TA Feedback Program

We (the Grad Reps) have set up a TA Feedback Program, in which a TA who would like their lecture or recitation peer observed for feedback (on their teaching) can request a fellow TA to observe them. Our goal is to provide mentorship and guidance to TAs who wish to improve their teaching (through feedback). This is similar to the duties Dr. Dominic Naughton and Dr. Joe Chen occasionally perform, but at the TAs own request and without the possible stressors of them being faculty or staff. 

How the Program is Set Up

A TA who wishes their class be observed can email purdue.grad.reps@gmail.com with the subject TA Visitation Request, as well as the course and the times and location of their class. We (the Grad Reps) will then forward the email to anyone who has agreed to be an observer. If an observer is free and willing to observe the class, they will email back to set up a date. While this may lead to a student getting multiple people contacting them, we feel this is to your benefit. After the observation, we encourage you to meet (doesn't have to be immediately after) and have a discussion.

You can request to have your observer record you teaching (for instance as part of the Graduate Teaching Certificate) and/or provide the written observations to Dr. Naughton for inclusion in your teaching file.

Example Emails

You can follow the format below when scheduling times to meet

Observation Guidelines (For Observing TAs)

When observing another TA, we recommend you take notes on observations to provide feedback. When taking notes, provide an example of where they ought to improve, as well as a step to make the improvement. We can provide a template to help guide your notes.

For example, <MathGrad> is giving a lecture on how to apply the quotient rule, and their first example is sin(x)/x2+1, facing the board during the entire computation. Some good feedback would be "The first example, sin(x)/x2+1, seemed too difficult as an initial quotient rule problem. Perhaps a simpler example to start, such as 1/x2+1. I also noticed you faced the board and didn't look at the class too much. It helps to face the students more so you can get a feel of their understanding."

We encourage you to ask the TA how they thought their lecture went and what areas they think they need improvement in. This can help you guide the conversation.