Welcome

Welcome to the TA Resources Page, a site designed to support TAs in their teaching and professional development. While this site is a work in progress, we have already made quite a few changes in hopes of streamlining information and offering the most helpful resources available. Check out the topics to the left, and if you know of a resource that might be of use to our colleagues and want to see it added, email Jenny Rowan with your suggestions.

Recently Added:
An "Opportunities for Professionalizing" section, with information on research presentation opportunities, funding for travel, and much more! Here, you can find the CFPs for CompExpo 2011 and our fall Pedagogy Workshop Series!

Chris Anson's handouts over incorporating reading effectively into composition courses and responding to writing orally (under Opportunities for Professionalizing, then Peck Series)

Information on Universal Design Principles in course design (under Resources, then Semester Planning and Syllabus Construction)

A link to "Effective Management of Student Conduct" from MTSU's Judicial Affairs (under Resources, then Behavioral Issues)

Upcoming Events:
Fall 2011 Pedagogy Workshops
"Strategies for Teaching ESL Students in the Mainstream Classroom"
Led by Shayna Wood and Joy Smith on October 3, 12:30-1:30 in LIB 264A

"Issues of Grammar in the Composition Classroom"
Led by Sally VanDenburg on November 7, 3:00-4:00 in LIB 264A

Mid-Semester Meetings
Mid-semester meetings offer TAs the opportunity to workshop major essay assignments with fellow TAs and members of the GTA Coordination staff. These meetings are a great opportunity to offer and receive feedback from other members of the teaching community, as well as to "steal" ideas for assignments, lessons, and activities that you may adapt for your own classroom. We will begin holding mid-semester meetings on October 19, and you will soon have the opportunity to sign up for one.

Reminders:
2011/2012 John N. McDaniel Awards for Excellence and Promise in Graduate Teaching
We are pleased to announce this year's application process for the award honoring excellence and promise in graduate-student teaching, underwritten by Wadsworth-Cengage Learning and named in honor of our former College of Liberal Arts Dean, Dr. John N. McDaniel. Any TA who is teaching during the spring 2012 semester can nominate him/herself by providing a cover letter and teaching portfolio, and by identifying (in the letter of application) specific dates when committee members could observe the TA's class.

The award will commence this year with self-nomination packets due to Dr. Myatt in PH 310 by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2012, with classroom observations occurring thereafter. Applicants' performance in the following categories will be evaluated by the TA Teaching Award Committee using a five-scale assessment method: classroom observation, teaching documents, evidence of past teaching effectiveness, professional and pedagogical documents. Following the observation and the committee's decision, a committee representative will meet with applicants to debrief them on how they did and to provide suggestions on improving their teaching packets.

At least one award of $500.00 will be given at the spring Liberal Arts Award Ceremony; two awards will be given if two worthy candidates are identified and funding is available. Previous winners are ineligible.

Required Teaching Portfolio Contents: letter of application, CV, teaching philosophy, sample syllabi, sample assignments, and evidence of teaching effectiveness such as observations and evaluations from peers, students, and administrators.

Be on the lookout for...

sample classroom activities in our new activity bank!