SAIL TA Training

CTL’s five-session program focuses on the following themes, as well as issues that arise from TA’s experiences in SAIL classes:

• Managing group dynamics
• Giving feedback to students
• Guiding students through questions, including reformulating students' questions so students can answer them
• Breaking concepts and confusion into pieces so that students can address them in a step-by-step process
• Preparing for an active learning class
• Encouraging student preparation

Over the semester these themes will develop through the following sessions and activities:

• Session 1 (right around the start of classes) – Introduction to TAing in a highly structured, highly active classroom.
• Session 2 (the first or second week of classes) – Practice guiding students in groups.
• Individual observation (~weeks 2-5 of the semester) – Consists of a pre-observation meeting, an in-class recording and observation, and a post-observation meeting.
• Session 3 (~week 5 of the semester) – Debrief on how things are going. What is difficult? What has been unexpected? What has gone particularly well?
• Session 4 (end of the semester) – Debrief on how things have gone over the semester. Consider how participants will use this experience in the future.