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Fall GTA OrientationFall GTA Orientationfor Students with Laboratory Assignmentsfor Students with Laboratory Assignments
Jacquelyn R. Duke, Ph.D.
Fall 2007
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How to be an effective GTA• Definition• “Big Picture”• Major Duties• Tools and Resources• Helpful Hints• Pitfalls and Common Issues• Additional Useful Info• Training Opportunities
Panel Discussion Training Presentation
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Definition • GTA – Graduate Teaching Assistant
– Funded by Dept.– Assist in undergraduate courses– Sciences – usually refers to teaching of labs
• GRA – Graduate Research Assistant– funded by research grant– Assist major advisor in research, or funded to
conduct own research
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“Big Picture”The greater your satisfaction with your job responsibilities, the more effective
you will be as an instructor
• What’s in it for “me”?
• What if I have no previous experience?
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• Lab Prep– May or may not required– Make it your policy to be as much a part of the set
up as you can – it will only make you a more informed GTA
• Conducting Lab Exercises– Clearly define your role
• Lab Clean up– Again, will depend on your assignment– Observe all safety precautions before disposing of
any chemicals and/or organic material!
Major Duties
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• Maintain Office Hours– How many??– Outside of lecture times!– Post your office hours – Office hours are held in grad student offices
Major Duties
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Major Duties
• Grading– Remember that confidentiality rules apply!– Clarify expectations with professor– Choose a level of feedback appropriate to the
assignment– Schedule time for grading– Make comments clear and organized– Report regularly to the professor
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• Attending weekly meetings– Be prompt!– Come prepared– Speak up if you feel you’re deficient
• Professors usually assume you’re familiar with content
• Can provide you with valuable resources
Major Duties
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• Overseeing LAs • LAs- Laboratory Assistants (undergraduate
assistants in many science courses)
– Clearly define your relationship (ask your professor)
– Clearly define your expectations of them– Never leave them unattended unless you’ve
been given direct authorization– Same goes for their access to students’
grades
Major Duties
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• Field trips– Ensure (well ahead of time) you are authorized to
drive University vehicles/passenger vans– Guidelines for Driving on Behalf of Baylor:
http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=14739
– Know the University policy for what to do in the case of an accident
– Never give students authorization to “meet you there”. We are required to provide transportation to and from off-site locations
Major Duties
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Major Duties
• Attend Lecture Sections– May or may not be required– In your best interest, particularly if it’s is your
first time in the course – Benefits:
• Better grasp of the material• Relating your focus to that of the lecture• Better relationship with the students• Your attendance counts as hours worked
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Major Duties
• Attending Lecture Sections– Maintain Seating chart– Take attendance– Take class notes
• Conducting review sessions/study sessions– Reserve rooms with your Dept.– Make sure you have access to your room
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• Lecturing during professor’s absence– Your notes or the professors?– Make sure you have access to the room and
A/V equipment– Excellent opportunity – great for CVs
Major Duties
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Major Duties
Other potential duties:• Proctoring Lecture Exams• Grading Lecture Exams• Entering Lecture Grades
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Tools and Resources
• Blackboard– Your email login and password access BBoard– Bearspace – file storage– https://my.baylor.edu
• Baylor email account
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E-mail• Considered official correspondence
• Check frequently!
• Copy (cc) the professor on all official correspondence
• Don’t give out your cell phone/home number unless you want to be called; Students will call at all hours (sometimes professors will too.)
• If the professor does not reply to your email, make a phone-call or visit in person
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Helpful Hints
Miscellaneous issues (some of these are more than just hints – they’re actually policy)
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Working with the ProfessorStarting out Right:• Introduce yourself: If your professor hasn’t contacted
you – make the first move. Set up a time to meet. • Request a description of responsibilities
– Work duties as well as classroom policies
• Ask to be introduced to each of the classes you will teaching
• Request a copy of the course syllabus• Bring a checklist to your first meeting• Ask if there are any days/times when you will have to
work outside of “normal” hours (Saturday field trips, proctoring exams) and resolve conflicts early!
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Prior to Day One• Obtain the lab manual – and read through it• Keys• Visit your classroom
– lights, hood vents, gas/air valves, technology (test projectors etc.), water baths, centrifuges, hot plates…
• Create a cheat-sheet for your first day (assume you’ll be nervous)– List items to be addressed,
important points…
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Day One
• Exude confidence!– Your enthusiasm goes a long way!!!
