What are the training requirements for Engineering TAs?
TA certification in the college is contingent upon completion of microteaching and five College of Engineering or College of Engineering-approved workshops relevant to your duties as a TA. Please be advised that if you do not complete the training requirements, your department has the option of revoking your assistantship.
What are the training requirements for International TAs?
In addition to Engineering TA training, International TAs who come from countries where English is not the first language are required to pass an oral proficiency assessment to ensure intelligibility. This language proficiency assessment determines whether an ITA must enroll in an extended training program through the university’s International Teaching Assistant Development Program (ITADP). For additional information, please visit the Web site.
Why do TAs have to participate in training?
In the College of Engineering, the emphasis on research has remained high over the decades while the demand for quality teaching has increased. This emphasis on teaching excellence is being fueled by a greater understanding of how to maximize the learning process with increasingly sophisticated teaching skills. It is understood that different people learn differently, necessitating that teachers employ a variety of communication and teaching strategies. By providing TAs with a sophisticated understanding of how human learning occurs as well as rigorous training in administrative management responsibilities, the college is creating a pool of talent that enriches its pedagogical life and enhances undergraduate learning and the TA experience.
What will TAs learn in training?
- Effective public speaking
- Facilitating group activity
- Encouraging and supporting teamwork and cooperative efforts
- How to learn from one’s peers
- How to understand and respond to different communication and learning styles
- How to enable the learning and success of others
- Strategies for conducting interesting labs and recitations
- Effective grading methods
- Campus resources for TAs and students
What if I have to miss a session, or more, of training?
If you are unable to attend training, all or in part, please know that you are responsible for completing comparable make-up sessions to receive certification as a Teaching Assistant in the College. Certification is contingent upon completion of the following components:
- Microteaching (Note: There are no make-up sessions for microteaching. Contact a Graduate Teaching Specialist/TA Trainer or the Engineering Learning Initiatives office to sign up.)
- Five College of Engineering or College of Engineering-approved workshops relevant to your duties as a TA
Although the College of Engineering will provide some make-up sessions (typically on the Saturday following training), you might find it necessary to enroll in the university-wide Graduate Teaching Development Workshops offered through the Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT) to complete your requirements. If all components are not completed in the current semester, you will be expected to complete your certification requirements the following semester. Contact Engineering Learning Initiatives for more information.
What is microteaching?
Microteaching is a required component of TA training in Cornell Engineering. In a microteaching session you teach a micro-lesson to a micro-class and then view a videotape of your teaching. These sessions provide a good opportunity for a small-group discussion about teaching in general and about individual concerns and experiences in particular. Microteaching offers a valuable opportunity to see and reflect on your own teaching, to get feedback from your peers, to learn from the teaching styles of others, and to practice teaching in a safe environment.
How does the TA midterm evaluation process work? Why is it important?
The midterm feedback process provides TAs with direct student input regarding teaching skills, methods, and approaches. Proper use of the results can help TAs implement changes and improve teaching and thus lead to a more productive and enjoyable experience for everyone.
What is the ENGRG 6780 Teaching Seminar?
Through formative discussion and reflective writing, ENGRG 6780 affords the opportunity for professional reflection, with the aim of upgrading teachers’ skills, increasing teaching standards, and improving student-learning outcomes. Contact Engineering Learning Initiatives for more information.
What does a TA trainer do?
TA Trainers in the College of Engineering are experienced, enthusiastic, and highly motivated engineering graduate students who play key roles in the TA Development Program. The expected time commitment will average eight hours per week from early July to approximately mid-September. Duties include the following:
- Work with Engineering Learning Initiatives to develop and present workshops in the TA Development Program. These are offered to all new TAs during the first three weeks of the semester.
- Present modules and lead discussions on selected topics like teaching issues, grading, teaching labs and recitations.
- Conduct microteaching sessions with small groups of TAs, videotaping their teaching and facilitating the feedback process.
- Provide help to new TAs on an individual basis, through consultation, in-class visitations, and videotaping of TAs in the classroom if requested.
How can I become a TA trainer?
Please send a résumé, a brief description of your teaching experience, and a statement of your interest in the program to Linda Tompkins, Associate Director, Engineering Learning Initiatives, 167 Olin Hall. E-mail applications are acceptable and should be sent to lt57@cornell.edu.
What does the Engineering Learning Initiatives TA Fellow do?
In addition to presenting TA training modules, the Engineering Learning Initiatives TA Fellow’s responsibilities include working in the Engineering Learning Initiatives office approximately 15-20 hours per week throughout the academic year on various program tasks, including:
- Helping to design and deliver summer Graduate Teaching Specialist training sessions;
- Coordinating production of the TA Handbook;
- Coordinating sign-up for TA training workshops, microteaching, and make-up sessions;
- Collecting, compiling, and analyzing feedback on the training sessions;
- Identifying and notifying TAs who do not complete TA training;
- Coordinating TA mid-term evaluation process; and
- Coordinating the ENGRG 678 teaching seminar and the mid-term feedback process
As a member of the Engineering Learning Initiatives staff, the Fellow will be expected to help with other program initiatives as needed, including those related to Academic Excellence Workshops, undergraduate research, and peer tutoring.
How do I apply to become the Engineering Learning Initiatives TA Fellow?
Please send a resume, a brief description of your teaching experience and a statement of your interest in the program to Linda Tompkins, Associate Director, Engineering Learning Initiatives, 167 Olin Hall. E-mail applications are acceptable and should be sent to lt57@cornell.edu.
What support do TAs have when they experience problems on the job?
There is a broad network of support for TAs. You need only be aware of the resources, and know when and how to ask for help. Available resources include, but are not limited to the following:
- Engineering Learning Initiatives: Communication is confidential, and Engineering Learning Initiatives staff members can help locate pathways for problem resolution.
- TA Trainers (easiest to access via )
- Director of Graduate Student Studies for your department — if you are a graduate student
- Engineering Graduate Student Association (EGSA) — if you are a graduate student
- Your peers
