Seminar Descriptions
You must be on time and stay for the entire seminar in order to receive credit. Some seminars are 90 minutes long; others are 60 minutes. A sign-in sheet is provided at each seminar, which allows us to check attendance. If your name does not appear on the sign-in sheet, you will not receive credit for the seminar. You may review your progress in UNIV 400 and register for seminars on your Attendance & Grade page.
Communications - (90 minutes)
Using the scores from the Kolb Learning Styles inventory administered at the Spring 2008 orientation or Fall 2008 New Student Orientation, you will learn more about your preferred learning style and how your style may impact your instructional approach with your undergraduate students. This seminar will also help you develop professional communication strategies. If you did not take the Kolb inventory, please pick up an inventory at Educational Services for Students (ESS) in Sears 470. You will be expected to take the inventory, score it, and bring it to the Communications Seminar.
- Monday, September 14: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Nord 310
- Tuesday, September 15: 4 to 5:30 p.m. - Nord 310
- Thursday, September 17: 12:30 to 2 p.m. - Nord 310
- Tuesday, January 26: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Nord 310
- Wednesday, January 27: 12:30 to 2 p.m. - Nord 310
Ethics - (60 minutes)
The office of Undergraduate Studies, along with the Academic Integrity Board, will present the Case ethics policies as they apply to you as a graduate student and TA. The undergraduates from the Academic Integrity Board will also share their perspective as a Case student and the ethical challenges they face daily.
- Monday, September 28: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. - Nord 310
- Tuesday, September 29: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Nord 310
- Thursday, October 1: 4 to 5 p.m. - Nord 310
- Tuesday, February 9: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Nord 310
- Wednesday, February 10: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. - Nord 310
Teaching Moments - (75 minutes)
No matter what your TA assignment, you are teaching every time you interact with undergraduate students about course content. These teaching moments happen when you answer questions in a lab setting, grade homework, explain an exam item during office hours, or review a lecture topic during recitation. This seminar will begin with a discussion on how to be an effective and approachable TA, which is central to effective teaching. From there, you will break into small groups based on broad content areas to discuss grading, office hours, group/team projects, and strategies for generating discussions. These small group discussions examine real-life scenarios to evaluate different teaching techniques.
- Monday, October 12: 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. - Nord 310
- Tuesday, October 13: 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. - Nord 310
- Thursday, October 15: 4 to 5:15 p.m. - Nord 310
- Tuesday, February 23: 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. - Nord 310
- Wednesday, February 24: 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. - Nord 310
Observation and Observation Follow-up - (60 minutes)
One of the best ways to enhance your teaching is to watch a master teacher or to be observed and receive feedback. For this seminar, you are asked to either observe an effective professor or arrange to have a Mentor TA observe you in your TA setting.
If you choose to do an observation, the professor you want to observe does not have to be in your own department; however, you cannot be currently enrolled in a class or lab with this professor. Depending on your TA responsibilities, you may wish to observe this professor in a classroom or laboratory setting. You are asked to observe at least one hour and complete the observation sheet available on the TA Training website.
Please note: The professor that you observe must sign the observation sheet, which you will turn in along with the observation report at the Observation Follow-up Seminar.
We ask that you send a note of appreciation to the professor that you observe.
If you choose to be observed, contact Judith Olson-Fallon at 216.368.8825 by Friday, September 12, or Friday, January 23, to arrange the observation. Judith or a Mentor TA will observe you for at least one hour in your TA setting. Following the observation, you will schedule a short appointment with the observer, who will discuss what went well and what could be enhanced. You will then write a brief report about the observation and feedback; this report will be turned in at the Observation Follow-up Seminar.
For the Observation Follow-up Seminar, you will have an opportunity to discuss what you learned from the experience of observing or being observed. Two follow-up seminars are scheduled simultaneously to allow for varying TA roles: one focuses on TAs that work in a more problem-solving or technique-based setting common to math, science, or engineering courses, and one looks at more discussion-based seminars used in humanities, management, and social science courses.
You can also choose to provide a short (ten-to-fifteen-minute) presentation that will be videotaped and evaluated by the UNIV 400 A and B faculty and teaching assistant team. Details about this option will be presented at the August 19 orientation. This option has limited participation and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
When you reserve your spot for this seminar, you will have an opportunity to indicate topics/issues that you would like the seminar leader to address.
- Monday, November 2: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. - Nord 310
- Tuesday, November 3: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Nord 310
- Thursday, November 5: 4 to 5 p.m. - Nord 310
- Tuesday, March 23: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Nord 310
- Wednesday, March 24: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. - Nord 310