GTA Training Model

Many GTAs are new to their graduate institutions, without knowledge of the demographics and experiences of the undergraduate student population. For GTAs to be able to support their undergraduate students, they must understand the student population. Before the term begins, GTAs can gain appropriate context by reviewing institutional demographic data, speaking with faculty about their experiences supporting undergraduates, or hearing direct testimonials from undergraduate students. For example, GTAs at CU Denver examined institutional statistics together and did activities to reflect on their own identities to better understand those of their students. At UNM, GTAs watched a video where numerous UNM students from different backgrounds talked about their journeys to college and how their lived experiences impact their academic experience.

The SEP’s approach to improving equity is grounded in decades of social-psychology research demonstrating that when learning environments are designed to promote social belonging and communicate that instructors have a growth mindset about intelligence, students are more likely to take advantage of campus resources to support their success and persist through challenges. The SEP resources included throughout this toolkit contain thorough background information on this research base, which GTAs should be encouraged to review and discuss.

something re how many classes taught by GTAs are highly influential re how many students persist in college, GTAs have significant face time with students and have potential to transform experience, most grad programs deemphasize teaching, but taking time to improve it is important

We divide them into two categories: Essential practices that are most critical to undergraduate success and that all GTAs should be able to implement regardless of teaching experience or role, and Expanded practices, which GTAs can use to further explore creating a growth mindset environment in the classroom, but may require additional time or consideration to implement.

Essential:

• Wise Feedback Framing Statements: Wise Feedback can help GTAs deliver critical feedback to students in ways that engenders trust and growth
• Establishing Expectations: GTAs can establish the growth mindset culture of the classroom by establishing course expectations in the first week of class.

Expansion:

• Encouraging Connections: Suggestions for cultivating relationships between GTAs and their students, and among learners, to facilitate a more socially connected learning environment
• Belonging Stories: GTAs can share a belonging story to normalize challenges in college.
• Ensuring Identity Safety: GTAs can use numerous strategies to ensure that all identities are valued and respected in the classroom.

These practices are designed to be low-lift for GTAs while also having significant impact on undergraduate students. Below we offer some tips for maximizing GTAs’ benefits using these practices:

• Provide appropriate support for planning and implementation: Community of practice meetings where GTAs can discuss the practices and debrief implementation are essential for GTA growth
• Ensure GTAs are using the same practices at the same time: GTAs will be most effective in using practices if they can leverage community of practice meetings as opportunities to learn from peers about their successes and challenges.
• Be mindful of GTA agency and role: GTAs hold a variety of roles with different levels of control over course content and activities. You may need to adapt certain practices to ensure that GTAs are not expected to work beyond their scope.
• Approach new practices with a growth mindset: Trying new things in the classroom can be challenging, particularly for GTAs who might not have a lot of teaching experience. As facilitators, you can support GTAs in using new practices by normalizing challenges to implementation and emphasizing that everyone is learning and growing together

Research shows that not all students experience the classroom in the same way. GTAs can gain important insights into how students are experiencing their course by regularly asking students for formative feedback about the learning environment. While the term “feedback” might conjure impressions of being evaluated or judged, the purpose of formative feedback is not intended to be evaluative. Rather, the process of gathering formative feedback can help GTAs reflect on their teaching, understand what might be helping or hindering student learning, and identify specific ways to improve the learning environment and their connection to students. GTAs should inform students that they are hoping to better understand their experiences in your class in order to better support their learning. When GTAs take time to request feedback in a genuine way, they can signal care and respect for students.

 

In addition to the direct benefits of formative feedback on GTAs’ teaching, receiving and reflecting on feedback is an important skill that GTAs will need throughout their graduate programs and beyond….[example]

Not all aspects of a course are within a GTA’s control, and it may be frustrating to get feedback from students about things they cannot change, such as the course meeting time, classroom space, course materials, or curriculum. To ensure that the formative feedback process yields fruitful results, GTAs should only ask for feedback on things that they have agency and knowledge to change.

• Do ask: “What is something that has helped you feel that you belong in this course? If you do not yet feel as though you belong in this course, what is one thing that could help you feel more supported or connected in our class?” This will prompt specific responses from students, and if GTAs receive a lot of responses that students do not feel a sense of belonging yet, they can use SEP practices specifically designed to improve belonging to improve this.
• Don’t ask: “What do you think of my course so far?” or “How does this course make you feel?” These questions are too open-ended and general, and will likely lead to feedback that is not within GTAs’ control.

 

Asking for feedback can feel challenging – particularly if critical feedback tends to trigger  fixed-mindset concerns about skills and abilities. Sometimes, receiving feedback can feel overwhelming and can create anxiety. Using structured formative-feedback approaches can help make it easier for GTAs to ask for — and receive — feedback from students.

 

Anonymity 

All feedback from students should be anonymous. This will allow students to be honest in their responses

 

Timing

Formative feedback should be solicited 2 -3 times throughout the term. It is important to collect formative feedback early enough in the term that GTAs can realistically act on it.

• How can GTAs collect this feedback while also establishing their role within the classroom?
  • Many GTAs feel pressure to look “authoritative” as a GTA teaching for the first time. They may also feel that they need to be an “expert” on everything in the course and that asking for feedback will diminish this. Demonstrating an enthusiastic commitment to student learning builds authority, and measuring student learning requires taking in feedback. People who are most confident in their ability are ones that ask for feedback frequently.
• How can GTAs collect feedback that they are able to respond to?
  • Sometimes GTAs are concerned that if they ask for student feedback, students will request things they can’t accommodate. We reassure GTAs that requesting feedback signals that they are listening to and considering students experience and concerns.  It doesn’t mean they have to fix or address their concerns
• How can facilitators and faculty support GTAs in using this feedback?
  • Providing opportunities in training workshops and other meetings to debrief feedback that GTAs have received can help them reflect on the feedback and prepare to respond.