What can happen in a Weekly Preparation Session?

• If an LA is struggling with a concept, the faculty/coordinator may need to spend the time in the weekly preparation session with the LA going over that particular topic. While going over this material, the faculty/coordinator may try to model best practices by asking the LA guided questions.

• If the LA has a firm grasp of a particular concept the faculty/coordinator may ask the LA to come up with discussion questions to be used in the course.

• If an instructor is teaching a course for the first time, they may want to co-think with the LA on how best to support the students during the weekly preparation sessions.

• If an instructor knows that a particular concept or idea they are covering is not being understood by the class, they might spend the bulk of that weekly preparation session asking the LA for input on what material the students do not appear to understand so that they can go over that in the next class.

(We refer to a single LA in this paragraph, but these ideas also be used in weekly preparation sessions with multiple LAs.)

Who benefits from the Weekly Preparation Session?

• Covering content helps the LAs develop stronger understanding and then, in turn, makes them more effective in supporting students.

• Reflecting on student learning helps LAs develop strong listening skills essential in effective communication.

• Reflecting on student learning provides the instructor with important feedback on what is working and not working in the class.

• The students in the course benefit from a consistent message, clear organization, and efficient and effective instruction from the LA-instructor team.