A part of 4.3: Lightning Talk session.

TAs as Learners: Promoting Reflective Teaching in an Informal Learning Community
Jacqueline Smith, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Computer Science, FAS
Mario Badr, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Computer Science, FAS

In this session, we will present the TA training program we have implemented in a large first-year course (CSC108). We have run this training program both in-person and online. The goals of this program are to encourage TAs to reflect on their teaching, and to build a stronger TA community. We expect that our TAs are well-versed in the subject matter (i.e., the Python programming language), but that they are still learning how to support students who are struggling. In CSC108, TAs primarily work one-on-one with students in office hours, where supervision and observation is challenging. Rather than focusing on giving instructions, we aim to teach TAs the principles behind teaching and learning in this context. In regular meetings throughout the term, we teach TAs about barriers to learning students may be facing. We discuss theories and principles on how learning works to provide background and terminology for discussion and reflection on teaching scenarios. To help TAs integrate these concepts in their own teaching, we connect the concepts to experiences the TAs have had as learners themselves. Group discussions explore the TAs’ positive and negative learning experiences, both in and outside of the classroom, and connect this reflection on learning to their new role as a teacher. We explicitly talk about teaching as a skill to learn, and aim to create an environment where TAs are comfortable doing this reflection. By promoting these discussions in regular teaching team meetings, we create an informal learning community that welcomes first-time and experienced TAs to share, grow, and reflect as teachers.