TA Training

Helpful Tips

Day One

• Be organized
• Smile
• Set rules

Tips from Chris

1. Be prepared
2. Know the class (what to be covered?)
3. Know the students (what do they know?)
4. Do your job (show up at lectures and office hours)
5. Care (or show that you care)

Teaching Tips

• Write down the plan for the day on the left side of the board and keep it there.
• Write down everything you want your students to be writing down; otherwise, they get confused later while reviewing their notes.
• Write big; materials look easier that way.
• Give students simple procedures.
• End on time.

Other Tips

• Solve homework/exam questions yourself; don't trust answer key.
• Do a mid-quarter questionnaire to get feedback on your teaching.
• Have a review session 2 days in advance (they get freaked out the day before).

Tips from Undergrad

Do

• Have a plan for TA session.
• Do numerical examples.
• Do each step, explaining what you are doing and why you are doing.
• Do variant problems during office hour.
• Provide chapter outline/summary (possibly conversation style).
• Provide real-life application or related news article.
• Be patient

Don't

• Show up to TA session without a plan.
• Try to fit as much as possible.
• Rush through problems or skip steps.
• Ask questions regarding the next step of solution.
• Extra problem that introduces new concept/materials.

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Creating a Great Quarter from the First Day

To Be A Good TA

1. Make myself reachable
2. Treat students as capable individuals
3. Narture students' intrinsic learning motivations

Classroom Techniques

• Small group discussion to make quiet ones talk
• Mini quiz to check where they need help

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How Students Learn

Elements of Effective Learning Experience

1. Clear learning objectives
2. Targeted practice
3. Timely feedback

Learning Theories and Implications for Teaching

• Learning is active construction, experience, interactions, and reflection
• Learning is social phenomenon → ask questions; have group discussion/projects
• Prior knowledge affects learning → scaffolding
• Learning is context-specific → real-world applications
• Provide material multiple times in multiple ways
• Test/quiz on information
• Organize information into a conceptual framework
• Metacoginitive skills (thinking about thinking) is important to learning

Bloom's Taxonomy
(Concrete) Factual - Conceptual - Procedural Metacognitive (Abstract)
(Simple) Remember - Understand - Apply - Analyze - Evaluate - Create (Complex)

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The Nuts and Bolts of Lesson Planning

Learning objectives should dictate your lesson plan.

SMART goal

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Timely

Designing A Lesson Plan

• List learning goals and prioritize
• Introduction/Opening activity - stimulate interest and encourage thinking
• Main body - scaffolding, variety, sub-parts and transition
• Summarize main points / Check for understanding / Preview

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UCLA Resources

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

• 6 sessions for students with SHIP (3 without)
• Therapy groups (5-8 weeks, clinician referral required)
• Wellness skills groups (3 weeks, no referral required)

Title IX

• Let my students know that, as a responsible employee, I am required to report sexual violence/harassment to Title IX coordinator.
• Title IX coordinator will consider requests for confidentiality.
• Confidential resource: CARE (John Wooden Center West, 1st Floor)
• Consent video

Center for Accessible Education (CAE)