the University Bookstore to place a textbook request, see: text.uwbookstore.com/SiteText/aspx?id=3750.

Other Resources:o Your Department Chair and Your School’s or College’s Dean

For issues related particularly to your field, it is often best to contact the chair of your department or any faculty member that performs TA training and mentorship services. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions!

o Dean of Students Office (www.students.wisc.edu/doso/) The Dean of Students Office is the place to address issues of academic

dishonesty, incidents of bias or hate, allegations of sexual assault, and reports of students of concern.

o Printing Resources If you are looking to print a course packet or collection of reading materials for

your students, there are several options on campus for you. StudentPrint is an RSO located in East Campus Mall (studentprint.rso.wisc.edu). There are also several Copy Centers located throughout campus such as the L&S Copy Center in Sewell Hall (copy.ls.wisc.edu), the Chemistry Fast Copy Center in Shain Tower (copycenter.chem.wisc.edu), and the School of Business Copy Center at Grainger Hall (bus.wisc.edu/about-us/building-conference/copy-center).

Long Lab Sessions That Don’t Sag in the Middlewith your host, Jesse Miller

Lab sessions that last for 2-3+ hours can be challenging for both students and TA's. This workshop will focus on strategies we can use to help our students (and ourselves) stay focused and engaged during long labs. Attendees are encouraged to bring any questions you have to discuss with the group. We can focus the workshop on whatever issues are of interest to you.

Engaging students from the beginning Creating a classroom environment where students are engaged in class activities from the

beginning of the first meeting will set a good tone for the class. Whenever possible, it's good to avoid giving lengthy lectures where students can zone

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out. Break up longer explanations at the beginning of the lab by asking questions of the

students. This can keep them involved while also assessing whether they're picking up what you're putting down. You can give an entire intro / lecture in question form, and make it into a group discussion.

Demonstrating enthusiasm for the material can make a huge difference in getting students excited and seeing why topics are important.

On this note, invoking your personal experience and your own research can be quite effective for showing students practical examples of topics at hand! It also gives you credibility as a scientist. This is key, especially if you are close to the students' age.

Remember students walk into class thinking about lunch, texting their friends, and football (or whatever else the kids do these days). To successfully engage them in lab, you must pull them out of this world for a couple hours—no small task.

Balance and boundaries Balance being friendly and fun with showing you take the science seriously and have

established boundaries for student conduct. If the students are on their phones during lab they will not focus on the material at hand

and the minutes will drag by slowly. Try to avoid letting the students expect to finish significantly early so they don't rush

through their experiments...but don't keep them prisoner either if there's no useful reason for them to stay.

Creating a comfortable environment Creating a warm environment where students (and you) feel comfortable is key to having

the time pass by joyously. Science tells us students learn far better when they feel a sense of belonging in the classroom, too.

Students from underrepresented groups, in particular, may have doubts about whether they belong in your classroom. You need to help them feel like they do.

Strive for a growth environment—meaning that students know they can start wherever they are, as opposed to feeling inadequately prepared.

For me, joking around with the students during my intro at the beginning of lab and having informal conversations during down time in lab contributes to a positive lab environment.

Do whatever feels natural given your personality to help you build positive relationships with your students

If at all possible, allow students to eat and drink in lab. In wet labs, perhaps you can allow them to eat or drink away from the work benches, or out in the hall. I will even allow students to order pizzas, etc, if they want. Low blood sugar can severely impede a student's ability to learn. Some people may not have time for lunch between their previous class and lab. And there's an important sense of comfort and community that comes about when people eat together.

Students will naturally become friends, but do what you can to encourage this process. (Group projects are helpful.)

Although you want students to feel comfortable, discourage behaviors that are detrimental to the collaborative environment you're trying to develop. For example,

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students shouldn't wear earbuds while they're working, generally.

