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TA Training and Support

The Graduate School offers many avenues to hone your teaching expertise:

The TA Program hosts workshops during the academic year focused on problems and issues that teaching assistants face. Graduate students, faculty, and administrators wishing to present in this series of workshops may email Shawn Loner in the Graduate School indicating the title, content and proposed date of their presentation, and describing how the program will benefit TAs and other graduate students. Proposals will be assessed on the basis of their practical value and broad relevance to the TA population.

For workshops and all other events in the Graduate School, visit the events calendar.

Services for TAs

In order to encourage pedagogical reflection and to improve classroom performance, the TA Program provides services to Syracuse University teaching assistants and other graduate students working in instructional capacities.

  • Annual Programming: The TA Program hosts workshops during the academic year focusing on problems and issues that TAs face. Graduate students, faculty, and administrators wishing to present in this series of workshops may email Shawn Loner in the Graduate School indicating the title, content, and proposed date of their presentation, and describing how the program will benefit TAs and other graduate students. Proposals will be assessed on the basis of their practical value and broad relevance to the TA population. Additional teaching-related programs are sponsored by the Future Professoriate Program. Check out our programs and events video archive on the Graduate School YouTube page.
  • Classroom Observation/Consultation: TA Program staff and teaching mentors are available to visit your classroom and provide written and/or verbal feedback on your teaching. We can also record your class or section meeting. Request classroom observation/consultation  by emailing  Shawn Loner in the Graduate School.
  • Equipment Loans: Video recording your class or section meetings can provide insights into your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher, and is a great way to document your ability in the classroom. TAs can borrow video cameras and tripods from the Graduate School for up to seven days. Request equipment loans by emailing Shawn Loner.
  • Assessment Services: The TA Program provides a number of assessment templates and tools for use in classroom, lab, recitation/discussion and studio environments, as well as guidance on constructing and administering your own assessments.

TA Program staff and teaching mentors are also available on an informal and confidential basis to discuss any teaching-related issues or problems you may encounter in the TA role. Contact TA Program Coordinator Shawn Loner at scloner@syr.edu or 315.443.3431.