Campus-Wide New TA Orientation

Every August preceding the Fall Semester, the Graduate College offers a campus-wide new teaching assistant (TA) orientation.  The purpose of the orientation is to provide new TAs with information, issues, and policies to help with the teaching process at UIC.

The Fall 2013 Campus-Wide New TA Orientation will occur August 19, 2013, 12:00 - 5:00 pm, Room 250 Science and Engineering South (SES), on the east campus.

To register for New TA Orientation, please click here.

Monday’s all new TA Orientation will be held in the Science and Engineering South (SES) building on corner of Taylor and Halsted.  Parking is available in Parking Lot #9 at the corner of Harrison and Morgan Streets (entrance on Morgan Street), in the Harrison Street Parking Structure on the north (westbound) side of Harrison Street, between Morgan and Racine, and in the Halsted-Taylor Parking Structure on Halsted Street directly across from the Chicago Circle Center.  There is a fee for on-campus parking.  SES is easily accessible from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Blue Line trains via the UIC-Halsted station (wheelchair accessible) and the #7-Harrison, the #60-Cicero, and #8-Halsted buses.Click here for a map of the East Campus.  

12:30-1:00 Sign-In, SES Lobby

1:00-1:10   Welcome and Introduction to UIC, SES 250

                   Karen Colley, Dean, Graduate College

1:10-1:30   Teaching at UIC
                   John Coumbe’Lilley, Clinical Professor
               Kinesiology and Nutrition

1:30-2:00   Secrets of our Success
                    Experienced TA Panel Q&A Interaction with Audience
                    A cross section of 8-10 experienced UIC Teaching
                    Assistants responding to audience questions

2:00-2:20   UIC Resources for Instruction and Learning
                    Science Learning Center   Honor’s College
                    UIC Library                      Writing Center                                                                

2:20-2:30    Stretch and Snack Break

 2:30-3:05  Breakout Sessions I (small group interactions)
                     Teaching Tips—Speaking From Experience
                    Being Honest with Struggling Students
                     Managing Effective Discussions
                     Dealing with Cheating
                    Setting Rules and Boundaries
                     Helping Students Maximize Learning
                     Finding Your Comfort Zone in the Classroom
                     Young Women in Front of the Classroom
                     Grading Issues 

3:10-3:45   Breakout Sessions II (small group interactions)
                
3:55-4:10   Working with the Disability Resource Center (DRC)
                    Sara Vogt & Kelsey Havell
                    Disability Specialists, Disability Resource Center
 
 4:10-4:30   Dealing with Distressed and Angry Students
                    Yoko Mori
                    Counseling Center Representative 

 4:30-4:50   Introduction to the Graduate Employees Organization
                    Jessi Holzman
                    GEO Representatative      

4:50-5:00   Wrap Up and Prizes