CS TA OrientationSpring 2014Spring is coming!
Introductions Faculty
Dr. Ken Calvert, Chair Dr. Mirek Truszczynski, DGS Dr. Jurek Jaromczyk, DUS
Staff Jennifer Doerge, graduate records Dee Fuhs, payroll / finances Paul Linton, systems manager
TA Supervisors
Dr. Debby Keen, CS 101Dr. Debby Keen, CS 115Dr. Neil Moore, CS 215Mr. David Brown, CS 216Mr. Paul Piwowarski, CS 221Dr. Wasilkowski, CS 275
Try to keep your balance!
You have a teaching job, classes, research and a LIFE!
How do you balance it? TALK to your supervisor AND your advisor if
you are getting overloaded Schedules can be adjusted with some notice!
Class / Section assignments
Rules for changing assignments are onlineTell your supervisor what you want to change
TO, not just what you want to change FROMWrite down what sections are changing and
who else is involvedBoth people sign the requestMUST be done before first day class meets
Observations / Evaluations
Every TA is observed by a faculty member every semester (usually their supervisor)
Every TA is evaluated by their supervisor at the end of every semester
The TA gets a copy of each form and a chance to respond to it
Copies are kept by TA, Dr. Keen, DGS and Graduate School
PLEASE help us by making sure your form is filled out and signed by the end of the semester!
Grad School WorkshopsEvery full-time TA goes to two during the semester
Make SURE you sign attendance sheet
Go to MORE if you like! They’re free!
Peer ObservationsExperienced TA paired with new TANew TA observes experienced TA before their
first class/labLater in the semester experienced TA observes
new TAAfter each observation, TAs meet to give
feedbackFinal report to your supervisor
Useful Information
Xerox machine in 773 FPAT – every TA has a code – for ABET copies -
TA page www.cs.uky.edu/~keen/tas/tas.html
PLEASE do not give this URL to anyone!!
More Useful Information
TA mailboxes are in 773 Anderson Hall Dr. Keen’s cell phone number is 859 576 5949 All TAs should KEEP ALL emails sent to them
by students and all emails sent to students, at least until final grades are done
Make sure your University account is set up and that your supervisor has an email address for you
I-9 forms
If you are a new TA or if you have been off the payroll (even a few
days!) See Dee Fuhs as soon as possible to get back
on payroll!! They need a new I-9 form
Your Class Schedule If you are a returning student, you
should have already registered for classes – if not, then do it NOW!
If you are registered, please do not make changes unless absolutely necessary
If you make a change or have made one in the last few days, TELL Dr. Keen NOW!
Last Day of the Semester
Mark your calendars NOW! Last day of the semester – Monday May
12 – AFTER Finals Week! We hope we’re finished sooner than
that, but don’t make plans until after 5/12/13
If you have to miss… If you know that you are going to miss a
TA meeting Class meeting Exam proctoring Exam grading
Let your supervisor KNOW about it! Even if you have it covered, they need to know! In advance if possible but even after the fact!
Food / Drink policiesPLEASE enforce in the labs!Keep everything below desk
level and in their packs unless they are actually using it
Don’t have bottles, even capped, sitting next to a keyboard!
Dress Code? Several people asked, so… General rule “don’t be distracting” The students should be paying attention to
what you are saying, not how you look Not suit and /or tie – don’t need barriers
Pay attention to the poor performer!
Caring about the students and SHOWING them that you care! Documenting how you are communicating with
them Try to get names of people who come to office hours
People who miss classes, miss assignment deadlines Give them a short note to ask what is wrong
Grading Biggest part in terms of time taken Very important part! Rubrics should be provided by supervisor
If not, make your own and show to supervisor Follow them as closely as possible If you disagree with one, take it up with
your supervisor Keep the grading consistent across all
sections
Academic Alert!! Program to alert students and advisors to
'risky' behavior of students Missed Classes (at least 2-3 in the first weeks) Habitually Late (more than 10 minutes on a
regular basis) Homework assignments not completed or of
inconsistent quality Poor performance on tests or quizzes Disruptive Behavior in class Other
Academic Alerts 101 and 115 will do this this semester
The alerts are sent through the IRIS system - it automatically mails the student and advisor
I ask the student to see their TA and to see me Give them your personal attention!
In classes besides 101 and 115, ask your supervisor
Help Students Stay at UK www.cs.uky.edu/~keen/tas/tips-to-help-s
tudents.html
Say hello when you see students on campus
Positive feedback when a student improves or does well
Timely feedback - IMPORTANT! You know you want it in your classes – your students deserve it too!
YOUR OFFICE HOURSYOUR Office Hours - BE there!They will be in FPAT 773C or in RGAN 102,
scheduled in the next week or twoStudents can show up at any time! Not just
the start of the hourTry to help every student who asks, even if
they are not in your section or even classEven if more than one TA is scheduled for a
time, it is your job to be there
Something to think about!
How Should I Respond to Wrong (or Not Very Good) Answers? Maryellen Weimer, Ph.D.
From the 20 Minute Mentor Commons http://mentorcommons.com/ Instructions on getting account on TA
page – free! You may or may not agree with
everything said in the presentations but at the least they make you think about teaching!
What’s next?101 TA meeting Tuesday 3pm – RGAN
103115 TA meeting already met221 TA meeting already met215 TA meeting already metTAs assigned to other classes – contact
your supervisors for instructionsGraders – wait a few days for decisions
of assignments
Ending ActivitiesTake Pictures – Zachary, Andrew, Xue, Tawfiq
Supplies – pens, folders, textbooks
Name tags – wear them first dayNight TAs – laptops, syllabus