Teaching Resources as a Teaching Assistant and Beyond

Teaching Resources as a Teaching Assistant and Beyond

As a graduate teaching assistant, you may be tasked with directly interacting with students, grading assessments, leading study sessions or labs, or other teaching-related duties. Regardless of your GTA responsibilities, you will want to familiarize yourself with teaching resources at Purdue University.

1. You will find valuable information in Purdue’s Teaching Assistant Orientation (TAoR) Brightspace course, which guides you through online modules as you learn about the teaching & learning mission of Purdue University. Your Purdue department will sign you up for enrollment in the Brightspace course called: GEN Teaching Assistant Orientation 2023 training course.
2. Grading may be a large part of your teaching assistant role here at Purdue University. Being responsible for grades is an essential task. There are some important guidelines to know regarding grades, such as not posting grades publicly, which is a violation of FERPA. For more specific guidance on grading regulations, please go to the Academic Regulations website.
   1. With academic regulations in mind, you will also want to remember that the process of grading needs to be transparent, and equitable. For information on how to grade equitably, please visit the Inclusive Pedagogy path where you will learn about the different types of grading structures and how to create grading structures using inclusive pedagogy.
   2. Your grading responsibilities may include grading free-response questions for large lecture courses. Purdue offers a valuable tool called Gradescope, which helps you grade written assessments by decreasing grading time, creating consistency across exams by providing detailed rubrics, and providing statistical feedback. Please visit the Instructional Data Processing website for more information.
3. Purdue University is committed to an inclusive and welcoming experience for all students, staff, faculty, and guests. We believe that as we design University experiences, from classes, tests, events, or programs, we have a responsibility to identify and remove barriers to access. If we incorporate access into our design initially, it may reduce or eliminate the need for individual accommodations, and increase the inclusion and participation of all users. Please see the Disability Resource Center for teaching resources and the Innovative Learning website for Enhancing Accessibility.
4. Participate in a four-week online certificate program called the Certificate of Foundations in College Teaching through the Center for Instructional Excellence, where you engage with peers as you explore central topics in college teaching, such as (a) Making Learning Accessible, (b) Assessing Student Learning, (c) Creating a Learner-Centered Environment, and (d) Applying the Science of Teaching and Learning.

Emergency Preparedness in the Classroom

If you are concerned about a student in a class you are a graduate teaching assistant for, or a student in your own class, you can contact:

1. The student and/or their advisor to check in with them
2. You may also submit your concern through the ODOS Student of Concern report. A student of concern is any student who displays behaviors that may interfere with the student’s ability to be successful and/or function well in the living, learning or work environment
3. If a situation is an emergency (requiring immediate police presence and/or medical assistance) please call 9-1-1 for the police, fire department and/or ambulance service to be dispatched to your location
4. For non-emergencies, please call Purdue University Police Department for assistance at (765) 494-8221 or email them at police@purdue.edu. Examples of non-emergencies include, but are not limited to, witnessing a disturbance on campus, bike theft, vandalism, someone driving recklessly. Here is more information on how to report a crime.