Written and designed by the staff of the Center for Teaching and Learning. Reproduce with permission only.
Andrews, J. D. W. (ed.). Strengthening the Teaching Assistant Faculty. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 22. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1985. 92 pages.
This book is an overview of essential aspects of TA preparation from an institutional viewpoint. The chapters that TA supervisors will find especially useful are those that explore the teaching assistant's point of view, improving the working relationship between professors and TAs, special problems of international TAs, and launching a TA development program.
Center for Teaching and Learning. Teaching at Carolina: A Handbook for Instructors.
Chapel Hill, NC: Center for Teaching and Learning, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, 1991. 82 pages.
This manual was written for new faculty members and TAs at UNC. It contains teaching tips and institutional information that all new teachers will find helpful: e.g., the types of students who attend UNC, course planning methods, teaching strategies, testing and grading, instructional roles, teaching support services, and University policies and guidelines. It is available free of charge from the Center for Teaching and Learning.
Eble, Kenneth E. The Craft of Teaching: A Guide to Mastering the Professor's
Art. (2nd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988. 250 pages.
Both literate and practical, Eble's book has become one of the standard reference sources on college teaching. His personal insights and his eminently realistic advice make this work an important resource for new teachers. The last two chapters, "Preparing College Teachers" and "Being a Teacher," are especially useful for anyone involved in training TAs.
Ericksen, Stanford C. The Essence of Good Teaching: Helping Students Learn
and Remember What They Learn. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1984. 180 pages.
This book, based heavily on research in cognitive psychology, contains practical advice on fundamental aspects of instruction: choosing course content, presenting information, generating enthusiasm to learn, guiding students to comprehend concepts, and teaching students to think independently. Ericksen's insistence on using student learning as the key measure of good teaching is an excellent lesson for all new teachers. Readings from this work could serve as the basis for discussions with TAs about the relationship between teaching and learning.
Fuhrmann, Barbara S., and Grasha, Anthony F. A Practical Handbook for College
Teachers. Boston: Little, Brown, 1983. 315 pages.
Solidly-researched, this manual blends traditional topics (testing, grading, leading discussions) with non-traditional subjects (humanistic and cognitive learning perspectives, the role of personal values systems). The authors not only explain a variety of useful teaching techniques, they raise provocative questions about the essence of teaching and provide interesting insights into the answers. This work would make a good general handbook for new TAs.
Lowman, Joseph. Mastering the Techniques of Teaching. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 1984. 245 pages.
This book is intended primarily for less-experienced teachers, but seasoned instructors would also find it helpful. Lowman posits a two-dimensional model of teaching (intellectual excitement and interpersonal rapport), which provides the context for his suggestions in the rest of the book. He concentrates on methods that serve traditional college teaching--group meetings in the lecture/discussion format--and emphasizes the dramatic aspects of the craft.
McKeachie, Wilbert J. Teaching Tips: A Guide for the Beginning College Teacher.
(8th ed.) Lexington, MA: Heath, 1986. 353 pages.
The persistence of this book through eight editions is ample evidence of its utility for new instructors. McKeachie blends research findings, personal experience, and common sense into a comprehensive guide that is designed to get new teachers started effectively in the classroom. The book has been updated with new material in each edition, so it has kept pace with developments in technology and changes in teaching strategies.
home / tas and professors | publications / email
Last updated: January 31, 2001