Check In
10:30-10:50 am
Main Entrance (6th Floor) – Sewell Social Sciences Building
Check in at the lobby of the Sewell Social Sciences building (see map).
Navigating Advanced Teaching Challenges
11:00 am–12:15 pm
Room 4308 – Sewell Social Sciences Building
Work with peers to address the common teaching challenges that Teaching Assistants can face in the classroom. Practice proactive and reactive strategies for resolving or preventing challenges.
Teaching Mentors
Marissa Gurtler, Lead Teaching Mentor
Marissa loves the dynamics of teaching whether in a classroom, outside enjoying a burst of spring, or visiting Special Collections and the Chazen Museum of Art. Her approach is best described as interactive and student-centered. Over the past ten years, she has taught middle school, high school, and undergraduate students and a variety of subjects – Latin and composition among her favorite subjects to teach. She also loves being outdoors with her two dogs, Korra and Asami, and she is currently obsessed with young adult literature.
Daria Tennikova, Teaching Mentor
Daria is a third year Doctoral Student at the Mead Witter School of Music, studying composition and piano performance, currently working on her dissertation project. She completed her undergraduate Degree in Music Performance at UW-Madison in 2014, and a Master’s Degree in composition at Rice University in Houston in 2017, where she also took courses in higher education classroom pedagogy. Daria is a TA in Music Theory department.
Daria has been teaching for over 10 years, and her experience encompasses various fields and age groups from 2-year-olds to adults of all ages. She has taught music theory, piano, composition, Russian and German languages, chess tactics and strategies. Daria enjoys revealing the structure and meaningful details of the musical canvas to the students, aiming to illuminate their understanding of the musical language and enhance their potential as sensible interpreters.
Lunch
12:15–12:45 pm
Enjoy an assortment of lunch options and conversation in community with fellow Returning TAs.
Small Group Workshops
12:45–2:00 pm
Choose Between: Applying Your Teaching Philosophy OR Building a Sustainable Teaching Plan
In both sessions, TAs will leave with pragmatic and actionable strategies to support their teaching this semester.
In Applying Your Teaching Philosophy (Room 6112), you will discuss with peers and connect your values to teaching practices.
In Building a Sustainable Teaching Plan (Room 4308), you will identify time-saving practices to support your work this semester.