Understand the how to mentor yout TA as they go through these stages your TA and grow as teachers.
1. Senior Learner
- Has basic "survival" skills
- Uses good presentation skills
- Maintains authority in the classroom
- Organizes material in a logical manner
- Gives a clear agenda for the section
How to Mentor New TAs at This Stage
- Lead practice teaching session
- Arrange shadowing opportunities for TA
- Meet regularly to answer questions and provide support
- Bring new TAs together to discuss challenges
- Suggest teaching tips and strategies
2. Colleague-in-Training
- Starts to think about best teaching practices
- Encourages and validates student contributions
- Makes connections between topics
- Motivates student interest in material
- Uses multiple ways to illustrate a concept
3. Junior Colleague
- Gets student feedback to see if they're understanding the course material
- Incorporates student feedback and responses into lessons
- May develop course materials
How to Mentor Advanced TAs at This Stage
- Let mentee decide how often they need to meet (may be less often)
- Observe or record TA's section and give feedback
- Have TA observe mentor's teaching and discuss
- Bring advanced TAs together to discuss pedagogy
- Connect TA to additional teaching resources and chances to grow
Developmental model based on Sprague and Nyquist, 1991; Nyquist and Wolff, 1996.