Orientation for Community, Connection, and Support
This fall, TIIP welcomed more than 350 new graduate teaching assistants (TAs) through its New TA Orientation, organized in two different modalities: asynchronous modules via Canvas and an onsite event held on the College Avenue campus on August 24. Earlier in August, all new TAs engaged with orientation content through the self-paced Canvas sites. More than 100 new TAs were also able to join the in-person orientation event where they connected with experienced TAs, campus resources, and peers across disciplines.
The orientation was built around three goals:
- Helping new TAs create a sense of community with their peers
- Discussing key teaching topics in preparation for the upcoming academic year
- Introducing ongoing professional development opportunities.
Learning from Experienced TAs
The onsite orientation opened with a panel of experienced TAs, who shared their personal reflections on their teaching experience at Rutgers-New Brunswick. There was also an opportunity for a Q&A, which allowed an open exchange between the panelists and the audience. “One of the questions during the Q&A session that stood out to me was about how a new TA should manage their responsibilities as a TA, a student, and a researcher,” said one of the panelists Sheikh Mohammad Arman, a Ph.D. student in Chemistry and Chemical Biology. “The answer to that question is very area-specific. Having a panel of experienced TAs from such diverse backgrounds has really helped answer the question from different perspectives, and I think every participant has benefited from that.”
Delving Deeper in Breakout Discussions
Orientation participants then broke into smaller discussion groups organized around the different roles they would have – grader, lab facilitator, discussion or recitation leader, and instructor of record – giving new TAs a space to discuss the specific details of their new roles. “During the breakout session I led on recitation, I really appreciated how much we could learn simply by bringing different perspectives together,” said panelist and breakout facilitator Justin Ng, a Ph.D. student in Cell and Developmental Biology. “With TAs coming from such diverse backgrounds and disciplines, our discussion naturally surfaced a wide range of student needs and facilitation approaches that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. It was a great reminder that course facilitation is rarely one-size-fits-all, and that some of the best ideas come from just listening to the people around you.”
The breakout discussion also allowed connecting with peers who are navigating similar responsibilities. “I really appreciated all who showed up and their willingness to share pedagogical strategies with one another,” said panelist and breakout facilitator Lu Biltucci, a Ph.D. student in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. “Some attendees had past teaching experience, so we tackled the scenarios with practical solutions that we have actually applied in the classroom. I heard from most of the room that they appreciated having a space to communicate with one another about taking on TA work as instructor of record, especially from beyond STEM fields.”
In addition, the smaller discussion setting became a place to find reassurance as well as share eagerness about their new TA roles. “The TAs in my breakout session seemed excited and nervous about their role in education,” said another breakout facilitator Laurence Giordano, a Ph.D. student in Chemistry. “The participants didn’t initially seem to know how to engage with the orientation materials, but this lack of surety was redirected into a thoughtful and involved discussion, concerns about challenges TAs experience, and other aspects of being a TA.”
Shared Effort with Campus Partners
The morning closed with a second panel featuring the Office of Disability Services, the Office of General Counsel, and the Office of Compliance and Title IX, who walked the participants through key institutional policies and resources. The asynchronous orientation mirrored these topics, allowing new TAs who could not attend in person to engage with the same material via Canvas.
None of this would have been possible without extensive collaboration with campus partners. TIIP’s six Graduate Student Coordinators supported the facilitation of both asynchronous and onsite orientation programming, and additional five experienced TAs volunteered their time on the panel and in breakout conversations. Graduate programs and departments encouraged their incoming TAs to participate, and campus offices shared their time to discuss policies and procedures that matter for new TAs. University Online Education Services also provided support in videography to document the onsite orientation event.
As this year’s cohort of new TAs supports the teaching and learning across campus, TIIP encourages all graduate students to engage in teaching development throughout their time at Rutgers. Check out our upcoming opportunities on TIIP’s events calendar and sign up for the monthly newsletter for graduate students and postdocs. Also keep an eye out on our media space for the video recording of the experienced TA panel session.
Acknowledgement
TIIP would like to thank all of the panelists, breakout facilitators, and campus partners for sharing their valuable insights and experiences with new TAs at the onsite orientation.
- Sheikh Mohammad Arman, Chemistry, panelist and breakout facilitator
- Karen Bacalia, Nutritional Sciences, breakout facilitator and TIIP’s Graduate Student Coordinator
- Yhosep Barba Blanco, Spanish and Portuguese, breakout facilitator and TIIP’s Graduate Student Coordinator
- Lu Bilutcci, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, panelist and breakout facilitator
- Sophia Fox-Dichter, Planning and Public Policy, breakout facilitator and TIIP’s Graduate Student Coordinator
- Laurence Giordano, Chemistry, breakout facilitator
- Amirtha Giridhar, Industria and Systems Engineering, breakout facilitator and TIIP’s Graduate Student Coordinator
- Zainab Mustapha, Chemistry, breakout facilitator
- Tze Chang (Justin) Ng, Cell and Developmental Biology, breakout facilitator
- Elizabeth Siaw, Plant Biology, breakout facilitator and TIIP’s Graduate Student Coordinator
- Gill Woody, Economics, breakout facilitator and TIIP’s Graduate Student Coordinator
- Campus Partners:
- Office of Compliance and Title IX
- Office of Disability Services
- Office of General Counsel
- University Online Education Services