TA conference
Conference helps newly appointed graduate TAs transition to teaching
3:25 p.m., Aug. 23, 2013--The University of Delaware’s annual conference for graduate teaching assistants (TAs) was held Tuesday, August 20 in the Trabant University Center and Gore Hall. The annual event is co-sponsored by the Center for Teaching & Assessment of Learning, the Office of Graduate and Professional Education, and the Graduate Student Government.
The conference introduced newly appointed TAs to UD’s teaching community and was designed to provide a supportive forum to help TAs transition into the teaching roles and responsibilities.
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Over 200 newly appointed TAs attended the conference. They represented 26 academic programs across the university. In addition, 23 TA Fellows and several faculty and staff from academic programs across the university volunteered their time to share their expertise, experiences and instructional practices with the conference participants. Many of the conference facilitators were recommended by their departments and actively work to improve their teaching by attending teaching conferences and seminars.
All conference participants attended a panel co-facilitated by senior TAs at UD who reflected on their teaching experiences at UD and shared strategies for enhancing student learning and becoming an effective teaching assistant. The participants also attended an afternoon session on approaching diversity in the classroom, facilitated by representatives from the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
Throughout the day, various concurrent sessions were offered to the newly appointed TAs on such topics as enhancing learning through technology, being part of an instructional team with a course instructor, academic policies, engaging students through active learning, tips for the effective implementation of office hours, and effective classroom communication.