CS&E TA Training Resources

Welcome to the TA training page for CSci TAs. 

There are, of course, many possible TA training resources. Which resources will be most useful to which TAs will depend on TA background, TA duties, the class, etc. There is no one-size-fits-all training. So this note contains two lists: First a list of some resources the department recommends for all TAs. And the second is a longer list of  additional training resources. 

Here is the first list, of some general, recommended resources

  • Clarifying TA Duties. TA work varies from class to class, so it is important to clarify what duties TAs will be in charge of.
  • Working with the CS&E Front Desk. The CS&E front desk does a variety of tasks for teachers, TAs, and students. This document describes how TAs can work effectively with the front desk.
  • Advice from Other TAs. This advice file was written in the summer of 2020, so much of the advice involves online TAing. However, there are a number of items that apply to both online and in-person TAing.
  • Commonly used tools (Zoom, Canvas, Gradescope, …)
  • Expectations. This clarifies some expectations for TAs and faculty working with TAs. (It is written for graduate TAs, but many items also apply to undergraduate TAs as well.)
  • List of some University workshops. A number of University centers and offices have training workshops or other resources.

Here are additional resources

  • Resources Related to TA Duties
    • Being a Head TA. Some TAs are asked to take on special roles or manage other TAs. This file discusses the duties involved in the “head” or “lead” TA roles.
    • Giving Effective Feedback. Giving students feedback is an important part of TA work. This document focuses on how to give particularly helpful feedback.
    • Recording and Managing Videos. This contains links to a number of resources about videos.
    • Effective Discussion Forums. A discussion forum is a key part of many classes. However, using a discussion forum well is non-trivial. This document links to some articles about using discussion forums effectively.
    • Constructing and Proofreading Problems. One skill faculty identified as being particularly important for TAs was writing or proofreading problems. This resource presents tips for doing this well.
    • “Sticky” Teaching. Advice on giving presentations. Contains six useful tips.
    • Five Minute Workshops. Quick strategy for helping students using only a small amount of lab or discussion time.
    • Handbook for TAs of Writing-Heavy Classes. This handbook contains detailed information for TAs in writing intensive (or other writing-heavy) classes.
  • Supporting Student Learning
    • Supporting Multilingual Students (and all students). This document is from the U’s College of Continuing and Professional Studies. Although it focuses on supporting multilingual students in online classes, much of the advice is relevant to all students in any type of class, in-person or online. 
    • Teaching Inclusively. How do we reach all students in the classes we teach? This document links to a Chronicle of Higher Education advice guide that contains useful advice on this question.
    • Creating a Welcome Video. A good way to introduce yourself to your class is through a short welcome video posted to the class website. This document discusses what to include in such a video.
    • Fostering Student Motivation. Student motivation is an essential part of learning. This document provides some advice on how to motivate students.
    • Some Observations From the Book Making the Most of College General background on teaching and learning.
  • General Information and Advice About Online TAing. Although most of this semester’s classes are in-person, some are online or have parts that are online. Here are some resources about online teaching and TAing.
    • Some Quick Tips for Online TAing.  This is a short department document with some basic advice about TAing online classes.
    • The U’s Online Learning 101 class. This class is an online course for students that provides them useful information about how to learn, and learn well, online.
    • Online Teaching Advice Guide. This guide, from the Chronicle of Higher Education, provides both general pedagogical advice, and specific tips, about online teaching.
    • More General Background on Online Teaching/TAing (ACUE online toolkit). This is another excellent external resource about online teaching and TAing. While not all information on it is relevant for TAs, much is.
    • Fall 20 CS&E Training Site. This is the home page for the Fall 20 TA training site. Although some items here are dated, others might still be useful. In particular, there is much information about online teaching that could be useful for TAs whose work is partially or fully online this semester.

 

(last updated Aug. 24, 2024)

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