Resources for Teaching Assistants

TA Networks are intentional communities for graduate student instructors navigating unique challenges often overlooked in traditional TA training. At large universities like UW-Madison, all TAs face challenges ranging from microaggressions in office hours to discipline-specific teaching dilemmas. TA Networks aim to mitigate these challenges for all TAs. More information here: https://teachlearn.ls.wisc.edu/ta-programming/ta-networks/

Click here to see many teaching resources for TAs. L&S TA Training and Support seeks to empower all L&S Teaching Assistants (TAs) to flourish by providing continuous training and support.

In December 2022, ChatGPT made headlines. This new conversational artificial intelligence (AI) program (or chatbot) has many in higher education discussing AI’s potential threat to our work and purpose. It has inspired both awe and fear. To read more, see References and Further Reading.

Like with any new technology, one approach instructors can take in the classroom is to transparently make use of it. This allows you to move beyond stress over whether or not students are using AI, and instead have a voice in when, why, and how you and your class use it. You can even invite students to consider and explore AI with you (Tufekci, 2022). Although this approach may not work or be right for all instructors and courses, this strategy has the advantages of encouraging student participation in a larger societal question and helping students to develop their own ethical grounding and practical understanding of academic integrity related to AI.

Read more here.

As a TA, you may have students in your courses who are working with the McBurney Disability Resource Center to receive accommodations to help them participate fully in your course. These can include things like seating in a specific part of the classroom, American Sign Language interpretation, or note-taking devices. As a student, you may also work with McBurney to receive accommodations. Learn more about the McBurney Center.

Click here for instructor resources from the McBurney Center, including a sample syllabus statement.

As a Teaching Assistant you fulfill many roles on campus. You are an instructor, a student, and may also be completing your own research or other work. Balancing these roles can be challenging, but there are resources on campus to help. Learn more about UHS Mental Health resources and self-care, and get help Thriving in Grad School.

The L&S Instructional Design Center’s Canvas Checklist for L&S TAs can help you start the semester off right by making sure your Canvas course and your Canvas account are ready to start the semester.

The Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring offers consultations, help with course design, a number of professional development opportunities, and information on many partner programs across campus related to teaching and learning.

The Delta Program engages graduate students and postdocs in professional development in teaching, mentoring, outreach and advising.

L&S Teaching & Learning Administration seeks to empower all L&S Teaching Assistants (TAs) to flourish by providing continuous training and support.

They help our TAs acquire knowledge, skills, and confidence to cultivate engaged, equitable environments where all students (and teachers!) can thrive as they navigate the challenges and joys of learning.

The Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring supports faculty and staff from across campus in their continuing growth as practitioners of the complex, challenging and dynamic craft of teaching.

Whether you are a tenured professor, an instructor, a graduate teaching assistant or a lab manager, they’re here to help! From addressing a particular challenge to strengthening interactions between you, your students and their peers, they can support your work in classrooms, studios, labs, online courses and other learning environments. They can also assist with additional learning experiences such as study groups.

Click here for grading information, instructions, and FAQs from the Office of the Registrar.

Click here to see resources regarding accommodations needed to help you do your job as a TA related to a disability or medical condition, using paid sick leave and understanding leave options, TA workloads and expectations, and more.

The GAPP (Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures) is a campus-wide resource that includes the most relevant employment policies for graduate students working as teaching, project, or graduate assistants.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, known as FERPA, is a federal law that governs the privacy of student education records, access to those records, and disclosure of information from them. As instructors, TAs must know how to safely work with student records. Learn more about FERPA via the Registrar’s Office.

The L&S Administrative Gateway is the best resource for learning about L&S policies and procedures. You must log in with your NetID.

The Graduate School at UW-Madison supports graduate students in their research, employment, teaching, and professional development. Please visit the Graduate School for more information.

• For your students: The Dean of Students Office is a great place to refer students you work with who would benefit from help with academic, personal, health, or other issues. This Office is also a valuable resource for you as a student.
• For yourself: The Dean of Students Office has dedicated resources for graduate students, including a dedicated staff member to help with questions.

The Writing Center provide students with support, resources, community, and accountability at any stage of the writing process through:

• one-to-one instruction,
• writing groups,
• writing mentorships,
• workshops, and our
• Writer’s Handbook.

Click here for information on the Writing Center for instructors.

UW-Madison Libraries have an incredible wealth of resources, services, spaces, and extensive staff expertise – all for you! UW-Madison Libraries together make up Wisconsin’s world class public research university library system. We offer convenient access to print materials, e-books, databases, electronic journals, and article/book delivery from libraries around the world. Our librarian experts can help you with all aspects of your research lifecycle and can support your teaching with information literacy instruction or curricular content needs.

The Libraries staff hold a depth of expertise via subject specialists who are available for personalized attention and are familiar with your discipline.  For more immediate assistance, our staff are ready to respond to your reference questions virtually or in-person. Please visit this quick overview to learn about all the ways the libraries can help you with your research, teaching, and personal pursuits.

The mission of the Academy is to promote, recognize and support excellence in teaching and learning among faculty, staff and students across campus and beyond. It operates in accordance with a set of mission and bylaws and is made up of approximately 500 Fellows, Future Faculty Partners, and Affiliates from a wide range of campus departments and programs.

Class Groups are Google Groups generated from course enrollment data from the Office of the Registrar Student Information System. This information is updated every few hours, so student changes such as adding or dropping a course or updating an email address will be automatically reflected. Instructors and teaching assistants are automatically assigned to their Class Group once enrollment is set.