Utility of a Peer Teaching Mentor to Graduate Teaching Assistants

Abstract

When appropriately trained and supported, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) can be an invaluable resource to the academic community, energizing an institution’s teaching culture, and leading to subsequent benefits for undergraduate learners and faculty members alike. Therefore, it is important to provide GTAs with appropriate support. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the utility of a peer teaching supervisor to GTAs. An advanced peer mentor at a large Southeastern university consulted with GTAs on teaching concerns, provided teaching observations, and organized brown bag meetings on teaching development. Survey feedback from GTAs indicated a positive response to this support.

Keywords:

• Graduate teaching assistants
• peer mentoring
• teaching development
• teaching observations

Acknowledgments

Preliminary data were presented in poster format at the 2014 Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy in Blacksburg, VA. This study was not funded. The authors gratefully acknowledge the consultation of Julie Dunsmore, Ph.D., as well as the Graduate Teaching Assistants who participated in this project.