Teaching Assistant Workshops
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The Teaching Assistant Workshops are designed to introduce students to the techniques and skills necessary to be effective instructors in the university environment and promote excellence in undergraduate education at Mississippi State University. All prospective teaching assistants are required to participate in the appropriate workshop(s) prior to beginning their first assignment as a teaching assistant.
Spring 2010 Teaching Assistant Workshops:
International TA Workshop:
Not offered during spring semester
General TA Workshop (Required for ALL new TAs):
Dates: January 4-5, 2010
Time: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm on January 4 and 9:00 am - noon on January 5
Location: Coming Soon!
Evaluation for Classroom Certification (Required for TA2/TA3 Certification Only):
Date: January 5, 2010
Time: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Coming Soon!
Fall 2010 Teaching Assistant Workshops:
International TA Workshop (Required for new International TAs only):
Dates: August 2-6, 2010
Time: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Location: Coming Soon!
General TA Workshop (Required for ALL (Domestic and International) new TAs):
Dates: August 9-10, 2010
Time: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm on August 9 and 9:00 am - noon on August 10
Location: Coming Soon!
Evaluation for Classroom Certification (Required for TA2/TA3 Certification Only):
Date: January 5, 2010
Time: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Coming Soon!
Date: August 10, 2010
Time: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Coming Soon!
** PLEASE NOTE: Graduate students must be registered by their academic department to attend the TA Workshops. Students who have not been awarded a teaching assistantship for Fall 2009 may be allowed to register on-site just prior to the start of the ITA or GTA Workshop, depending on the availability of seats.
International Teaching Assistant Workshop (Required for International Students Only)
Offered Prior to Fall Semester Only
The International Teaching Assistant (ITA) Workshop, offered in collaboration with the Office of International Education, provides teaching assistants who are international students with the cultural education and communication skills necessary for the effective performance of their duties. The workshop also serves as a tool for evaluating international students' teaching and language skills. The training, evaluation, and certification of ITAs are essential to ensure that undergraduate students are receiving a high quality of instruction. The ITA Workshop consists of the following three parts:
- Classroom culture (60%) - American classroom norms, teaching styles, student expectations, and US educational systems are the primary focus of this facet of the workshop.
- Presentation/pronunciation skills (20%) - Specific pronunciation and presentation skills are taught to help ITAs communicate effectively with students.
- Teaching evaluation and English certification (20%) - Teaching skills that include compensation techniques, micro-teaching elements, and the final evaluation are taught and partially overlap with what was learned through classroom culture and presentation/pronunciation activities.
General Teaching Assistant Workshop (Required for Domestic and International Students)
Offered Prior to Fall and Spring Semesters
The General Teaching Assistant (GTA) Workshop provides new teaching assistants with an introduction to effective teaching methods and tools and serves to educate TAs about University policies and resources. The GTA Workshop emphasized the importance of providing high-quality instruction at Mississippi State University.
Classification of Teaching Assistants
All graduate students who intend to hold a teaching assistantship must complete the required TA Workshop components to obtain the desired level of certification (TA1, TA2, TA3).
- Teaching Assistant 1 (TA1): Graduate student will assist in such tasks as preparing examinations, grading papers, preparation of class lectures, maintenance of class records, and tutoring students outside formal classes. Does not require classroom certification.
- Teaching Assistant 2 (TA2): Graduate student may have some of the same duties as TA1 in addition to making presentations in laboratories or classroom, conducting lectures, and leading discussion groups but not as the teacher of record. These tasks involve direct contact with students. Requires classroom certification.
- Teaching Assistant 3 (TA3): Graduate student will have the same duties as TA1 and TA2 and will teach classes for credit as the instructor of record and/or as the person primarily responsible for assigning grades. Requires classroom certification.
Classroom Certification (Required for TA2/TA3 Certification)
The evaluation for Classroom Certification is the tool used to ensure that TAs are equipped with the skills needed to deliver high-quality instruction to undergraduate students at Mississippi State University. In a 10 minute micro-teaching presentation followed by a 5 minute question/discussion session, prospective TAs for TA2/TA3 certification prepare and present to a panel of graduate faculty members part of a lecture that would be given to students in one of their upcoming courses.
Classroom Certification is required for all teaching assistants whose responsibilities involve direct contact with students such as giving presentations in lectures or laboratories, conducting lectures, and leading discussion groups. A TA1 may complete the evaluation for Classroom Certification in anticipation of a change in duties that require direct contact with students. There is no need to attend the General TA Workshop again.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON OBTAINING TA WORKSHOP PARTICIPATION AND CERTIFICATION:
- WAIVERS TO ALLOW CLASSROOM TEACHING (TA2 OR TA3) WITHOUT SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF INTERNATIONAL TA OR GENERAL TA WORKSHOP AND CLASSROOM CERTIFICATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED.
- If international students do not pass the pronunciation/presentation skills segment of the ITA Workshop, they are required to enroll in ESL 5313 during the fall semester. If successful, they are then eligible to complete the teaching evaluation segment of the workshop offered prior to the beginning of the following spring semester.
- A student cannot participate in the teaching evaluation/classroom certification segment until all other TA Workshop requirements have been completed.
- International students with a bachelor's degree from an accredited US institution are not required to complete the International TA Workshop.
- Participation in the ITA or General TA workshop is secured through documentation of receipt of a letter that offers a TA. If room is available, students who have not been offered a TA appointment will be allowed to enroll.