TA HANDBOOK 1
TEACHING ASSISTANT’S HANDBOOK
MTSU ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome Letter4
Program and University Contacts 5
How do we approach teaching writing at MTSU? 8 What is the philosophy for teaching writing at MTSU? 8 Is there a single syllabus? 8 Do we teach formulas such as the five a paragraph theme or “modes” of discourse? 8 What is the difference between 1010 and 1020? 8 What kinds of writing assignments do people typically use in English 1010 and 1020? 9
When are TAs typically assigned to teach 1010, 1020, and 2030?9
Course Policies & What Should Be in My Syllabus? 11 Department course guidelines 11 Course Syllabus Guidelines 13 Syllabus Checklist 13 Office Hours/Teacher Availability 18
Cancelling/Moving Classes and Student Conferences18
Communication with Students and Administration 19
Academic Alert System 20
Disclosing Personal Information 20
Placement 21 Attendance Policy 21 Grading Criteria 22
Nuts and Bolts: What Do I Need To Know To Get Through The Semester?23
Conversing with Students 23
Accessing Rosters and Filing Grades 23 Book Orders 24 Schedules 25 Office Space 25 Photocopying and Scanning 26 Desire to Learn (D2L) 27 Lightening the Paperload 27
Teacher Resources: How Can I Be a More Effective Teacher? 29 GTA Coordinator’s Office (PH 310) 29 TA Website 29 University Writing Center 29 James E. Walker Library 29 Learning Resources Center 29 Information Technology 30 Learning, Teaching, and Innovative Technologies Center (LT & ITC) 30 Counseling Services 30 Disabled Student Services 30 Online Writing Resources to Use with Students 30
Online Resources for Teaching Writing31
Online Professional Development Resources31
FAQ: What Else Might I Need to Know? 33 Where do I get office supplies? 33 Where do I get classroom/TA office cabinet keys? 33 Whom do I contact about A/V equipment? 33 Where should I store work that my students do not collect? 33What is the TA substitute policy? 33 What do I tell students who want to add/drop a class after the deadline? 33 What happens when a student expresses a complaint about my class? 33 What do I do if a student requests special accommodations for an undocumented disability? 34 How do I adapt my teaching practices to best meet the needs of ESL students? 34 What should I do if a student brings a friend/family member to class? 34 What do I do if I have a disruptive student in my class? 34 What is the process for addressing plagiarism? 35 What kinds of records should I keep? 36 What is my responsibility regarding sexual/racial harassment? 36
Making the Most of Professional Opportunities and
Contributing to the Teaching Community37
Professionalism37
Mid-Semester Meetings and End-of-Semester Reflective Essays37
Observations37
Professional Development within the TA Program38
Leadership Positions within the TA Program38
Resources for Conference and Research39
Online Training Modules39
Appendix A: FERPA Regulations41
Appendix B: Emergency Procedures45
Welcome to the Program
Teaching, like writing, is context-specific. Just as writers recognizing the myriad strategies available to them must choose between them based on what they wish to accomplish, so must teachers when contemplating the choices that shape the text that is their teaching. Graduate teaching assistants in the program here at MTSU will often find their inquires about appropriate responses to teaching challenges met with the response, “It depends.” What constitutes an appropriate response depends on the context: on the students’ needs, on the kind of relationship the teacher hopes to cultivate with students, on what will best meet course goals and lead to improved student writing.
Though there will be times when the questions of a teacher in the program are met with a more definitive response than “it depends,” we always encourage teachers to consider how a particular practice or policy represents writing and learning to students. As members of this teaching community, we must adhere to certain conventions and accepted practices, as do members of any discourse community. This is not a program that relies on a common syllabus or text, but it is one that encourages consistency among different course sections through shared course objectives, approved texts, a syllabus review, and classroom observations. There are many ways to teach writing well, but some approaches will be more effective than others in meeting specific course goals along with the needs of this student population. We encourage teachers in the program to embrace a spirit of exploration, to experiment in their teaching, to try something new and then seek feedback from students and colleagues about the new venture.
