Introduction
Introduction
What is CNDLS?
CNDLS is the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, a collaborative partnership of several major groups at Georgetown University that support the integration of teaching, learning and technology as an institutional focus. As a graduate student, much of your professional training is provided by a principal advisor and other faculty in your department. Through its graduate student programs and services, CNDLS works to complement the traditional base of departmental advising with specific preparation of graduate students for university faculty positions and related teaching careers. One of the most important goals of CNDLS is to facilitate the professional development of faculty and graduate students by providing workshops, seminars and other resources designed to encourage:
- a student-centered approach to pedagogy
- self-reflective assessment of teaching
- implementation of creative, innovative and effective classroom strategies.
In addition to this guide, we hope that you will take advantage of the numerous resources available.
What is a Graduate Teaching Assistant?
Different departments at Georgetown have different names for what is most often called a teaching assistant. While you may be referred to as a TA, teaching fellow, pre-doctoral fellow, graduate assistant or any number of other terms, we have chosen the terms "graduate teaching assistant, "graduate TA," just "GTA" because they describe who you are (a graduate student) and a specific aspect of what you do (learning to teach, which is what we're interested in here).
Roles of a GTA
Roles of a GTA
University teaching is a cooperative endeavor at the intersection of people and ideas. As a graduate teaching assistant, you are responsible for working with faculty and undergraduate students, both as a teacher and as a student learning to teach. Every GTA position is different, depending on the course, the professor, the students and yourself. However, there are certain responsibilities that are common to most graduate teaching assignments. One of the keys to success as a teaching assistant is to recognize and balance your different roles as a teacher, student, and facilitator.
GTA as Student
Learning to teach is an integral part of your experience as a graduate student. While you are responsible for teaching undergraduate students, you are also responsible for your own learning. Teaching at the university level requires practice and regular assessment of many different skills, including giving lectures, leading discussions, managing groups, grading assignments, providing feedback and meeting with students.
As you regularly assess and evaluate your teaching, you will develop a better sense of strategies that work and ways that you can improve. Try gathering input from students and faculty, course material, good teaching models, and your peers.
Teaching also allows you to view familiar subjects in a new light, as you are forced to synthesize and clearly articulate ideas in your own words. Many graduate students and faculty have found that they did not fully understand certain concepts until they taught them. Even if you are not planning to pursue a career as a university professor, teaching provides experience with skills like public speaking and group management that are useful in a wide range of jobs.
GTA as Teacher
As a teacher, you are responsible for helping undergraduate students understand the intellectual foundations of your academic field, gain proficiency in the standard practices and tools of your discipline, and develop skills required for critical thinking and understanding. Your challenge is to translate your expertise into a tangible learning experience for students.
Every teacher develops a unique teaching style, based on their own experiences as a teacher and as a student. Effective teachers are aware of their audience and flexible with their approach to teaching, finding ways to create a positive learning environment that allows students to engage with a subject.
Just as there are many different ways of teaching, there are also many different types of students at Georgetown, all with their own styles of learning. As a teacher, you will probably need multiple strategies to reach all of your students. Finding this common ground between yourself and a group of students is critical for effective teaching.
GTA as Facilitator
Graduate teaching assistants are a bridge between faculty instructors and undergraduate students. Many students find it useful to have complex material taught in multiple ways, and GTAs can put difficult concepts or unclear assignments into plain language. Maybe you remember what was especially confusing when you took organic chemistry or Asian Civ., and now you are able to clarify certain misconceptions or prevent common mistakes before they happen. Teaching assistants can also serve as a sounding board for both faculty and students. You can offer the professor a second perspective on the class, while providing the students with a different point view. As a graduate teaching assistant, you are uniquely positioned to narrow the gap between teaching and learning.
Next Section: Skills of a Graduate Teaching Assistant.
