This is a 4 AU course available to upper-level ASE undergraduates under the course codes ES4008/4010. The couse is taught by Prof. Judith Hubbard, with students integrated as teaching assistants in Year 1-3 ASE classes under the supervision of the course coordinators. Typical enrolment: ~4-12 students per semester. This course is offered every semester.
This course introduces you to academic teaching through hands-on practice acting as a teaching assistant for a class in E2S2 that you have previously taken. You will attend lectures, run labs or sections, respond to questions, prepare teaching materials, grade selected assignments, and assist in other duties as necessary (including field trips, etc.). The course coordinator and the TA peer group will provide guidance and support. An additional 1-hour meeting will be held every other week to discuss teaching strategies, expectations, challenges, and solutions.
By the end of this course, you (as a student) will be able to:
Create and revise appropriate teaching materials to aid in teaching lectures, labs, or tutorials.
Supervise a lab session or tutorial, including answering questions and guiding students as needed.
Respond professionally and promptly to student questions by email and in person.
Provide useful feedback and/or grades to students on course materials.
Act as a liaison between a professor and the student body.
Competently discuss the content of the course you are teaching for, and how the assignments fit into the lecture materials.
Identify and express the learning outcomes in your course.
Assign grades based on student course performance.
Identify and express challenges faced as a teacher, and problem solve ways to overcome them.
Courses currently supported by undergraduate teaching assistants:
ES0001: Physical Environments of Singapore
ES0238: Writing Science for Non-Scientists
ES4201: Environmental Management and Valuation
"Prof Judith has a way of engaging the students with her discussions and I really appreciate that she listens to our issues and guides us."
"I gained a lot of insight into what teaching in a university is like."
"Clear, directed, and really passionate about teaching."