We also hope for our teachers the opportunity to engage in reflective practice, to identify the strengths in their teaching as well as areas for improvement and then to revise accordingly. We hope that teachers in the program will locate their agency, will become comfortable asserting the authority afforded them as teachers and representatives of this university and of the profession, and will recognize their contributions to the collective knowledge of this community. And lastly, we hope that teachers in the program will feel supported by others in the teaching community and will know that our conversations, our classroom visits, our mid-semester conferences and informal chats in the hallways are all intended to aid them in their development as teachers and professionals.
We are so pleased you have joined this teaching community. Welcome.
Dr. Myatt
Program Contacts
TA HANDBOOK 1
Dr. Julie Myatt Barger
GTA Coordinator
Peck Hall (PH) 310 898-2563
Dr. Kevin Donovan
Director of Graduate Studies
PH 316 898-5898
Dr. Rhonda McDaniel
Graduate Adviser
PH 373
898-5285
Dr. Laura Dubek
Director, Lower Division English
PH 324
904-8156
Dr. Tom Strawman
Chair, English Department
PH 302A 898-5644
Dr. Wes Houp
Writing Center Director (UWC)
PH 386 494-7673
Caty Chapman
Assistant Director, UWC
LIB 362A 494-8930
Patricia Baines
Writing Programs Liaison and Assistant
PH 228C
494-8843
Jenny Rowan
Assistant Coordinator, GTAs & UWC
LIB 362C 494-8932
Debbie Flanigan
English Graduate Studies
PH 316
898-2665
*Graduate student inquiries, classroom keys
Darlene Fults
Main English Office (Chair)
PH 302
898-5644 *Scheduling issues
Rachel LaForte
Support Secretary
PH 309
898-2573 *A/V equipment needs, including reserving the two master classroom carts, and scheduling meeting and/or classroom spaces
Kelly Hays
Upper Division, English PH 323
898-2576 *Supplies (gradebooks, white board markers, pens, etc.) and collector of syllabi @ beginning of semester
Cindy Maguffee
Lower Division, English
PH 324
898-257
*Textbooks
TA HANDBOOK 1
University Contacts
TA HANDBOOK 1
Disabled Student Services
(615) 898-2783
KUC 120
Adaptive Technology
(615) 904-8550
LIB 174
Counseling Services
(615) 898-2670
KUC 329
Judicial Affairs
Student Support Services
(615) 898-5443
MGB 101
Information Technology Division (ITD)
(615) 898-5345 (Helpdesk)
CAB basement
Library Instruction
(615) 904-8530
General Education Faculty Resources
College of Graduate Studies
(615) 898-2840
Sam Ingram Building
International Student Support
(615) 898-2238
KUC 124
TA HANDBOOK 1
NUMBERS TO PROGRAM INTO YOUR PHONE (or keep on you)
1) Campus Security & Raider Escort (will walk you to your car when it’s dark): 898-2424
2) GTA Coordinator: 898-2563
3) Peer Mentor: Varies, please ask.
4) Assistant GTA Coordinator and Liaison to English Dept. and Writing Program: 898-2241
5) IT Help Desk: 898-5345
6) Secretary attached to room where you teach: Varies, please see webviewer for more information and then locate the department administrative aide in the Campus Directory:
7) TA office: 904-8262
Please also sign up for MTSU Alert4U to receive text messages about campus emergencies and inclement weather situations: .
How do we approach teaching writing at MTSU?
All students at MTSU must pass through the English department. English 1010 and English 1020 fulfill part of the Communication requirement of the General Education Program. The long-range goal of the Communication requirement is “to enhance the effective use of the English language essential to students’ success in school and in the world by way of learning to read and listen critically and to write and speak thoughtfully, clearly, coherently, and persuasively.”
What is the philosophy for teaching writing at MTSU?
There is no one philosophy for teaching writing at MTSU. Teaching assistants, as well as professors, are encouraged to use and develop their own pedagogies in order to effectively teach Composition. Instructors of English 1010 and 1020, the two freshman writing courses, are encouraged to write innovative syllabi and assignments that work with the teachers’ own strengths.
Is there a single syllabus?
