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Assessing Student Work
Assessing Student Work in the Fine Arts
Session V (3:30)
This workshop will explore ways of assessing student work in the more subjective disciplines like art, music, creative writing, etc. We will examine strategies for clearly communicating to students 1) how they are being evaluated before they complete assignments, and 2) why their work does or does not meet instructor expectations. We will discuss how to develop a list of expectations and evaluative criteria, assign grading value to those items, and build a grading matrix based on that information.
Grading Short-Answer Questions on Homework, Exams, or Lab Reports
Session IV (2:15) • Session V (3:30)
Note: Grading essays or other extended writing assignments is addressed in “Responding to Longer Student Essays and Assigning Grades.”
This workshop presents important considerations for assessing short answers and short essays (a couple paragraphs or less), including: grading consistently, communicating your grading criteria to students, giving constructive feedback, and managing your time when grading large amounts of student work. Because grading practices vary widely, we will also discuss strategies for learning more about grading in your specific TA assignment.
Responding to Longer Student Essays and Assigning Grades
Session IV (2:15) • Session V (3:30)
Note: Grading short-answer questions and shorter essays is addressed in “Grading Short-Answer Questions on Homework, Exams, or Lab Reports.”
TA responsibilities in many departments involve responding to lengthy written work by students. In this workshop, you will learn strategies for responding to essays and other extended writing assignments in ways that are helpful to students and time-efficient for instructors. We'll talk about how to tailor feedback to an assignment, tips on preventing plagiarism, and on-campus resources to help students hone their writing skills.
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Effective Teaching
Activities to Engage Your Students in Learning
Session II (10:45) • Session IV (2:15)
This workshop will emphasize approaches for designing, leading, and assessing activities that help engage students in the learning process. We’ll discuss a range of activities – such as ungraded quizzes, “minute papers,” and group work. The workshop will focus on activities that can be used in a variety of instructional settings.
Note: Using whole-class discussions to engage students will be discussed in the “Planning and Facilitating Discussions” workshop.
Dealing With Difficult Classroom Situations
Session IV (2:15) • Session V (3:30)
This session addresses some challenging situations that TAs might face in the classroom. You will learn about strategies to prevent and/or respond to issues such as disruptive student behavior, cheating and plagiarism, or student challenges to grades.
Including All Students: Teaching in the Diverse Classroom
Session IV (2:15) • Session V (3:30)
Even the most well-meaning instructor can still create classroom environments that make some students feel like they don't "belong" because of their social, cultural, or economic backgrounds. This workshop will use case studies to explore how certain ways of presenting material and interacting in class can exclude students, and will discuss strategies for creating equitable learning environments.
Motivating Students to Learn: Linking Principles of Learning to Teaching
Session II (10:45) • Session IV (2:15)
The first step in designing teaching strategies that make coursework doable, meaningful, and enjoyable for students is to understand what helps them learn. In this workshop, we will discuss teaching tips that are grounded in research on how students learn. Relevant for all types of courses, this workshop will be especially helpful for teaching non-majors, introductory courses, and freshmen.
Planning and Facilitating Discussions
Session II (10:45) • Session IV (2:15)
Classroom discussions can be the most exciting – and challenging – part of teaching a class. In this workshop we will be addressing strategies for planning different types of discussions and for developing effective questions and follow-ups that provoke students' interest.
Note: Small group work is covered in “Activities to Engage Your Students in Learning” and problem-solving sessions are addressed in "Teaching Math, Science, & Engineering Quiz Sections"
Presenting Information Effectively
Session II (10:45) • Session V (3:30)
In this workshop, we will examine aspects of effective presentations such as: organization, examples, visuals, pacing, and delivery. We will discuss ways to overcome the fear of public speaking and to assess the effectiveness of presentations. Although our primary focus will be on lecture, these skills can also be useful in other presentation formats.
Understanding Who Your Students Are
Session II (10:45) • Session IV (2:15)
This workshop provides an opportunity to learn about your UW students before you meet them on the first day of class. Information generated by a number of programs and research projects on this campus will provide you with a sense of undergraduate student expectations, backgrounds and concerns, as well as ideas about ways experienced TAs have made use of this information in working with their classes.
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Professional Development
Balancing Graduate School Demands
Session II (10:45) • Session V (3:30)
Graduate students typically have to juggle multiple responsibilities: studying, teaching, research, and personal life. In this workshop, participants will share and discuss strategies for setting and prioritizing goals, managing time, and dealing with stress.
Gathering and Using Student Feedback to Improve Your Teaching
Session II (10:45) • Session V (3:30)
This session introduces several ways to gather student feedback and use it to improve your teaching. In addition to looking at the end-of-quarter student evaluation forms, you will examine options such as online and in-class mid-quarter surveys or classroom assessment tasks.
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Types of TA Assignments
Teaching in Lab Settings: First Day and Beyond
Session IV (2:15) • Session V (3:30)
This workshop offers ways to help students learn in science and engineering lab settings. We will identify goals of lab instruction, ways to plan and facilitate effective lab sessions, and strategies for a successful first day of class.
Teaching Math, Science & Engineering Quiz Sections: First Day and Beyond
Session II (10:45) • Session V (3:30)
During “quiz” sections, TAs are typically responsible for helping students understand and apply concepts learned in large lecture classes. This workshop will include: setting frameworks and expectations for the section on the first day of class, an overview of TA roles in quantitative problem-solving quiz sections, aligning section content with lecture, and strategies for fostering active student learning.
Teaching Modern Languages: First Day and Beyond
Session II (10:45)
In this session, we will discuss feedback from UW students on the teaching methods they find helpful for learning languages. Our discussion will include different approaches to common language learning issues, as well as ways to help resolve possible differences between student perceptions of what they need and instructors’ understanding of effective language learning approaches.
Teaching One-to-One in Office Hours & Study Centers
Session II (10:45) • Session V (3:30)
Teaching students in one-to-one situations offers excellent opportunities for student learning. In this workshop we will examine ways to: encourage student use of office hours and study centers; use one-to-one teaching opportunities to promote student ability to work independently; and anticipate and prepare for a variety of questions, issues and challenges which may arise in office hour and study center situations.
Teaching Social Science & Humanities Quiz Sections: First Day and Beyond
Session II (10:45) • Session IV (2:15)
During “quiz” sections, TAs are typically responsible for helping students understand and apply concepts learned in large lecture classes. This workshop will include: setting frameworks and expectations for students for the section on the first day of class; an overview of TA roles in discussion-based quiz sections; aligning section content with lecture; and strategies for fostering stimulating student discussions.
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International TA Workshops
These sessions, which will take place on the afternoon of Monday, September 21st in Smith 120, are required for all first-year TAs who are not native speakers of English. For additional information, see Information for International Graduate Students.
Getting to Know UW Students: Overview for International TAs
This workshop will have two parts: first, we will discuss the make-up of the student body at the UW and the unique role that teaching assistants play; then, we will provide an overview of the ITA program and ways the program can help you succeed as a TA.
Panel Discussion With Experienced International TAs
In this question and answer session you will have the opportunity to hear from international TAs on their experiences learning to be effective teachers at the UW.
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Related Links
The University of Washington is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities.
To request disability accommodation contact the Disability Services Office at least ten days in advance at: 206.543.6450/V, 206.543.6452/TTY, 206.685.7264 (FAX), or e-mail at dso@u.washington.edu
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