Teaching assistant in residence: a novel peer mentorship program for less experienced teaching assistants

Abstract

Each year approximately 70 graduate teaching assistants (TAs) support the delivery of the undergraduate computer science program at the University of Calgary. During the 2012-2013 academic year, a novel TA mentorship program was initiated for these TAs. An experienced teaching assistant with a demonstrated record of excellence in teaching was hired to serve as the TA in Residence. This graduate student provided training and advice to new teaching assistants, including classroom visits where the TA in Residence observed TAs in action and provided personalized suggestions that TAs could follow to improve their teaching skills. TAs that participated in the program generally reported that the advice provided by the TA in Residence was helpful, and all of the TAs that responded to the survey believed that it would be worthwhile to continue the mentorship program in the future.