Setting a sustainable pace Long labs can be exhausting for students and the TA. Keep your energy up by proceeding

at a relaxed pace and not rushing. Taking an “official” break can be helpful, depending on the nature of your lab. It gives

you and the students a few minutes to recharge. If you don't do this (or even if you do), make sure students know they can go to the bathroom when they need to, etc. Freshmen can still be in high school mode. It's kind of adorable when they ask to go, though.

If you are starting to feel burnt out by answering questions, etc. as students work, just leave the room for a couple minutes. If they burn down the lab in your absence, you will have more time to focus on your research while it is rebuilt.

Organization Giving students a road map of the plan for the day is a good move. Timing frequently doesn't work out quite as planned in long labs. It's important to be

flexible, and have contingency plans if things go faster or slower than expected. Handling surprises gracefully is a key opportunity to build credibility as a professional

with the students.

Improving the Quality of Class Discussion

David O’Brien – Department of Philosophy

One source of frustration that you may experience, or may already have experienced, is superficial student engagement with the material you’re teaching. In the workshop, we discuss ways of avoiding and remedying this problem. Here are the highlights:

I. Keep a learner-centered approach in mind A guiding principle: align what your students do in your discussion section with the

skills, knowledge, or dispositions you want them to have by the end of your course. A primary source of disengagement, or superficial engagement, is students who

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aren’t developing the skills they need to engage in the right way with your course material.

o Example: if you want your students to develop an ability to exchange and evaluate reasons, but students are often silent during your sections, there is some misalignment between your course goals and your section.

If you’re a TA, of course, the course goals are not entirely up to you. Confer with the primary instructor and plan accordingly.

II. Do some meta-cognition —think about your own role and presence in the classroom You set the tone and pace of your section, by e.g., the speed at which you talk, your

physical presence (whether you sit, stand, or walk around). Ask yourself, for each particular group of students, which strategy best achieves your learner-centered goals.

o Examples: An excitable group of students may benefit from you acting as a brake; a more passive group may benefit from an injection of energy.

Ask yourself what kind of questions you typically pose to your students. Are they requests for information or clarification about class material? Do they ask for impressions or opinions? For an argument or a reason in support of a position? Do your questions call for cooperative or individual problem-solving? Do your questions naturally lead to a series of one-to-one exchanges with various students, or to students engaging each other in conversation? Then ask yourself whether these question-types align with your learner-centered goals.

o Note: I try to avoid phrases like “Any questions?”, which can make questions seem like an unwelcome afterthought and are unlikely to elicit contributions from students who worry about not seeming up to speed or delaying their peers. If I have to ask something like this, I might say instead “I’m not sure I said that perfectly clearly. What was the least clear part of what I said?”

Ask yourself how you typically respond to student answers and comments. Do you immediately evaluate students’ responses? Do you rephrase what the student says? Do you ask other students to evaluate the response? Again, ask yourself which strategy conduces to your learner-centered goals.

III. Vary your classroom format It can be easy to let your sections to get stuck in a rut: same format, week-in, week-

out. This kind of predictability can be a source of disengagement or superficial engagement, if students become bored with it. The format of every meeting is up to you! Consider orchestrating a class-wide discussion; starting with some informal conversation; designing some group-work (see next section), or having an open session devoted to student questions.

A small, but useful device, especially for a quieter section, is the 60-second conference. Have students evaluate a question in pairs, for no more than a minute. It’s a small investment of class time, but I’ve found that once students start talking and try out an idea with a peer, they’re more willing to present it to others and

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discussion is easier to kick-start. Sixty-second conferences also make cold-calling easier: typically, at least one from each pair of students will be happy to report the content of their conference.

I’ve also found it useful to begin sections with a 60-second review of what we’ve done in the last meeting (or lecture), to re-orient students back into this class, its questions and its methods. (Remember, students probably come to your class directly from a very different one.) It’s also useful to preview the day’s agenda, so that students have cues about which topics will take up most of class discussion time and can plan their contributions accordingly.

