Teaching Tools and Resources for GTAs

The Drake Institute hosts regular workshops, forums and seminars on a variety of teaching and learing topics. The institute also collaborates regularly with colleges, campuses and departments across Ohio State to develop events specifically tailored to meet the needs of graduate student instructors. If available campus-wide programs do not meet your needs, please contact us to discuss what kind of programming might support you and your unit more specifically. See below for additional resources available to graduate students seeking ways to enhance their teaching repertoire. 

GTA Toolkit

GTA Toolkit is a series of workshops offered throughout the year, led by graduate students for graduate students. Workshops cover a range of topics meant to reinforce and deepen graduate students’ understanding of teaching and learning strategies and that can be immediately applied to practice. These workshops are also an opportunity for graduate students to learn from each other and build community around a culture of teaching and learning at Ohio State.

Prior workshop topics have included:

  • Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment
  • Student Feedback
  • Beginning Steps of Course Design
  • Facilitating Effective Discussions
  • Why and How to Integrate Contemplative Practices in the Classroom
  • Crafting a Teaching Portfolio and Teaching Statement

 

Teaching Endorsements

Teaching endorsements are credentials provided by the Drake Institute to identify and recognize instructors who pursue excellence in teaching and learning by participating in professional learning opportunities across Ohio State. The Drake Institute awards endorsements three times each academic year.

Endorsements are notated on graduate student transcripts, and graduate students who earn endorsements are encouraged to highlight this commitment to instructional excellence on their CVs.

One endorsement particularly valuable to graduate students seeking academic careers is Documenting Your Teaching, which focuses on developing a teaching portfolio for job markets or annual reviews. Graduate students are welcome to participate in endorsement opportunities offered by the Drake Institute, with the exception of limited teaching endorsements like New Faculty FIT and by-application endorsement programming.

 

Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice provide opportunities for interested graduate students to connect with one another and share evidence-based instructional strategies as they seek to improve their teaching practice. Drake Institute staff members and graduate consultants facilitate these groups and focus on a pedagogical practice or unifying theme related to teaching and learning.

 

Teaching@OhioState Carmen Course

Teaching@OhioState is a five-module Carmen course developed as part of the Teaching Support Program, with a critical eye towards addressing the needs of GTAs. All graduate students are invited to enroll in this course. Please contact the Drake Institute if you are interested in enrolling.

 

How to (Re)Design Your Own Course

The Drake Institute facilitates several Course Design Institutes (CDI) a year. CDIs provide participants with tools, time and the collegial support to design or redesign an existing or new course. Graduate instructors are welcome to apply. 

 

International GTA and Instructor Resources

It's common for international GTAs and instructors to take a spoken English test upon arrival at Ohio State. The Spoken English Program, offered by the College of Education and Human Ecology, includes an elective (EduTL 5030) for students who want to continue practicing their English-speaking skills.

The Office of International Affairs also offers a large selection of Global Engagement Programs. While these are not necessarily teaching-related, they can be useful for building a community of colleagues outside of a department.

 

University Policies and Procedures

As an employee of Ohio State, you should be aware of certain policies regarding undergraduate and graduate students, particularly around academic expectations:

 

Additional Resources

The Drake Institute has additional resources available for GTAs, including guidelines for constructing a syllabus, developing a teaching portfolio, inclusive teaching, Ohio State programs and resources, and teaching conferences and journals.