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International Teaching Assistant Training Program
Office of the Provost
Groups Served
Graduate
Program Website
Visit the Program Website
Contact Information
Cortes, Viviana
vcortes@gsu.edu
404-413-5200
Address
100 Decatur Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
Building
Library South
Campus
Atlanta
Funding
Other Source
Overview
The International Teaching Assistant (ITA) Training program works with international graduate students who are non-native speakers of English who will be potentially teaching classes at Georgia State Universities while completing their graduate programs. International graduate teaching assistants in the program receive guidance and support in the form of coursework, seminars and observations/coaching.
Benefits
Teaching preparation.
– 3 course credits upon finishing the ITA course (ESL7500).
– feedback along their participation in the online workshops.
– a designated observer when they become instructors of record of a course, who mentors them through the observation and feedback sessions.
– program experience as part of their teaching portfolio in the job market.
Supplemental Materials
Discipline Focus
Diversity Group ( Social Identity)
Race/Ethnicity
Race/Ethnic Group
Asian, Hispanic/ Latinx groups, Other, Focused mostly on non-native speaker instructors
Program, Initiative, Policy or Sponsored Award Category
Priority 1: Academic Initiative
Established
08/25/2015
Number Served
51-100
Notable Alumni
Soukaina Filali, PhD, Computer Science, new faculty at Utah State University, received outstanding teaching award in the Computer Science Department at GSU;
Irina Ilioaea, PhD Mathematics, new faculty Louisiana State University of Shreveport
Research Components and Activities
Program sponsored (in-house) professional development sessions/ coursework (e.g., workshops, test preparation, mini-courses, specialized course, conference presentations, resume/cv building, tutoring, professional development etiquette), other
Other: teacher preparation
Additional Research Components, Roles and Responsibilities
Course: ESL7500: semester-long course designed to improve the classroom communication and general teaching skills of international graduate teaching assistants. The course provides instruction and practice in classroom language and intercultural skills, as well as general teaching techniques. During the semester, students give several short field-specific presentations, which are videotaped and receive feedback from classmates and the instructor. Students also observe undergraduate courses in their field of study to focus on classroom interactions, lesson presentation, or instructor’s communication with students to confirm understanding.
Workshop Titles:
Yes, I have an accent. Don’t you; Immediacy in teaching; Clarity in teaching; Motivating inattentive students; Engaging students with content
Observations: Faculty trained in second language acquisition/classroom teaching can visit classes or lab and talk with students about their teaching.
Self-efficacy Emphasis
A wide variety of coaching and feedback techniques for participants. Various face-to-face and online workshops.
Acknowledgement/Affirmation of Identity, Strengths, Needs
Focuses on current and potential International Teaching Assistants’ needs as a basis for the goals and objectives of the program. There program tries to individualize these needs and tailor the goals activities to the students’ needs. Much of the course stresses the importance of raising awareness of similarities and differences across teaching approaches and classroom practices for native and non-native speaker of English instructors.
