Teaching Development Graduate Assistant (TDGA) Manual
Introduction
This handbook is a quick reference guide for Teaching Development Graduate Assistants (TDGAs) that outlines some of the basic considerations for creating and running a successful Teaching Assistant (TA) teaching development program in your department. The Graduate Teaching Associates at the Centre for the Support of Teaching are available throughout the year for consultation about the TDGA program, general TA teaching development and CST initiatives, and can also offer advice on making your experience as a TDGA most useful and rewarding. Throughout the academic year, meetings will be organized to bring TDGAs together to discuss the progress of their programs, provide professional development, and the opportunity to meet one another and discuss ideas, innovations, successes and challenges. This is an exciting opportunity for you as a Teaching Development Graduate Assistant, one which will benefit TAs and their students in your department
The TDGA program was implemented in the 1996-97 academic year to promote teaching excellence among TAs at the departmental level. The program complements the general pedagogical development provided by the CST by allowing graduate students to explore teaching and learning issues specific to teaching in their particular discipline. The TDGAs are critical to the success of TA teaching development, both departmentally and within the wider university community.
Contents
- Job Description
- Setting up your program for the year
- Getting things going
- The "Welcome Workshop"
- Outlining the year: What to do & when
- Types of teaching development activities
- Types of workshops
- Estimating programming possibilities
- Timing
-
Organizing sessions
- Determining content and goals
- Determining the format
- Choosing facilitators
- Getting the word out early and often
- Looking after the finer details
- Designing and running a workshop yourself
- Recording and reporting your experiences