IV. Spend time designing (and know how to design) effective group-work exercises Group work can be a fantastically effective technique to improve the quality of

student engagement. Well-designed group exercises allow you to align what students do, during your time together, with the skills, dispositions, or knowledge that you want them to have.

Some design principles and strategies:o Structure group work carefully: make sure that group size and roles are

congruent with the goals of the activity. Ask yourself if you want an open discussion or different students to play different roles within each group (e.g., you might appoint one student to be a ‘scribe’, one student to ask devil’s-advocate questions, etc.)

o Make sure the task is clearly defined. Ask yourself if you want groups to perform a single task or a series of connected tasks.

o Group work can be an excellent way to incorporate class readings into your section naturally: having students parse or analyze a difficult passage together allows them to develop their analytical skills and engage with more difficult material by drawing on each other’s insights and abilities.

o Leave sufficient time for a debrief or general class evaluation of each group’s solutions. It can be particularly effective, I’ve found, to give each group a different (but related) task, so that there is less repetition at this stage and more scope for productive discussion among groups.

o After leaving students some time to self-organize, consider circulating among the groups, asking if students have clarificatory questions, etc. Students are often more willing to talk to you in this lower-pressure setting, which can in turn make them more comfortable contributing to class-wide discussion.

V. Think about how to engage particularly reticent or quiet students Students may be quiet or reticent for a variety of reasons—they need not lack

interest in your class. However, diagnosing the source of an individual student’s disengagement in person can be tricky. If you have several or many very quiet students, consider instead an anonymous, written, mid-term survey to elicit some information.

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Some students may be unwilling to voice unpopular ideas, if you teach controversial material. To combat this, be clear that the focus is on evaluating ideas, reasons, and arguments, not people.

I’ve found that varying how you ask questions can be particularly helpful. Example: with smart but quiet students, it can be useful, when a class discussion runs up against a difficult issue, to involve them by saying something like: “X, can you help us out here? etc.” Often, students will be disposed to respond to a (genuine) request for help.

VI. Don’t reinvent the wheel—seek out expert resources If you encounter problems with class discussion in a particular section or semester,

you are certainly not the only person ever to have done so! There are a bunch of useful UW resources (e.g., Letters & Sciences Learning Support, http://lss.wisc.edu/, and the Delta Program (http://delta.wisc.edu/). Your union, the TAA, has an excellent set of resources (http://taa-madison.org/home/diversity-resources/) on inclusive teaching practices.

Effective Writing FeedbackAlberto Orellana-Campos, Health Communication, School of Journalism & Mass Communication

Grading papers and providing feedback are two of the most crucial duties of our jobs as Teaching Assistants. This is arguably one of the most time-consuming, energy-draining activities we have as graduate students, so how to make the best of it for our students and ourselves?

Feedback Essentials

Trust Your AbilityAs graduate students, we sometimes doubt our ability to evaluate others’ written work. In the end, aren’t we students too? However, Teaching Assistants are expert readers . That’s what we do. We read and write all the

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time. Most Teaching Assistants are working on an advanced degree in the very same subject area they are teaching, so no one knows what the TA is looking for in a writing assignment better than the TA.

Feedback Is Not AdviceYour role as a TA is twofold. You provide formative assessment to your students, and create opportunities for critical thinking in discussion sessions. Even though these are different tasks, they share a very important characteristic: they empower your students.

When you provide feedback, you give your students information about how they are doing in their efforts to reach an objective. You don’t tell them what to do, and you don’t do things for them. You tell them where they are at, and help them to keep moving forward while enhancing their performance. Your feedback should encourage them to take responsibility for their learning.

Simplify the Writing ProcessFor most undergraduate students, writing a research paper, essay, critique or short story can be a daunting task. To maximize your assignments’ potential and your students’ talents, make sure to divide the writing process in smaller units, and have tangible, transparent, actionable goals for each part.

