Please see below for a useful collection of resources for TAs including information on General Teaching Tips, Active Learning, Assessment, and Teaching with Technology.
Teaching Tips
Rutgers University Resources
- Creating Effective Lectures
- Dealing with Different Levels of Academic Preparation
- Dealing with Difficult Students
- Giving Feedback
- Making a Strong Start to a New Semester
- Managing Class Time
- Projecting Confidence in the Classroom
- What to Put in a Syllabus?
- What is a TA? A note for undergraduates about TAs at Rutgers
External Resources
- Collected Wisdom: Strategies and Resources from TAs for TAs. A guide by the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation, Carnegie Mellon University
- Why College Professors Hate (and Love) April From the Chronicle of Higher Education
Active Learning
The goal of active learning is to enhance students' ability to grasp the concepts and content of a course in a fashion that will result in greater retention of the material. While the pedagogical techniques and approaches can vary widely, all seek to engage students in a fashion that will foster both independent and collaborative learning opportunities.
- Active Learning for the College Classroom A guide by Donald R. Paulson & Jennifer L. Faust
- Classroom Participation
- Leading a Discussion
- Make Your Classroom an 'Active' Classroom
- Using Article Reviews to Teach Writing in Large Classes
- Wikipedia as an Educational Exercise
Inclusive Teaching Checklists
The goal of inclusive teaching is to create a learning environment in which all students perceive to be valued and are able to succeed. The following are checklists with ideas for inclusive teaching strategies that you may choose to implement in your classroom.
Assessment
Assessment is a way of looking at how effective we are as instructors and how much our students learn (although this is not always an accurate measure of student involvement or engagement with the course material). How do we know if our students are learning what we want them to learn? Waiting until the end of the semester to find out may not be the best for all involved. Below are some tools and links to assist you with the assessment.
- Do It Yourself Mid-semester Evaluation
- Creating and Assessing Learning Goals
- Evaluate Early, Often, and in a Variety of Ways
- End of Semester Grading
- Departmental Assessment Plans, Guidelines from the Rutgers Center for Teaching Advancement and Assessment Research
- Support Materials for Assessment, Rutgers Center for Teaching Advancement and Assessment Research
- Please also see media for Assessment focused content.
Teaching with Technology
Online Teaching
- University Resources for Faculty
- Rutgers Teaching and Learning With Technology
- 90 min. Comprehensive Sessions (registration required)
- Using Live, Online Sessions to Support Continuity of Instruction
Rutgers-New Brunswick recommends Canvas as a learning management platform, and supports access to the following conference platforms which integrate with Canvas:
Additionally, free or discounted software are available for students, faculty and staff.
- PlayPosit
- ScarletApps, Google Apps for Education
- Turnitin, plagiarism-checking software
- University Software Portal
Also, see the workshop page for technology-focused sessions.