TA Guide: Explore professional development
Continue growing as a teacher
For TAs at any career stage
Except where noted, these opportunities are open to all UW-Madison TAs at any stage in their graduate career.
Workshops and courses
In-person workshop where TAs learn Chinese speaking tips and practice the skills needed to pronounce students’ names
Program that engages graduate students and postdocs in professional development in teaching, mentoring, outreach, and advising. Programming includes workshops, panels, courses, learning communities, and graduate certificates.
An in-person or online synchronous course for university instructors on how to design, implement, and facilitate high quality classroom discussion to improve student learning
Webinars and online micro-courses where instructors will apply evidence-based strategies and receive expert guidance for designing and teaching online and hybrid courses
Programs that support instructors in learning about the opportunities and challenges of generative AI in teaching and learning along with strategies to use within courses
Online synchronous trainings on Canvas and other campus-supported learning technologies
Graduate Student Suicide Prevention Training: Recognize, Respond, Refer – An asynchronous Canvas course that guides TAs through best practices in supporting students who are in severe mental distress.
Supporting Student Mental Health: The Role of Instructors and TAs – A live training that equips TAs and instructors with the skills to identify signs and symptoms of potential mental health challenges, respond appropriately, and refer students to mental health professionals and other support services.
Workshops that explore a variety of evidence-based approaches to course design and teaching
Courses and programs that build inclusive, evidence-based teaching skills in STEM; these range from a course for new STEM TAs to build core skills (IntegSci 605), to courses and programs that offer in-depth professional development in college-level STEM education.
Communities and connection
Peer Observation Program – Connect with fellow TAs from across campus to give, receive, interpret, and apply peer feedback. Hosted by L&S but open to all TAs.
TA Networks – These are community-building and resource-sharing networks for graduate student instructors who might face similar challenges in the classroom. There are currently several Networks for TAs to join based on their course type and experiences in the classroom. All TAs are welcome to attend any TA Network session!
Consultation and services
Consultation on teaching – In a one-on-one consultation, a teaching and learning specialist can help you design course activities and assignments, select and use learning technologies, and solve teaching challenges.
- L&S: Contact Instructional Design Collaborative
- Education: Contact MERIT
- Engineering: Contact CEETE
- Human Ecology: Contact Chelsea Martinez, Director of Instructional Excellence
- For teaching with writing (all TAs/instructors welcome): Contact Writing Across the Curriculum
- For support across campus: Contact CTLM
Feedback on teaching – Request a trained facilitator to help you identify strengths and areas for growth in your teaching; they will do this by visiting your discussion/lab section while you are not present to gather confidential student feedback and perspectives. For more information, visit SIFT (open to all TAs) or SGID (for College of Engineering TAs).
Learn@UW – Offers consultations on working with Canvas and other campus-supported learning technologies.
For experienced TAs
Awards and recognition
Campus-Wide TA Awards – Outstanding TAs are recognized annually in four categories: Early Excellence, Advanced Achievement, Capstone Teaching Awards, and Excellence in Community-Based Learning. Nominations are typically due in October and are submitted by departments. If you are interested in being nominated for an award, please reach out to contacts in your department.
L&S Teaching Mentors (for L&S TAs only) – Passionate and knowledgeable TAs who work closely with the L&S TA Training & Support Team to facilitate TA Trainings and to mentor TAs. Nominations are typically due in February and are submitted by departments. If you are interested in being a Teaching Mentor, please reach out to contacts in your department.
Trainings and communities
Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning by Graduate School – Equips graduate students with the pedagogical tools to become more effective and inclusive educators in the college classroom, in undergraduate research mentoring, in the community, and beyond.
Delta Internship – Develop teaching and learning skills in real-world situations by working through an authentic teaching-as-research project; fulfills requirements to earn the Delta Teaching & Learning Practitioner badge.
Course Design Jumpstart by L&S – A workshop series offered each spring semester to support graduate student lecturers of summer courses.
Returning TA Workshop by L&S – Experienced TAs will have an opportunity to connect with peers, discuss common teaching challenges in a supportive environment, and advance their teaching practice. Offered in-person each fall semester.
College of Engineering TA Workshop Series – Four workshops are offered throughout the semester on different topics. Attendance at at least one workshop satisfies Returning TA Training requirements for College of Engineering TAs, but TAs may attend as many workshops as they’d like. TAs from other colleges who are interested in a particular topic are welcome to attend these workshops, with the understanding that it may be designed with an engineering focus.
Teaching Academy – The Teaching Academy hosts regular events on teaching and learning that are open to the entire UW community. Experienced TAs can apply to become a member.
WISCIENCE Teaching Fellows – Year-long fellowship programs for graduate students to gain in-depth training and practical experience teaching college-level science (at UW-Madison or Madison College), with a focus on inclusive, evidence-based teaching.