Teaching Assistant Orientation (TAOR)

1. Teaching Assistant Orientation (TAOR) • Chantal Levesque-Bristol George Hollich • Director CIE Associate Professor of Psychology • Professor of Educational Studies • Fostering optimal learning environments

2. Welcome to taor! • Complete the Pre-Survey • CTW-1 and Certificate program • Today’s agenda

3. Sessionobjectives • In this session you will be able to… • Describe three domains of teaching knowledge • Identify TA roles and connect them to domains of teaching knowledge • Describe ways to foster optimal learning environments

4. domains of teaching knowledge • Instructional knowledge • Pedagogical knowledge • Curricular knowledge

5. domains of teaching knowledge Instructional knowledge • CONTENT • (What?)

6. domains of teaching knowledge CURRICULAR knowledge • CURRICULUM • (Why?)

7. domains of teaching knowledge Pedagogical knowledge • PROCESS • (How?)

8. What will you mostly do as a TA? Vote for each one that is applicable • Grade assignments ‘V134871’ • Conduct labs ‘V134872’ • Teach recitation sections ‘V134873’ • Hold office hours ‘V134874’ • Having full responsibility for the course ‘V134875’

9. TA ROLES AND CONNECTION WITH DOMAINS OF TEACHING KNOWLEDGE • Most of you will be involved with: • Grade assignments • Conduct labs • Teach recitation sections • Hold office hours • Only a few of you will be • Having full responsibility for the course

10. What can you do? What do you control? • Curriculum? • Content (Instructional Knowledge)? • Pedagogy?

11. Ways to foster optimal learning • Increasing your pedagogical knowledge

12. Question? • What are some words which describe teaching excellence? • Text M2895 followed by your reply • to (765) 560-4177 • Or use the note cards provided

13. Inspiring Passionate about Subject Thought Provoking Supportive CARING organized Build Competence Learning Guide/Facilitator

14. Describe ways to foster optimal learning • Engage students in the learning process – Active Learning • Consider student motivation

15. Student motivation • Self-Determination Theory is a motivational theory based in over 40 year of research • www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT

16. relatedness • Make a connection

17. relatedness • If dialogue is encouraged between students and teachers and among students (in and out of class), thus creating a community of learners, student motivation and engagement can be increased Learning cooperatively, not competitively

18. relatedness - applications • What do you think? How could you foster students’ relatedness and community of learners in your role as a TA? • Text M2896 followed by your reply to (765) 560-4177 • OR • Use a post-card, write one idea. Pass the post-cards to the left of the row when you are done.

19. competence • give them skills

20. Competence • Clearly articulated expectations, goals, learning outcomes, course requirements, and timely feedback, increase student motivation and improve learning Clear goals Timely feedback Informational feedback

21. Empirical evidence - competence Informational and timely feedback • Instructors who provided information and timely feedback had students who … Motivation Informational and timely feedback

22. Empirical evidence - competence Informational and timely feedback • Instructors who provided information and timely feedback had students who … Performance and Success Informational and timely feedback

23. competence - applications • What do you think? How could you foster students’ competence in your role as a TA? How could you coach your students? • Text M2896 followed by your reply to (765) 560-4177 • OR • Use a post-card, write one idea. Pass the post-cards to the left of the row when you are done.

24. Autonomy • Set them free!

25. autonomy • When students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning, they are more likely to develop higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation • Engagement • Recognize and embrace diversity

26. Empirical evidence – Competence and autonomy • Positive feedback enhances motivation only when • individuals feel ownership of their learning • autonomous regarding their learning or performance • Building competence in an environment that is not autonomy supportive does not lead to higher levels of motivation • Deci & Ryan (1980, 2000)

27. Empirical evidence – autonomy Clear goals and expectations • Controlling and overly prescriptive syllabus (focus on policies, prohibitions, contingencies to cover student violations) • Decrease interest and self-regulation • Says “I don’t think you can do this!” • “The typical syllabus gives little indication that the students and teacher are embarking on an exciting learning adventure together, and its tone is more akin to something that might be handed to a prisoner on the fist day of incarceration” • Singham (2007) p. 52

28. Autonomy Learning Climate • This is how we assess and measure autonomy – this is how it sounds… • I feel that my instructor provides me with choices and options • My Instructor encourages me to ask questions; answers my questions fully and carefully • I feel that my instructor cares about me as a person • My instructor tries to understand how I see things • My instructor makes sure I reallyunderstand the goals of the course andwhat I need to do

29. Autonomy Learning Climate • This is how we assess and measure autonomy – this is how it sounds… • I feel understood by my instructor; my instructor understands my perspective • My instructor conveys confidence inmy ability to do well in the course • I feel a lot of trust in my instructor • My instructor listens to how I would like to do things • My instructor stimulated my interest in the subject