If you would like your students to have a 10-page exploratory research paper by semester’s end, then perhaps one of the first steps will be to write an annotated bibliography, or a brief literature review. Take the time to explain

(1) what the task is about, (2) how it plays out in the larger scheme of things, and (3) why they need to do this at this stage.

In sum, present your writing assignments in manageable parts with tangible results related to the goal of both the smaller unit, and the final product.

Be ConstructiveEffective feedback is user-friendly. This means your comments and observations are specific, personalized, timely, and consistent.

More often than not you will find yourself pointing out your students’ shortcomings. Nevertheless, it is essential to keep feedback balanced, realistic and relatable. There is a fine line between being firm and being harsh. The last thing we want is to discourage our students with hostile remarks.

Feedback Strategies

Communicating FeedbackFinding a system for supplying effective feedback takes time. It is very possible you will not feel entirely satisfied with your feedback strategies the first time you teach a course –and this is fine. For developing a system that fulfills your needs and your students,’ you may need to test different approaches. So it is key to explain how you go about feedback thoroughly. There is nothing students appreciate more than clarity.

Comments & ObservationsWhether you write feedback on paper or digital copy, all your observations should answer a simple question in your students’ minds: what specifically should I do more or less of next time, based on the comments I am receiving?

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Peer ReviewsWhenever possible, schedule peer review exercises. When you promote peer reviewing, not only do your students understand your role as grader more clearly, but they also become more attuned to quality writing. Moreover, peer review exercises increase accountability and help ease some of your workload.

Conferences with StudentsProgramming student conferences demands precious time that graduate students often don’t have. Yet, these meetings can accomplish a great deal, particularly with struggling or difficult students. Avoid at all costs engaging in long email back-and-forths with students.

Tips in a New York Minute

Focus on the big issuesUnless the goal of the paper involves grammar and style, don’t get caught up with grammar mistakes, typos, misspellings and the like. If the problems are serious, point them out in a paragraph or two, set up a conference, refer the student to the Writing Center, or all of the above.

Avoid making the page bleedExtremely detailed feedback may be counterproductive. Instead, focus on major issues.

Use a rubric or checklistThis will help you target your feedback to the most important areas, manage your grading time more effectively, and communicate what you are looking for tangibly.

Provide general feedback for the whole classIf you see a pattern of common errors, don’t write the same comment over and over again. Instead, dedicate some time in discussion to go over these general mistakes.

Budget grading time wiselyThe worst thing you can do is fall behind in your grading. Grading marathons are a recipe for burnout and poor feedback.

Getting the Most out of Your Teaching ExperienceStacy Priniski, Department of Psychology

Many TAs feel underprepared and unconfident about their ability to teach a course, even after several semesters of teaching. It is easy for us to believe that the limited list of teaching tasks TAs complete means that we’re not “real” teachers, or not ready for “real” teaching. The purpose of this workshop is to help TAs leverage their teaching experiences to build their confidence as educators, get the teaching skills they need, and prepare to sell themselves as educators on the job market.

Part 1: Building Your Confidence as an Educator

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Master your tasks: Different types of TAships involve different teaching tasks. If you can get a variety of TAships throughout your graduate career and master the tasks for each, you’re well on your way to an impressive teaching tool kit.

Leading a discussion section:o Discussion TAs gain important experience in classroom management. You learn how to

read a room and what to do when students are disengaged, confused, off task, etc. You learn how to get the conversation going with a silent room, and how to quiet a rowdy room and get students back on task.

o Discussion TAs can get a lot of experience with group work, learning what types of activities tend to engage students, how to keep students on-subject in small-group discussions, etc.

Leading a lab section: o Lab TAs (in my experience) spend the most time in front of a classroom of students

“teaching.” You learn to be clear in presenting material, doing demonstrations, etc. You learn to gauge whether your students are following what you’re saying. You learn to field questions (and how to create a classroom environment that encourages students to ask them).

