Time and Space to Thrive: Mathematics Graduate Students in a Team Teaching Model

Abstract

Pedagogical training of mathematics graduate students is often disconnected from the actual experience of teaching. Even with the support offered by standard instructor training models, mathematics graduate students find it hard to connect with students, mature pedagogically and contribute meaningfully, especially under the overwhelming conditions of teaching for the first time. In this paper, we discuss features of instructor training that support mathematics graduate students' pedagogical development. Using self-reported experiences of mathematics graduate students who taught in a team teaching model, we single out three features of the model and advocate integrating these features into existing instructor training.

Keywords:

• Mathematics graduate students
• teacher development
• teaching assistants
• pedagogical training

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to the Department of Mathematics at the University of British Columbia for their support of this novel initiative, and to the former graduate student instructors who responded to the survey.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

A. Vanessa Radzimski

Vanessa Radzimski is a faculty member in mathematics at the University of the Fraser Valley. She earned her Master's degree in mathematics and Ph.D. in mathematics education at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her primary research interest is in the role that advanced mathematics content knowledge plays in secondary mathematics teachers' knowledge for teaching. In her spare time, she enjoys training and handling her agility dog, Poppy.

B. Pam Sargent

Pam Sargent is a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. She completed a Ph.D. in mathematics at UBC and subsequently taught at Yale University before taking a faculty position at York. In addition to being a member of the blended model team at UBC, she was involved in the development of the Peer-Assisted Study Sessions program at UBC and has many interests in the teaching and learning of mathematics.

C. Fok-Shuen Leung

Fok-Shuen Leung is a faculty member in the Mathematics Department at UBC, where he is also Undergraduate Chair and Academic Director of UBC First Year Experience. Along with Vanessa and Pam, he developed the blended model described in this paper and has since used it in multiple undergraduate courses.