Examples of Inclusionary Practices and Activities
Specialized Pedagogical practices (e.g. multicultural teaching practices; usage of gender pronouns)), Specialized Curricula/Workshops (e.g. training for participants, directors and/or faculty on imposter syndrome, implicit bias, microaggressions), Structured Dialogues and Interactions (e.g. lab discussions, one-on-one sessions, virtual dialogues), Orientation (e.g. reviewing norms, expectations, structures, goals and/or protocols),Personalized counseling services, Development of Academic Sense of Belongingness (e.g. Meetings with doctoral scholars, peer researchers, exchanges at academic conferences), Creation of a Safe space/ climate/environment
Participant Empowerment
Academic recognition (i.e. research credibility, prestige), Coaching, Knowledge transfer to the community (e.g., parents, peers, stakeholders), Publication opportunities, Mentoring opportunities
Mentoring Components
Mentors are peers of program participants (near-peer, tiered peer, etc.), Mentors provide regular scheduled meetings with mentees, Mentors exchange social displays of scientific knowledge and practices, Mentees are given information about academic customs, pitfalls, departmental politics and taboos, Mentors provide support with goal setting and or career planning, Mentors provide support with academic or discipline specific knowledge through direct teaching, Mentors provide mentees with access to academic resources (e.g. precollegiate/collegiate/graduate/postdoc/ faculty training; standardized test preparation; writing workshops, research workshops, tenure and promotion information)
Opportunities to Privilege Voice
Evaluation Methods
annual performance report
Anticipated Participant Outcomes
completion of a course(s),obtaining employment (industry or other sector)
Outcome Milestones
“…”
Program, Initiative, Policy or Sponsored Award Category
Priority 1: Academic Initiative
Established
08/25/2015
Number Served
51-100
Notable Alumni
Soukaina Filali, PhD, Computer Science, new faculty at Utah State University, received outstanding teaching award in the Computer Science Department at GSU;
Irina Ilioaea, PhD Mathematics, new faculty Louisiana State University of Shreveport
Research Components and Activities
Program sponsored (in-house) professional development sessions/ coursework (e.g., workshops, test preparation, mini-courses, specialized course, conference presentations, resume/cv building, tutoring, professional development etiquette), other
Other: teacher preparation
Additional Research Components, Roles and Responsibilities
Course: ESL7500: semester-long course designed to improve the classroom communication and general teaching skills of international graduate teaching assistants. The course provides instruction and practice in classroom language and intercultural skills, as well as general teaching techniques. During the semester, students give several short field-specific presentations, which are videotaped and receive feedback from classmates and the instructor. Students also observe undergraduate courses in their field of study to focus on classroom interactions, lesson presentation, or instructor’s communication with students to confirm understanding.
Workshop Titles:
Yes, I have an accent. Don’t you; Immediacy in teaching; Clarity in teaching; Motivating inattentive students; Engaging students with content
Observations: Faculty trained in second language acquisition/classroom teaching can visit classes or lab and talk with students about their teaching.
Please describe how your program addresses self-efficacy (one's beliefs in their own ability to execute behaviors necessary to perform) in its participants?
A wide variety of coaching and feedback techniques for participants. Various face-to-face and online workshops.
How does your program acknowledge or affirm individuals’ different identities, strengths, or needs?
Focuses on current and potential International Teaching Assistants’ needs as a basis for the goals and objectives of the program. There program tries to individualize these needs and tailor the goals activities to the students’ needs. Much of the course stresses the importance of raising awareness of similarities and differences across teaching approaches and classroom practices for native and non-native speaker of English instructors.
Inclusionary practices/activities utilized in your program:
Specialized Pedagogical practices (e.g. multicultural teaching practices; usage of gender pronouns)), Specialized Curricula/Workshops (e.g. training for participants, directors and/or faculty on imposter syndrome, implicit bias, microaggressions), Structured Dialogues and Interactions (e.g. lab discussions, one-on-one sessions, virtual dialogues), Orientation (e.g. reviewing norms, expectations, structures, goals and/or protocols),Personalized counseling services, Development of Academic Sense of Belongingness (e.g. Meetings with doctoral scholars, peer researchers, exchanges at academic conferences), Creation of a Safe space/ climate/environment
Participant Empowerment
Academic recognition (i.e. research credibility, prestige), Coaching, Knowledge transfer to the community (e.g., parents, peers, stakeholders), Publication opportunities, Mentoring opportunities
Mentoring Components
Mentors are peers of program participants (near-peer, tiered peer, etc.), Mentors provide regular scheduled meetings with mentees, Mentors exchange social displays of scientific knowledge and practices, Mentees are given information about academic customs, pitfalls, departmental politics and taboos, Mentors provide support with goal setting and or career planning, Mentors provide support with academic or discipline specific knowledge through direct teaching, Mentors provide mentees with access to academic resources (e.g. precollegiate/collegiate/graduate/postdoc/ faculty training; standardized test preparation; writing workshops, research workshops, tenure and promotion information)
Opportunities to Privilege Voice
Evaluation methods are used to substantiate the program’s outcomes:
annual performance report
Anticipated participant outcomes for your program:
completion of a course(s),obtaining employment (industry or other sector)