Large-lecture TAs:o TAs in a large-lecture course (with no labs or discussion sections) tend to get more

experience with the administrative side of teaching, handling exam grading, posting grades, etc. You get to see some of the day-to-day tasks that are important for keeping a course running smoothly.

o Large-lecture TAs also learn how to support students who often feel overwhelmed and anonymous in the classroom. Especially for first-year students, having a warm welcome in office hours or a TA who remembers your name can make all the difference.

Give yourself some credit! Even if you never teach a course solo, TAing provides lots of opportunities to build some of the most important “intangible” skills you’ll need as an educator.

Navigating teacher-student relationships: As a TA, you will be constantly honing your relationship skills. You’ll learn how to build rapport and respect with your students. You’ll learn to balance firmness with understanding, and friendliness with professionalism. You’ll learn how to communicate with students to set clear and high expectations and give them the confidence to meet those expectations.

Balancing research, teaching, and personal life: This is an absolutely essential skill for an academic, and can make all the difference in determining your level of success as both a researcher and educator, not to mention your ability to retain your sanity as a person. TAships give you opportunities to practice, practice, practice this balancing act: and we all know that practice makes perfect!

Part 2: Advocate for Yourself as an Educator

Get the experiences you need: Even with all the skills you get from TAing, there may be other experiences you wish you had. Go get them! Most professors will be more than happy to help you out, and to have your help. Here are some ideas:

Writing a syllabus: Write your own syllabus for your discussion or lab section. Ask the professor if you can sit it on their syllabus writing or just meet with them to learn about their process.

Giving a lecture: Many professors will let their TAs give a lecture, and will even give you slides they’ve used before, so you’ll have a head start.

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Writing an exam: Ask your professor if you can help write/revise their exam. Talk to them about their testing philosophy. It’s great if you can do this with multiple professors.

Plan lab/discussion activities: Even if the professor already has all the activities planned, they will often be receptive to your ideas.

Get feedback! Most professors will observe you once if you teach a lab or discussion section. Ask them for extensive feedback. Ask them if they’re willing to observe more than once. Talk to other TAs about what they’re doing that’s working/not working.

Part 3: Selling Yourself as an Educator

Build a teaching portfolio: It may seem like a long way off, but someday you’ll be on the job market, and you’ll be asked to sell yourself as an educator.

Keep a record: Make note of your achievements as a TA- what you’re teaching and what you’re learning about teaching. Save your TA evals. Save materials you create/help create.

Take advantage of resources: Make use of the L&S Teaching Assistants Resource Center (www.ls.wisc.edu/ta.html). There are lots of resources online- find the ones that speak to you.

Transparency in TeachingJesse Stavis, Department of Slavic Languages and Literature

Much of the advice that is generally given to first time teachers focuses on the importance of maintaining professional distance between students and instructors. You have probably been told to “be friendly, but not a friend,” to avoid discussing your personal life in class, to not accept friend requests from students on Facebook, and to refrain from giving your phone number out to your students. While this is often good advice, there is such a thing as being too distant. When students perceive that an instructor is aloof or unrelatable, they can lose a powerful source of motivation: the desire to please another human being and gain their respect. Excessive distance can also result in misunderstandings about your expectations and

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approaches to teaching. Even the best, most thorough plans for achieving learning outcomes will not succeed if you fail to effectively communicate them to your students. By focusing on cultivating transparency in your teaching, you can create a productive and open classroom environment characterized by mutual respect between students and instructors without risking excessive familiarity.

What is transparency? -Transparency is a broad principle that can be applied to many levels of the student-instructor relationship -Interpersonal transparency: honestly communicating your own strengths and weaknesses, the sources of your passion (or lack thereof!) for a given topic, your experiences as a learner, and your life outside of the classroom.

-Transparency in learning outcomes and strategies: clearly explaining the reason that you have required a given assignment and the role that it will play in achieving broader learning outcomes. Telling students why you have chosen a given approach to a subject and candidly acknowledging both the strengths and weaknesses of your approach.

