An active learning, student-centered approach to training graduate teaching assistants

Abstract

For over a decade, new graduate teaching assistants (TAs) from four departments at the Colorado School of Mines have been part of a three-day training program prior to the start of the fall semester. The unique feature of this training program is the strong emphasis on active learning philosophy and methods. Our goal is to teach new TAs how to employ active learning methods in their laboratory and recitation teaching. We do this by having TAs experience most of their training as students in active learning classes and then having them discuss the activities for form, student involvement, and purpose. The TAs spend half their time together focusing on general aspects of effective teaching and the other half with their respective department faculty focusing on the specific course they will teach. This paper will present specifics of activities, logistics, teaching sound bites, and feedback on this TA training program. We feel that it is a model adaptable to other institutions.