No. There is no department or TA program general syllabus. While the TA program will provide you with sample syllabi, individuals are encouraged to draft their own syllabi. Syllabi will be reviewed by the TA program and the Lower Division Committee, and the department will keep a copy of your syllabus on file. TAs are encouraged to revise their syllabi each semester based on classroom experiences and insights gleaned from professional development opportunities.
Do we teach formulas such as the five a paragraph theme or “modes” of discourse?
While the five-paragraph essay and the common rhetorical “modes” of writing (narration, description, cause and effect, comparison/contrast) may appear in textbooks and may be familiar to students, instructors are encouraged to move through and beyond these traditional methods for teaching writing. The five-paragraph essay may be a good starting point, but instructors are encouraged to teach a variety of organizational techniques. Also, you should probably teach these traditional rhetorical modes as strategies that may be combined and tweaked based on each individual writing task and its audience and purpose.
What is the difference between 1010 and 1020?
English 1010 and English 1020 fulfill part of the Communication requirement of the General Education Program.
English 1010, Expository Writing, helps students achieve this goal by providing an introduction to critical thinking and writing. Students are introduced to strategies for writing purposeful, coherent, and adequately developed essays. Generally, instructors seek to assign reflective and responsive writing assignments, where students develop critical thinking skills and craft essays based on a combination of their own experiences and responses to texts. Instructors of 1010 will facilitate the development of skills associated with expository writing, including assessing, reporting, explaining, and clarifying. Students should leave English 1010 better and more critical readers. Instructors may use a variety of texts and genres as models or prompts for reflections and response, though literary analysis should not be taught in either 1010 or 1020. Assignments should include primary source reading and research and encourage students to write about and in response to what they are reading. Additionally, when students leave English 1010, they should be able to cite primary source material and include a works cited entry with essays. Students will write at least four essays of 1000 words each.
English 1020, Research and Argumentative Writing, is a continuation of the work begun in English 1010. Students should note that many of the course objectives remain the same. However, students will be expected to gain greater competency in those areas. Students will draw writing content from primary and secondary sources. Students will write four research-based essays totaling at least 5,000 words; some instructors assign an annotated bibliography in lieu of the third essay and in conjunction with the fourth. Though the teaching of a literary text and a literary analysis paper used to be included in the requirements for this course, instructors should note that this requirement is no longer in the objectives for this course. Instructors are also required to conduct at least one library visit with their class.
What kinds of writing assignments do people typically use in English 1010, 1020, and 2030?
Since syllabi, texts, and teachers vary, so do writing assignments. Sometimes instructors choose a theme, an appropriate sequence, or other method of tying writing assignments together. While the department requirements do ask instructors to work with a specific number of papers and words (English 1010: at least four essays of 1000 words each; English 1020: four research-based essays totaling at least 5,000 words; English 2030: minimum of 3 essays about specific works of literature and a minimum of 2 essay examinations), instructors may tweak the number of assignments while still fulfilling the overall word count according to their own course design. Instructors are encouraged to vary types and lengths of assignments and to rely on scaffolding to allow students to build on the skills they develop over the course of the semester. You might want to think about offering a variety of options in each assignment, too. Not only will assignments with multiple options encourage students to write to their interests and strengths, it also means you won’t be reading the same paper over and over again.
When are TAs typically assigned to teach 1010, 1020, and 2030?
Most GAs in the English Department begin their graduate assistantship assignment tutoring in the University Writing Center. When a GA has accumulated 18 hours of graduate English credit, he/she is eligible to teach English 1010, the first required Composition course in the freshman writing sequence. After successfully teaching 1010 for 2 semesters, the TA is then eligible to teach English 1020.
Recently, we implemented a pilot program to introduce TAs to teaching English 2030: Experience of Literature. In order to be eligible to teach 2020/2030, a TA must:
- show evidence of effective teaching (as reflected in official class observations).
- have a 4.0 overall score on student evaluations.
- have a score of average or above in all categories on the College of Graduate Studies Performance evaluation.
- earn a grade of B or above in the Teaching Literature class or successfully complete a semester shadowing an English 2020 or 2030 class.