-Transparency in assignments and grading: clearly communicating your expectations and the methods you will use to evaluate work.

-Transparency in instructor self-evaluation: acknowledging your own failures. If you design an exercise/activity and it ends up being a complete disaster, acknowledge this. If a meeting is less productive than you had hoped, apologize at the end of class and promise that the next meeting will go better. Your students will appreciate your candor.

Transparency from day 1: How to maximize your introduction to students -Think carefully about what you want your students to know about you, the course, and your expectations for them on the first day of class. - Clearly communicate your expectations for learning outcomes. -Briefly tell your students what your daily life is like. Remember: many undergraduates don’t really know what a graduate student or a TA is. At this stage of your career, you are probably still taking classes. If you are, then you should feel free to tell your students that your life is very similar to theirs. -Explain your approach to grading. Many students believe that an ‘A’ is the only acceptable grade. If you think that a student who works hard and applies him/herself should be satisfied with a ‘B,’ tell them this on the first day and remind them throughout the semester. In courses where it is impossible to grade assignments with complete objectivity, feel free to admit that there is a certain degree of arbitrariness in grading and offer to explain your evaluations and/or consider challenges to grades at any time. -Incorporate mid-term course evaluations. Give students an opportunity to tell you what they think about your class before the end of the semester. Even more importantly, acknowledge the critiques that they raise during the next meeting. Explain what you plan to do to incorporate them or why you have chosen not to. If ten people wrote that punctuation exercises are helpful and four people said that they are a waste of time, you should note this when explaining why you will continue to assign them. This way the four critics will not feel ignored.

The pitfalls of transparency-Do not use transparency as an excuse for laziness. It is ok to explain that it will take you more time than you anticipated to grade an assignment. It is not ok to explain that you are running behind because you spent the last week on your fantasy football team, even if this is true.-Avoid criticizing the textbook or the professor. -Don’t allow transparency to become self-involvement. Being transparent does not mean making the class all about you and your experience. Be conscious of the importance of maintaining a student-centered classroom.-Avoid excessive self-criticism. It is ok to admit that you are not an expert on a given subject. It is not ok to present yourself as unqualified or incompetent. Remember: you almost certainly know more than your students.

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-***NEVER FORGET : what is said in class WILL be repeated to other students and your colleagues and CANNOT be taken back. It may be the case that you first truly understood Foucault when you took LSD in a Himalayan village, but this is something that you probably don’t need to tell your students.

Transparency as an organizing principle: The daily agenda-A daily agenda is a modified lesson plan that is distributed to students at the beginning of each class. It clearly explains the goals of the lesson and outlines the topics that you plan to discuss. -The agenda should begin with: 1) a skeleton outline of topics that you plan to address during the meeting; 2) a reminder of what assignments are due on the next meeting; 3) (optional but recommended) a list of materials included in the packet-You can then include exercises you plan to do during class along with supplementary materials. It is a good idea to include more material than you plan to cover, just in case you spend less time on a given activity than you had anticipated.-Make an annotated copy of the agenda for yourself. This will serve as your lesson plan.-Email the daily agenda to all students and/or post it on your course website. This will save you substantial time in responding to emails from students who missed class or who are confused about deadlines.

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Making Discussion Effective:Developing Materials and Classroom Practices for Students’ Needs

Yun Su, Department of Mathematics

Many students take more than four classes or have part-time jobs, keeping them very busy. A well-planned discussion section can help students learn efficiently and enthusiastically. The purpose of this workshop is to provide you with some guidelines to successfully motivate students and make class effective. When you apply these tools to your own classroom this fall, you will be pleased at how enjoyable effective teaching and learning can be.

Motivate students and keep them engaged.Be friendly. On the first day of class, I always ask my students to introduce themselves

and ask for their suggestions about how they would like me to run the class. I also try to get closer to my students by telling them about myself (like some funny stories and my favorite food etc.) throughout the semester.

