Citation:  Castro, Chris; Schmid, Megan; Pesavento, Theresa; Higgins, Jenny. 2016. "Creating Instructional Teams." Breakout session at the UW–Madison Teaching & Learning Symposium

Strategy 1: Plan an Orientation Meeting

An orientation meeting provides an opportunity for the team to get acquainted, review the course learning outcomes, and clarify the expectations of everyone involved in the learning process. To function effectively, the team must understand and agree on the course's learning outcomes and instructional vision. An orientation meeting also allows the team to examine the syllabus, focusing on policies (grading, conduct, etc.); everyone needs to know and plan for labor-intensive teaching or grading weeks.

Suggested Agenda Items

• Introductions
• Brief overview of the course 
• Course learning outcomes (what students will learn or be able to do) 
• Instructional vision (how learning should happen: pedagogy) 
• Syllabus review
• Mutual expectations (document this conversation and distribute it to the entire team)
• Course leader’s approach to collaboration and management (the orientation meeting is the ideal setting for the team leader to share his/her style and preferences)
• Weekly meeting days/times/location
• 1:1 meetings (decide if and how often the team leader will meet with each TA individually)

Suggested Course Materials to Distribute

• Syllabus 
• A calendar indicating key dates (e.g., grading papers, due dates, exam dates, exam preparation, etc.) so everyone can reserve time during the semester's particularly heavy teaching/grading times.  
• Textbook(s), course packet, or bibliography of course materials and directions on where to access them
• A roster of students for each TA

Next Steps

• Start a draft of the agenda for your team’s orientation meeting. Use any of the items suggested above and add anything important to your team and the course you participate in.
• Consider what expectations you have of others in your instructional team. For example, if you are a TA, what do you need from your faculty leader to do your job more effectively? If you are the faculty leader, what expectations do you have of your TA(s)?
• Determine what course materials the team should review at the orientation meeting.

Strategy 2: Plan Weekly Meetings 

Weekly meetings establish an organization, accountability, and reflection rhythm for the instructional team. In addition to discussing course logistics, we invite the team to revisit the instructional vision for the course and to reflect not only on “what” is to be taught but also on “how” and “why.”  

Suggested Standing Agenda Items

1. Check-in
   1. How is teaching going?
   2. What are our perceptions of student learning?
   3. Highlights/lowlights?
2. Course administration
   1. Rubric review [make sure everyone in the team understands how it works]
   2. Grading updates [how is it going? Time management, etc.]
   3. Assignment updates [what’s next? Plan for crunch time.]
   4. Student updates [any “aha!” moments with or from students? Any classroom management concerns?] 
3. Learning outcomes for an upcoming session
4. Activities for achieving learning outcomes

Next Steps

Start a draft of the agenda for weekly meetings. Use any of the items suggested above and add importance to your team and the course you participate in.

Strategy 3: Specialize Instructional Team Members 

Can you anticipate ways to distribute the course duties among the team and “specialize” each instructional member for the entire semester or a portion of it? For example, the faculty leader prepares and delivers all large-group lectures; TA1 prepares and functions clickers during large-group sessions; TA2 is responsible for prep and distributing printed materials; TA3 and TA4 are responsible for monitoring learning during group activities. This strategy ensures everyone knows what to do and enables each team member to anticipate needs and focus on meeting them proactively. Other specializations, particularly for TAs, may include McBurney student liaison, Learn@UW or course Facebook page liaison (the person posts news items, for example), film liaison, etc.

Next Steps

This chart may help you plan for effective specialization.

Strategy 4: Observe Teaching Assistants 

This strategy is mainly the purview and responsibility of team leaders. If possible, each TA should be observed at least once throughout the course to receive feedback on their development as teachers. If time allows, team leaders should plan to meet with the TA on the day before the observation to discuss how the section is going, what the TA would like feedback on, what he or she will be teaching on that day, and how. After the observation, team leaders should debrief with the TA as soon as possible, formulating at least one area to develop further and discussing specific ways. Most TAs will need a letter of recommendation; team leaders can write a more robust letter after conducting observations.

Points to Consider Before Implementing This Strategy

Team Leaders

• Ensure that “observations” are included in the orientation agenda and give TAs advance notice of the observation date. Avoid surprise visits! 
• Observations can make all of us anxious. Convey to TAs that the process is meant to provide constructive feedback and help them improve their teaching. 
• Be open with TAs about your own experiences with observations – share successes and how the process has helped you improve in the past. 
• Plan to document your feedback and share it formally with your TA. 

Teaching Assistants

• Practice ongoing reflection on your teaching. Before the observation, identify one or two areas where you would like specific feedback and share them with your team leader in preparation for the observation. For example, if you wonder whether or not your questions to students are clear, ask your team leader to pay special attention to question clarity during the observation; if you want feedback on the level of engagement you are having with your students, ask your team leader to focus on interactivity during the observation. 
• If course logistics and/or team leader availability make it impractical to conduct observations, consider video-recording one of your sessions and asking your team leader to watch it later and provide you with feedback. 
• Alternatively, consider asking a fellow TA or graduate student to conduct a peer observation of your teaching.

Next Steps

Team Leaders: Draft your strategy below

Teaching Assistants: Share your plan to be an active participant in the observation process

Strategy 5: Support and Empower One Another  

Faculty and TAs make up the course instructional team. The team’s leader is responsible for providing support by responding to course-related TA needs. TAs should make requests or ask questions to help them do their job more efficiently and effectively. Leaders may remind TAs (and students) that TAs are a critical part of the instructional team, are supported in their decisions, and have autonomy and authority to lead specific parts of the course. Every member of the instructional team should convey a consistent message of expectations. Finally, team members should all become aware of campus resources for teaching, including graduate student teaching, that everyone can access when the leader or other TAs cannot help.  

Questions to Consider in Implementing This Strategy

• Does the syllabus explain the role of TAs in the course and the expectations for student-with-TA interactions?
• Has the team allotted time for introducing TAs to students on the first day of class?
• Is everyone on the instructional team clear about expectations? Do TAs know what the team leader needs from them? Does the team leader know what TAs need from him/her and the support he/she is ready to offer?
• Do TAs know how to contact the team leader when needed (in person, by email, or by phone)? 
• Is the instructional team aware of available resources (tutoring for students and instructional resources for faculty/staff)?

Next Steps

Team Leaders: Consider how you plan to support and empower your team. What things do you need to feel supported and empowered? 

Teaching Assistants: Consider how you can be an engaged and supportive team member. What things do you need to feel supported and empowered?