- earn a passing score on both preliminary exams at least one semester prior to teaching 2020/2030.
- have taught English 1020 successfully at least twice.
TAs chosen for this program who choose the shadowing option will shadow an experienced faculty member for a semester as he/she teaches English 2030, and then the TA will teach a section of 2030 the following semester with the faculty member serving as a teaching mentor. Although the exact requirements of the shadow program are determined by the faculty member and the TA, it is suggested that the TA teach at least one class in each major section of 2030, participate in the grading process for two or three students over the course of the semester, and compose a syllabus and several lesson plan outlines for the faculty member to review. Please remember that all course assignments are subject to departmental needs.
Course Policies & What Should Be in My Syllabus?
The first step when designing your 1010, 1020, or 2030 course should be to familiarize yourself with the departmental course descriptions for each course. It is imperative that you meet the departmental objectives for writing courses when creating your syllabus and schedule.Fundamentally, the 1010 course is an expository writing course which focuses on teaching students the tasks of “reflection and response”; this means students should reflect on their understanding of materials, issues, or texts, and then write responses. 1010 should not focus heavily on research or argumentation, as these are the central course goals for 1020. However, the last essay assignment of 1010 is open to some research and argumentative techniques, as this essay should serve as a bridge assignment for students moving on to 1020.The full departmental course descriptions are listed below for your convenience. They can also be found on the English Department website under “General Education Faculty Resources.”
Freshman Writing Courses
English 1010 and English 1020 fulfill part of the Communication requirement of the General Education Program. The long-range goal of the Communication requirement is “to enhance the effective use of the English language essential to students’ success in school and in the world by way of learning to read and listen critically and to write and speak thoughtfully, clearly, coherently, and persuasively.”
English 1010
- Students will be introduced to strategies for reading and analyzing different types of text—print, visual, and digital.
- Students will draw writing content primarily from readings/viewings but also from experience and field research (interviews, observation, surveys).
- Students will improve their ability to generate a writing plan with informed writing objectives.
- Students will learn to adapt their writing to audience and purpose.
- Students will improve their ability to develop a thesis clearly with a variety of supporting evidence (e.g., definition, illustration, description, comparison and contrast, casual analysis).
- Students will learn to integrate and document primary sources accurately.
- Students will write out-of-class essays that illustrate their knowledge of the writing process and at least one in-class essay that illustrates their on-demand writing ability. In total, students will write at least four essays of 1000 words each.
- Students will gain a greater sense of the process of writing: prewriting, drafting, rewriting, and editing.
- Students will identify their writing strengths and weaknesses
- Students will learn to write with grammatical competence and use conventional punctuation and spelling.
English 1020
Argumentative writing is intended to influence the reader’s attitudes and actions. Writing is usually called argumentative if it clearly supports a specific position.Students in 1020 write 4 essays. (Some instructors assign an annotated bibliography in lieu of the third essay and in conjunction with the fourth.) Content comes from across the disciplines as students explore issues related to various fields of study. Students do not write about literature in 1020. English 1020 has a substantial reading component:students learn how to read rhetorically, building their own repertoire of rhetorical strategies. Instructors use the workshop method to teach the writing process. All 1020 students receive at least one hour of scheduled library instruction. Students’ competencies will be measured by the following objectives:
- Students will gain a greater sense of the process of writing: prewriting, drafting, rewriting, and editing.
- Students will improve their ability to generate a writing plan with informed writing objectives.
- Students will improve their strategies for synthesizing and analyzing different types of text and material.
- Students will write at least four research-based essays of 1250 words each. Some instructors assign an annotated bibliography in lieu of the third essay and in conjunction with the fourth.
- Students will receive library instruction.
- Students will improve their ability to develop a thesis clearly with a variety of supporting evidence drawn from research (e.g., definition, illustration, description, comparison and contrast, causal analysis).
- Students will integrate and document primary and secondary sources accurately.
- Students will adapt their writing to audience and purpose.
- Students will vary the structure and length of sentences and paragraphs.
- Students will write with grammatical competence and use conventional punctuation and spelling.
- Students will be able to analyze their writing strengths and weaknesses.
English 2020/2030