The goal of this program is to provide basic training and hands-on experience for M.A. students who plan to go on to either community college teaching or Ph.D. programs. There will be two components to the experience – six pedagogical workshops which all Teacher Trainees will attend together, and a practicum in which students will assist in an undergraduate class.
TA’s will receive three units of credit for successful participation. If the teaching is done in an upper-division class, these three units of 785 can stand in for that upper-division class toward graduation requirements. If the teaching is done in a lower-division course, the internship credits will be counted as excess units. The course will be graded credit/no credit.
To qualify for the program, you must have successfully completed 700, have 12 additional History units completed, and be carrying a 3.35 overall GPA.
It is mandatory for participants to attend all meetings of the class in which they are teaching and all six pedagogical workshops. The workshops will discuss basic elements in teaching a college-level course and will provide support for participants during their first TA experience. We will be meeting six Thursdays from 4 – 7 in SCI 269. Check the syllabus for current topics and dates.
The pedagogical workshops are intended to prepare and provide support to assist you in acting as an assistant in an undergraduate class. Teaching styles are very different, so the specific duties of the trainee will vary, depending on the structure of the course. The general guidelines are that the trainee will attend the class, prepare two lectures, and complete two additional assignments. The trainee will also have limited grading responsibilities. Talk with your mentoring instructor to work out the specific responsibilities appropriate to the course. It is recommended that instructors and students generate an understanding in writing of what is expected of the trainee.
If you would like to participate in the program, please fill out an application (available in the History Department office), attach a transcript, and submit it to Laura Lisy-Wagner. I will be bringing applications with me to the first pedagogical workshop and you can fill them out there, but I can start working on your placement earlier if I have the application earlier.
You are also encouraged to approach ahead of time a professor with whom you would like to work. There is a space on the application for the professor to sign, once you have an agreement. If you have a prearranged appointment, you still need to submit an application, but your placement is all set. Not every professor will be choosing to participate in this program this semester, so be prepared to hear that your first choice is not available. Again, it is not necessary to negotiate with a professor ahead of time, but it helps with the process of placement.
When you register, please register for Hist 785 and NOT for the class which you are assisting.
In lieu of a final paper or exam, the trainees will also prepare a 1 – 2 page statement of teaching philosophy and a syllabus for the course that represents an alternate way of presenting the subject from what was followed through the semester.