30. Empirical evidence - autonomy Ownership of learning • Instructors who supported students’ autonomy by providing choices, had students who … Motivation My instructor provides me choices and options

31. Empirical evidence - autonomy Ownership of learning • Instructors who supported students’ autonomy by asking questions had students who … Problem solving skills Satisfaction Well-being My instructor encourages me to ask questions

32. Empirical evidence - autonomy Ownership of learning • Instructors who supported students’ autonomy by asking questions had students who … Motivation Engagement Value academics Academic Performance My instructor cares about me

33. Empirical evidence - autonomy Ownership of learning • Instructors who supported students’ autonomy by capturing their interest had students who … Performance and Success My instructor stimulated my interest in the subject

34. Autonomy - applications • What do you think? How could you foster students’ autonomy in your role as a TA? • Text M2896 followed by your reply to (765) 560-4177 • OR • Use a post-card, write one idea. Pass the post-cards to the left of the row when you are done.

35. Putting it all together • relatedness + Competence + autonomy =

36. Strategies to foster optimal learning environments Begin with the students in mind, not the subject matter Give students choices and options Start with something the students care about, that is relevant to them, or think they know Begin with “real” problems that the students would be motivated to solve

37. Strategies to foster optimal learning environments Capture students’ interest and curiosity Work with students as a guide or facilitator of learning Help students apply knowledge to their daily lives Involve the students as co-creator of knowledge

38. Strategies to foster optimal learning environments Promote interest while learning De-emphasize evaluation and emphasize informational feedback Give the opportunity to students to try, fail, receive feedback, and try again before receiving a grade for their work. Give opportunities to students to spend more time on task

39. Strategies to foster optimal learning environments Introduce some collaborative and group work • Groups should be heterogeneous. Diversity creates meaningful exchanges • Group work can be focused on events, problems and solving problems Minimize the use of evaluations tools that increase anxiety and competition Treat students with respect

40. Teaching Assistant Responsibilities: Supporting Learning Processes Peter Hollenbeck, Biological Sciences Matthew Ohland, Engineering Education

41. Strategies for creating and maintaining effective relationships with students and faculty supervisors Learn their names if you can – pronunciation matters. Ask their names, names / photos, seating charts, say their names whenever you can. Eye contact is also important. If you can’t learn their names, ways to make them think you did Managing faculty expectations: Discuss early, attend classes with faculty member, make sure you are on the class email list. Review syllabus and assignments. Managing student expectations: Students are concerned about grades – they don’t need a guarantee, but they want to know what is required. Let students know you’re human. How relationships vary by race and gender and person to person

42. Strategies and appropriate practices for facilitating effective communication with students Stop, listen, respond. If you don’t have time, schedule a time. Particularly with minorities. Email when appropriate, because you can choose words carefully and keep a record. Never violate a student's confidence. Remain respectful. Trust, but verify – “I need this for my records so that others know that I am treating all students fairly” “If this is the only time this happens…” If you’re not comfortable answering, get back to the student later… but don’t do this too much.

43. A student says: • I’d like to change sections • I missed class (or lab). Can I attend another one and get credit? • I’m thinking about changing majors, who should I talk to? • Susan’s homework matches mine, but I got 5 fewer points.

44. A student says: • A friend of mine in another class has an easier TA. • Can you make sure I’m not on a team with any minority students? • I agree that I got this part of the homework wrong, but you shouldn’t have taken off so many points. • Can you please give me an estimate of my grade in the course?

45. A student says: • I’ll lose my scholarship if I don’t get an A in this class, and I’m really close. If I lose my scholarship, I’ll have to leave school. Is there anything I can do to raise my grade? • How do I do this lab task / HW? • Do you have a minute? (and you don’t) • I can’t turn in the homework because Blackboard was down last night when I tried to print it out to do it.

46. A student says: • My room got broken into, and the thief took my laptop, hard drive, wallet, all my IDs, and my school bag. In my bag are my course notes and my homework. The police said that the case may take a while or forever. I requested a report to prove what I say is true, and I may have to wait couple days for it. Could you please give me some advice?

47. A student emails • The homework asks us to calculate the volume of a sphere, but all we’re given is the radius. How am I supposed to proceed?

48. Team issues: • One of the students on my team never shows up for anything. • One of the students on my team always dominates and gets his way. What should I do? • My team can never find a time to meet. • My team never listens to any of my ideas—they constantly interrupt me when I’m speaking.

49. Team issues: • The other people on my team are useless. Can I just work on my own? • My team worked on a solution together, but the person who submitted it changed it first without discussing it with the rest of the team first. The version submitted wasn’t as good as what the team did as a group.

50. Team issues: • I think my teammates are plagiarizing material for part of our project, but I can’t prove it. • My team changed our solution completely after I left our last meeting. I totally disagree with the direction the project is taking now, but the team is sticking with this second approach that’s being pushed by another person on the team.