Get their attention. For example, I always make math look more interesting by bringing colored chalk to class. Sometimes I keep students' attention by drawing simple, cute pictures for word problems. To motivate my students and keep them engaged, I try to relate course materials to real life problems whenever possible.

Create a comfortable learning environment. Occasionally throwing in some stories and jokes helps produce a relaxed and fun classroom atmosphere. Sometimes I ask students to work in groups so that they can get to know each other and talk. When students can get closer to each other, it is easier for them to work out problems together. On a sunny day, I will hold my class outside on the lawn and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Emphasize critical thinking. I always emphasize the reasons why certain facts are true, instead of having my students simply memorize them. I solve problems in multiple methods in order to address different thinking strategies and approaches. I also encourage my students not to be afraid of being wrong. Making mistakes is a natural part of learning. The next step is to figure out why such mistakes were made. This critical thinking process deepens students' understanding of a concept.

Make class time effective.Attend lecture to know which topics are being covered and which methods the instructor

uses. Knowing what the professor says in class is very important. As TAs, we want to teach in ways that are consistent with the professor's methods so that we won't confuse students.

Have a good plan before the discussion, using worksheets. I usually write out some definitions or theorems which they just learned in lecture, followed by problems similar to their homework. During discussion, students will form groups to discuss the problems. Sometimes, they will have a chance to write their own solutions on the blackboard so that the whole class can go over them and give them immediate feedback. In this way, they notice which parts they need to improve on or to be more careful with during the exams.

Get students involved in class. It is easy for students to take on the role of the audience, instead of the main role of learners. Working in groups and presenting solutions will help students practice clearly stating their thoughts. Explaining ideas to peers can help students to deepen their understanding of the concepts. Students can learn from each other and build up their confidence and learning skills.

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Structure the class as a progression. Most of the students will not study the material before coming to discussion, so it is often best to start class off with basic questions and review, which helps them to warm up. Then move on to slightly more difficult problems.

Well-organized blackboard and clear handwriting are very important. You can often see from the students' faces when they are lost. When going over a problem, stop at each step and see whether they follow. Some students may be sleepy, hungry or distracted by something, so a well-organized blackboard and clear handwriting can help them easily follow you.

Post useful materials online. Sometimes, I will post worksheet solutions, quiz solutions, or some solutions of hard problems of their homework. That way, if they don't get the concept in discussion, they can read at home. This is also helpful for students who may need to miss a class and need to catch up.

Ask students to make a mistake-sheet. Whenever they make a mistake in their homework or quiz, ask them to write it down. Then before the exams, they can review this sheet and remind themselves do not make the same error again in the exam. Also, ask them to check their answers again and again during the exam.

Put on your student shoes. Up to now, my role as a student has made me a better teacher by showing me what styles of learning I prefer. I enjoy being a student in a class with a happy and relaxed atmosphere. Clear hand writing on the blackboard and a well-organized class help me understand the material. Since English is not my first language, I know the importance of the volume of my voice, the speed at which I speak, and the organization of blackboard notes.

Always be approachable to the students. Through office hours and emails, I make it clear that I am always available to those with questions or additional interests in math. I view it as a part of my job to ensure that students know I am available to help.

Remember these key points.Never disagree with the instructor in front of the students. Sometimes, you might have

different ideas from those of the instructor. For example, if you know a way to solve a problem more easily than the way the instructor teaches it, then you should discuss this with the instructor before sharing it with the students.

Never say “This problem is easy, you should know this” to your students. For example, students taking high-level calculus class might still make algebraic errors. Do not expect them to remember everything they have learned. They might have learned the material a long time ago, or they may have forgotten it after a summer. Let them know it is ok to make mistakes, and if they can learn from their mistakes, they should do well in the exams.

Encourage students when they are upset about their grades. Students care about grades very much and some of them will get frustrated when they have low quiz scores. Encourage students and let them know quizzes and homework are intended to help us prepare them for exams. If we know what they are struggling with, we can help them improve by making a study plan and doing more corresponding exercises.

