The first few weeks is the most nerve-wracking for new TAs. And even if new discussion leaders are not bothered by speaking in front of students, they now realize that “me talking” does not equal “students learning” in the way they thought it would.
Our TA Training uses weekly 1-hour meetings throughout the quarter. The first half of each meeting is focused on a new pedagogical technique that improves active learning in the discussion. The second half of each meeting covers the material coming up in the week ahead, with the Head TAs offering specific examples of activities and small group questions that will help students with the most difficult examples. Below are some sample pedagogy activities:
Top 6 Misconceptions about Teaching
Building an excellent worksheet (getting away from 10 pages of simple vocabulary)
How to write a bad exam (and then how to make it a good one)
Creating a good exam review game