Whole Group Sessions
Being a TA: What's in it for you and your students?
We'll begin our day with a panel discussion that will be moderated by two experienced graduate student TAs from IU Indianapolis. In this panel discussion, TAs from a variety of disciplines and teaching roles will share their experiences, give advice, and answer any questions you may have.
Teaching Inclusively at IU Indianapolis
You and your students' backgrounds and experiences greatly influence classroom climate and students' perceptions of your interactions with them. In this session, you will reflect on you and your students' identities and how those identities can impact classroom dynamics. You will also discuss practical strategies to promote inclusivity and engage all of your students through discussion of case studies.
Breakout Sessions
Primary Instructors and Recitation Leaders
Graduate students in the role of primary instructor or recitation leader meet and interact regularly with students in the classroom. In these breakout sessions, attendees will explore practical strategies to build rapport with students, encourage them to participate in class activities, create a motivating and engaging learning environment, and assess their learning.
The Recitation Leaders session is recommended for attendees whose primary role is supplementing a lecture with problem-solving sessions. This session will highlight active learning techniques for fields such as science, engineering and technology, informatics, and all health sciences. If you are a primary instructor in a discipline that emphasizes problem solving, then this session may be most relevant to you.
The Primary Instructors session is recommended for attendees who teach independent courses (e.g., not a supplement to a lecture). In this session, attendees will discuss how to set course expectations, assess student learning, structure participation, and build rapport with students.
Lab Instructors
Graduate students assigned as lab instructors require a toolbox of strategies to effectively organize and manage their lab environment and their students. In this breakout session, attendees will discuss techniques for developing clear learning objectives, utilizing focused hands-on activities, and assessing students’ work in a way that engages, rather than disengages, them from laboratory science. These strategies will help lab instructors foster more effective and enjoyable interactions with their students, while also increasing opportunities for student learning and success. Depending on their disciplines, attendees can choose between the breakout sessions on Teaching Labs in the Biological Sciences, Teaching Labs in the Physical Sciences, and Teaching Labs in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering.
Graders
Grading responsibilities include evaluating student work in the form of homework assignments, projects, exams, and other assessments. In this breakout session, attendees will learn more about the grading tools used at IU Indianapolis PUI, strategies for providing effective feedback, and tips for time management in order to become a fair, timely, and resourceful grader. The session will also review common challenges graders face with students’ complaints and academic misconduct.
Online Canvas Modules
These modules will be available through a self-enrolling Canvas course throughout the month of August.
IU Indianapolis Policies and Procedures
In these short modules, you will receive information and resources, on IU Indianapolis policies and procedures regarding: grading and The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); student academic misconduct; equal opportunity, discrimination, and sexual harassment; campus safety and emergency management.
Teaching Inclusively at IU Indianapolis
These modules are connected to the in-person session “Teaching Inclusively at IU Indianapolis” and introduces on-campus and online resources you could utilize as a TA. This module asks you to respond to scenarios based on your role where you need to consider inclusivity for in your teaching. During your time as a TA, resources on this module can help you respond to various situations.
Using the University Library
The University Library has several resources that are useful to you both as a student and as a TA. This module has three units, which will provide you with an overview of the University Library. During your time at IU Indianapolis, you can use the library's resources to help develop your research and teaching.
General TA Resources
As a TA, you might encounter students who come to you asking for help, either with academics or circumstances in their personal life that are impacting their academic progress. This module includes a list of many campus resources that may be useful to both you and your students.
International TA Resources
We have developed this module to be a resource for international TAs (ITAs) who are new to teaching in the United States. Since many of the resources provided pertain to good teaching practices, all graduate TAs would benefit from viewing this module.