• Introduction• Safety
– Point out fire extinguisher, eye wash, emergency shower, MSDS sheets, hazardous chemicals (e.g. latex allergies), etc.
• Course expectations– Clearly state classroom policies as well as your personal preferences
• Students can’t respect your policies if they are unaware of them• Don’t assume policies “carry over” from the lecture section
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Be Professional
• Dress the part – wear a lab coat, close-toed shoes, etc. – You can’t enforce the rules if you’d don’t adhere to
them yourself (this goes for food/drink in the lab as well!)
– Serious consequences (for your Dept) if you choose to ignore safety procedures
• Remain professional at all times – It’s easy in a lab setting to become very comfortable,
but remember that you are still the authority in the room
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Be Prepared• Create your own syllabus
– So many benefits!!
• Be concise in your teaching
• Perform experiments beforehand – know the pitfalls
• Accept that you can’t know it all – there will be questions you can’t answer
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Testing/Grading• Scantron machine • Allot hours• Assume extra hours at the end of the semester.
Do your own papers early, so that grading does not interfere!
• Grade and enter grades quickly• Utilize Blackboard!
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Miscellaneous Advice
• Know where your professor is during your lab time
• Know when your professor’s office hours are
• Communicate frequently with your professor – grading, absences, etc.
• Meet regularly with your peers – Communicate issues you’re having with each
other (confidentially)– Seek out TAs who’ve taught your course before
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Avoiding Pitfalls: Common Student Issues
• Know your authority ahead of time• Ethical Behavior (honesty, plagiarism, cheating)
– Familiarize yourself with University policy– Check with your professor on how they want you to
handle such situations
• Special Services (OALA): http://www.baylor.edu/oala/– It is the student’s responsibility to inform you of their
status
• Multiculturalism and gender issues
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When Something Goes Wrong• Experiment doesn’t work
– Don’t panic – failed experiments often present the best “learning tools”
– Maintain a sense of humor– Isn’t science all about trial and error??
• Hazardous situations– Again, don’t panic– Have a plan in place– Have a list of important numbers located with your
MSDS sheets – Fire, Police, Risk Management
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Additional Info
Know Your Environment:• Familiarize yourself with the office copy machine
and scanner – Before using office equipment, or taking office
supplies ASK what the dept. policies are for your use
• What to do when things don’t go well with the professor– Don’t let situations fester – address problems early
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Handy Research Tips
• Libraries– Two Main Libraries: Moody and Jones– Maps, Circulation desks, Computers (laptops), Research
Librarians
• BearCat: http://www3.baylor.edu/Library/• OsoFast: ILL at Baylor, https://
illiad.baylor.edu/illiad/logon.html• Electronic Resources:
https://www1.baylor.edu/ERD/Search/AdvancedSearch.aspx
• BearSpace: Storing Information, https://bearspace.baylor.edu/xythoswfs/webui
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Training Opportunities
• SET - Seminars for Excellence in Teaching– More on that in a bit, with Chris Rios…
• Teaching Commons– Designed for faculty/grad student interaction– http://www.baylor.edu/teachingcommons/
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Return to the “Big Picture”
The greater your satisfaction with your job responsibilities, the more
effective you will be as a Teaching Assistant
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Questions??
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Panel Discussion
• Jon Thomas • Stephanie Capello• Vanessa Castleberry• Tiffany Turner• Justin Tidmore• John Hall• Tony Chen
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Past SET Electives
• "Preparing To Teach Your Class" with Dr. Tom Hanks
• "Preparing Effective Test Questions" with Dr. Darrell Hull
• "Engaging the Lecture Class: How Do I Involve Students When Class Size or Other Circumstances Call for Lecturing?"
with Drs. Genie and Preston Dyer• "Sage on the Stage and Guide on the Side: Three Models of
Constructivist Teaching"with Dr. Tony Talbert
• "Teaching as Performance"with Dr. Marion Castleberry
• "Teaching in the Sciences"with Dr. Joseph D. White
• "Plato's Cave as Metaphor for Educators"with Dr. Anne-Marie Bowery
• "Encouraging and grading student writing"with Dr. Amanda Sturgill