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Finding Support as a First-Time TA

By Sarah Murray |

While the first quarter you work as a Teaching Assistant (TA) may feel overwhelming, know that you don't need to worry! There is support--ranging from workshops, campus resources, and professional development events--to help support you as you build your teaching skills.  Read on to find out about resources on-campus and online that can help you feel prepared and ready to take on new challenges!

 

[Image Description: A collie dog sits on a couch in a library, appears to flip through a binder of notes]

Caption: You, preparing for the first day of a new quarter

 

Looking to learn some tips and tricks to keep students engaged? The Teaching Assistant Development Program (TADP) team offers between 5-7 workshops per quarter. These are open to anyone and designed to cover a range of topics of interest to both first-time and returning TAs. Check out the schedule for Winter quarter here:

 

Integrating Technology into your Classroom

  • Wednesday, January 22nd at 10:00 AM in Life Sciences 1425
  • Are you looking to adopt new and interesting technologies to engage your students? This workshop will introduce TAs to a variety of resources to increase student interaction and streamline assessments.

Student-Centered Teaching

  • Tuesday, January 28th at 12:00 PM in Life Sciences 1425
  • Come learn some easy-to-learn and easy-to-implement techniques that you can immediately incorporate into your classroom to enhance your teaching effectiveness.

Teaching Demos

  • Monday, February 3rd at 10:00 AM in Life Sciences 1425
  • Would you like some low-stakes feedback on your teaching and presentation skills? Bring a 5-minute presentation (visual aids optional) and get valuable feedback from the TADP team.

Leading Effective STEM Labs

  • Monday, February 10th at 2:00 PM in Life Sciences 1425
  • Are your labs lethargic? Are your students stumped by the manual and you can’t help them? Join the TADP team to discover techniques to engage your students and keep them on task during lab sessions.

Challenges Beyond the Classroom

  • Wednesday, February 19th at 1:00 PM in Life Sciences 1425
  • TAs have responsibilities in and outside of the classroom that the GSA-DIAL rep. can help you navigate. Join us for scenarios and potential examples explaining how to use various campus resources like Title IX and DIAL to address violations of boundaries in a productive way.

TA Roundtable – CHASS

  • Thursday, February 27th at 1:00 PM in Life Sciences 1425
  • Are you a TA in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences? Come discuss your teaching experiences and share strategies for success with other CHASS TAs and the TADP team.

 

You can sign-up for workshops online. GradSuccess also posts past workshops for you to view online if you are unable to attend in person. You can review the topics covered and watch the videos on their website.

 

[Image Description: The economics teacher from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off calls “Bueller? Bueller?” to an unresponsive classroom.]

Caption: Come to our workshops and learn techniques to keep your students focused so you don't end up like this

 

Are you unsure if you know how to deal with a student experiencing a possible crisis? Here are a few campus resources to help:

 

  • Student Affairs Case Management provides a helpful chart to refer to when you encounter a student in crisis. You can find it here
  • Case Management is also a great resource for TAs, they offer consultations by phone at (951) 827-5000 weekdays between the hours of 2-4PM or by email at casemanager@ucr.edu
  • You can also refer to Counseling and Physiological Services. They have a handy webpage to use if you see a student in distress. You can also consult with a clinician over the phone, by calling (951)827-5531 during regular business hours
  • Finally, if you believe a student is in a health or safety emergency, call UCPD by dialing 911 on a campus phone or calling (951) 827-5222 on any phone

 

 

[Image Description: A corgi lays on its back happily while a human vacuums the dog’s exposed belly]

Caption: It feels good to be prepared

 

Eager for more pedagogy? In Spring Quarter, GradSuccess hosts Teaching Careers Week. This multi-day event includes Teaching Development Day and other programming designed to help students pursue futures in teaching. Events are geared to those in the early years of their degree and those who will be on the job market soon. Check back at the beginning of Spring Quarter to register. More information can be found here.

 

[Image Description: Roz, from the movie Monsters, Inc. tells the viewer “you forgot to turn in your paperwork last night.”]

Caption: That’s one way to keep students accountable

 

TADP is here to help you succeed! Stop by to see us in person, in University Office Building, room 141 from 9AM-4:30PM or reach out via phone at (951)827-3386 or email tadp@ucr.edu. We also offer peer support office hours, which can be booked at: https://ucr.mywconline.com/. These office hours are an easy way to get one-on-one advice.

Happy Teaching!

 

[Image Description: Isis, from the movie Bring it On, looks confidently at the camera and says, “Bring it.”]

Caption: You, feeling confident and ready to start TAing