Information for Supervisors
Do you supervise Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs) or undergraduates in similar roles (Undergraduate Teaching Fellows, Learning Assistants, a Peer Mentors, Strauss TAs, etc.)? Give these students a jump on the semester with some foundational content from the TLTC. The "Instructional Support Basics for Undergraduate Teaching Assistants" training guides students in classroom leadership roles to reflect on the expectations of their new role, learn about important policies and resources, and get tips for communicating effectively with students.
What Content Is Covered
This free, self-paced digital course includes four lessons with content and knowledge checks, and it takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. By the end of the training, students will be able to:
- Feel prepared for their first day as a UTA.
- Understand relevant course policies and what they mean for their role.
- Begin applying best practices for communicating effectively with students.
- Know where to find important safety resources.
Enroll in the course to look through the full content yourself:
Assign the Training to Your Students
Tell your students:
- Please enroll in the Instructional Support Basics for Undergraduate Teaching Assistants digital course in Open Learning
- You need to view all pages and complete all knowledge checks.
- Once you have finished, you will receive an email with your "Instructional Support Basics for Undergraduate Teaching Assistants" badge from the UMD Instructional Assistant Academy.
- You can send your supervisor a unique link to your badge to verify your completion. Full directions for sharing the badge are in the course.
If a student has already completed the course and earned their badge, consider letting them submit the badge they earned previously for your requirement.
Additional Trainings for UTAs
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): If UTAs will be given access to grades or other sensitive student information, they must first complete the self-paced FERPA tutorial provided by UMD.
- Responding to Reports of Discrimination and Harassment, Including Sexual Misconduct: If you would like your UTAs to receive additional training on these topics beyond what is in the "Instructional Support Basics for Undergraduate Teaching Assistants" digital course, please contact the OCRSM Training Manager for Policy and Prevention at titleixtraining@umd.edu.
Graduate TA Trainings
Working with Graduate Students or Postdocs who are serving as TAs or instructors of record? Check out our full list of orientation to teaching programs for undergraduate and graduate students.
Questions?
Reach out to the TLTC and we'd be happy to talk more!