Collaborative Teaching
From UCSB English Department Knowledge Base
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Teaching sections for the first time can seem a daunting task. In order to make teaching more pleasurable and effective, we suggest that you work with other first-time TAs and more experienced teachers. The following are suggestions for TAs who would like to approach teaching in a more collaborative manner.
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[edit] Preparing for Section
- Plan section together. It might be helpful for you and another TA to discuss your goals for section and develop a lesson plan that will assist you in meeting those goals. Several TAs have taught sections for the same course in the past; they may have materials that would be useful to you (handouts, section notes, outside materials, critical works, etc.). If you are working with other first-time TAs, they may have a greater familiarity with the works that you are reading for class; perhaps they can help you flush out important concepts in the text or give you fresh insights.
- Ask another TA to critique your lesson plans and handouts. Many TAs prefer preparing for section on their own. Even if this is your preference, it is still helpful to have others review your plans for section. Other TAs might be helpful in spotting the rough areas in your lesson and anticipating student questions about the material. Also, more experienced TAs will be able to tell you if your lesson plan is too long/short or too difficult/easy.
- Discuss different types of activities to do in section. Sometimes it is easy to get into a rut in section because you find certain activities work and others do not. Although you might have certain lesson plans that generally go well, you risk boring your students and yourself by doing the same types of activities over and over. Several TAs have developed innovative and exciting ways of presenting material to students--activities that you might never have dreamt up on your own. Use other teachers and the EDKB Wiki as resources for new ideas. Share your innovations and strategies with others as well.
[edit] Facilitating Section
- Ask another TA to co-facilitate a section or sections with you. A colleague may have expertise in a certain topic or work of literature. Ask her or him to team-teach a section with you. Perhaps she or he can do a short summary of the material, lead a discussion, and/or clarify concepts for your students. Although the colleague may have more experience with the material, both of you should take an active role in the team-taught section so as not to reduce your credibility as the section's ultimate authority. Volunteer to facilitate one of the colleague's sections in return.
- Some TAs for the same course have taught all their sections together. Of course, teaching together for 10 weeks can be a great experience, but if you should decide to try extensive team teaching, please get the consent of your supervising professor first.
- Ask another TA to sit in on a section. It is sometimes helpful to have another TA evaluate your performance. You might give a colleague a list of things to look for when watching you (for example, your body language, the ways in which you interact with students, the pace and flow of your delivery). After section, you and the colleague can discuss what went well and what needs work. And then return the favor. Observe the same TA and critique her or his performance. In watching others teach, you will also get ideas for running your sections more effectively.
- We suggest that you do these teaching observations three or four weeks after your first section. Before you ask another TA to come into your classroom, you should first develop a rapport with your students, learn their names, and get a feel for the classroom dynamic on your own. It is interesting to see how your performance changes when a non-student comes to section. Having a colleague critique you will help prepare you for your supervising professor's visit and her or his subsequent evaluation of your classroom performance.
- Process how your section went with another TA. It is a good idea to discuss a particularly challenging section with someone else. Another TA can help you maintain perspective on a difficult situation and come up with a game plan for the next section. The support of a colleague may be just what you need in order to get back into the fray. Offer the same support to others when you can.
[edit] Developing Other Teaching Skills
- Observe another TA guest lecture for her or his class. Professors often ask their TAs to guest lecture; some professors require that their assistants lecture, while others make lecturing optional. Developing and delivering a lecture is a very different experience from preparing a section. Try to get a good amount of exposure to the process of lecturing so that you feel prepared when you find yourself behind the podium. Help another TA plan her or his lecture. Volunteer to watch another TA rehearse and ask others to watch you. Lecturing and watching others lecture will help you to cultivate strong public speaking skills, which are necessary for effective seminar and conference presentations. Also, remember that you will have opportunities to teach your own classes in the future; get as much experience speaking in front of large groups as you can so that you are reasonably comfortable with lecturing when these teaching opportunities arise.
- Volunteer to be a member of the TA Training committee. After you have had a full year of TAing, consider applying for a facilitator's/lead TA position. In addition to earning a stipend, you and the other members of the Committee will have the opportunity to organize and present teaching workshops; you can look upon this experience as another type of teaching. Working as a member of the committee is an excellent way to make a contribution to the department and a great item for your CV.
[edit] Working with Students Outside of Section
- In the case of a dispute with a student over a grade ask another TA to evaluate the exam or essay in question. Another opinion may cause you to reconsider the grade or help you to stay firm in your initial decision. Sometimes a professor is helpful in this situation also. In either case, you should let the student know that someone else will be reading her or his work.
- Ask another TA to be present during a difficult or potentially confrontational interaction with a student. It is often very helpful to have another person mediate or observe such interactions. Once again, your supervisor might be helpful here as well (some professors prefer to deal with an agitated student after the TA has done everything she or he can do). Ask the student if the presence of a third party is acceptable. If the student does not feel comfortable with this arrangement but still wishes to meet with you, conduct the meeting in a place that is more public yet still appropriate (for example, in your office with the door open or in the Sankey Room). Meeting under such conditions encourages the student to continue to conduct herself or himself with discretion and respect.