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International TAs: How to Build Confidence

Mei Zhang, School of Library and Information StudiesIntended for international TAs, especially whose native language is not English

International TAs, like their American peers, might encounter many challenges that are common to all TAs. But international TAs may have unique challenges as well, due to different cultural backgrounds. Additionally, they may be concerned about their language skills.

This workshop aims to provide techniques and resources to help incoming international TAs become more confident teachers.

Before the class• Do NOT panic about your English. Your TA appointment is a confirmation of your English as

a qualified TA in the university. Yes, you might have an accent or make some grammatical mistakes, but these variances should not become obstacles when communicating with your students. In many cases, native speakers are more accommodating of errors and foreign accents than you may expect. You may also want to use online dictionaries to check the pronunciation of any terms you are uncertain about before class.

- Communicate with the professor. A TA is a bridge between the professor and the students. You should maintain regular communication with the professor, not only about the detailed tasks you are supposed to cover in each session, but also to ensure that you have the same understanding of general rules for the class. The professor is a primary source for an international TA to learn about American classroom culture.

- Establish collaborative relationships with your fellow TAs. If the class has multiple TAs, you can work as a team to develop the activities covered by your sections. You can always consult with other TAs about any situations you’ve encountered in your class, because it is highly likely that they have similar problems. It is important to maintain consistency for a co-taught class, especially regarding the grading policy across different sections, which helps you grade fairly. Some international TAs tend to be harder graders due to the grading systems in their home countries which can be more rigid. Other international TAs might be easier graders because they try to prevent having students complain about their grades and attributing it to the international background of their TAs.

- Attend the international TA training provided by the ESL department. The training covers topics like communication skills and cultural differences, and attendees will practice what they’ve learnt in the training through multiple activities, such as mock lectures, and panel discussions with American undergrads about their expectation of TAs. Also, the training is an ideal place for you to meet with other international TAs on campus. More info can be found at http://www.english.wisc.edu/esl/itatraining-main.htm.

- Download the photo roster of the class. The photo roster provides the classlist with students’ photos, which help you know your students even before the class begins. You can also check the photo roster when you just forget the name of a student. The photo roster can be downloaded through “MyUW— Faculty center—My Schedule.”

- Develop a teaching plan. A structured teaching plan allows you to teach your class in an organized and effective way. The plan includes the activities you’d like to cover, such as the

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discussion questions for a reading, or the exercises for mid-term preparation, and the time you’d like to spend on each activity. Try to make your teaching plan as detailed as possible.

During the class- Clarify your roles/responsibilities/rules as a TA. In the very first class, it is highly encouraged

that you clarify your role, because there might be gaps between your understanding and the students’ expectations regarding your TA responsibilities. Some other information should be covered in the first class, including but not limited to: your office hours, your email and rules for responding to students’ emails, grading policy, and rules for in-class laptop use.

- Acknowledge your differences. Be honest with the students about your differences related to your teaching, such as your accent, your different cultural background, or your limited knowledge of a certain area, so that students can adjust their expectations before they challenge you in the class.

- Be familiar with your students. Try to become familiar with your students as soon as possible. In addition to the photo roster, you can also ask them to use name tags in the first few weeks, and then try to call them by their names without name tags. Also, your office hours are another way to get to know your students.

- Provide an overview at the beginning of each class. The overview works as a roadmap of the topics that will be covered in the class. It is also like a contract between you and the students, promising what you will cover that day. A well-designed teaching plan is an effective tool for providing the preview of the class.

- Be comfortable with silence. It is not uncommon to encounter silence during your class, so it is very important NOT to assume that you’ve asked a bad question, or that the students cannot understand what you’ve said. Just wait. A student will eventually say something, whether it is an answer or a request for clarification. You can also tell your students that you will wait until someone responds.

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