Speaker
Description
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) are the STEM teachers of today and the faculty of tomorrow. We have been working with GTAs in Math, Physics, and Computer Science at George Mason University to prepare them for their teaching efforts in classrooms and labs. Our professional development efforts begin with a two-day workshop that includes a discussion of practical teaching skills with an emphasis on active learning. In addition, the workshop aims to make participants aware of campus resources and to foster a sense of community among GTAs. Beyond the workshop, each department has its own approach for ongoing GTA professional development. The work with GTAs is part of a larger effort to transform the way large introductory lectures are taught in these disciplines. We will present our model for GTA preparation and the first results from our study of these efforts and their impact on GTAs’ knowledge of active learning pedagogies and their understanding of their role as classroom instructors.
