Jennifer L. Johnson and Gabriele Bauer
Center for Teaching Effectiveness
Professionals in every field can usually identify a handful of people whose guidance was instrumental to their professional development and success. Mentors, "trusted counselors or guides," (Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary) are essential in the university setting, which focuses on the professional development of graduate students as teachers. Thus, the teaching assistantship could be more aptly named a teaching apprenticeship (Myers, 1995).

Mentoring relationships in the university can take a variety of forms. For example, graduate students often find peers and experienced TAs as accessible sources of advice and sympathy as they recount both their academic and teaching experiences to one another (Avery & Gray, 1995). In addition to this source of mentoring, all TAs benefit from the guidance of faculty members who help socialize them to the discipline, to the university and to college teaching. Angelo and Cross (1989) characterize this relationship as an "apprenticeship of watching, working and talking" in which mentor and mentee are reflectively evaluating and refining teaching strategies.

What TAs need
Sprague and Nyquist (1989) describe the transition graduate students make as a three-step progression from senior learner to colleague in training to junior colleague. The first challenge for TAs involves balancing the dual role of student and teacher (Staton & Darling, 1989). While first-year students are adjusting to advanced coursework and preparing for research, they are also coping with classroom responsibilities such as classroom management, presenting information, grading and working one-on-one with students. These tasks require TAs to examine the content of the discipline from a new perspective. While TAs are restructuring their conceptual understanding of the discipline, they also need practical help translating that understanding into effective classroom teaching practice.

What mentors can provide
Mentors can take on multiple roles, providing TAs with supervision, direction and support (Sprague & Nyquist, 1989). The mentor should try to model good teaching practice and help TAs develop their own personal styles in the classroom. To serve as instructional resources for TAs, mentors themselves need to combine their knowledge of TA development with their understanding of the curriculum, teaching and assessment practices.

The key to effective mentoring is clear, consistent communication (Myers, 1995). Mentors and TAs should meet regularly to discuss goals and progress. During these meetings, specific mentor feedback helps to guide TAs' thinking about their teaching and the students' learning. Quality feedback also helps remove the barriers that might be put in place by a strictly supervisorial relationship, where only end-of- term feedback is provided. The mentor who is reflective about his or her own teaching can serve as an excellent model for TAs by involving them in their own evaluation process, and thus enabling them to become reflective instructors themselves. In turn, faculty benefit from discussing their teaching practices with TAs. Teaching then becomes a collaborative effort.

The mentor's role also includes preparing TAs for professional duties within the discipline. Effective mentors encourage their TAs to participate in professional development opportunities. Faculty mentors can share their active involvement in professional organizations, university committees, and conference presentations with their mentees and thus help introduce them to these facets of the professoriate. For example, mentors may provide sponsorship at conferences, assist in teaching portfolio development, and advise on job opportunities.

What makes for effective mentoring
According to Avery and Gray (1995), TAs often select mentors who demonstrate their credibility and competence both in the academic field and in the classroom and who are similar to themselves in outlook and goals. They identify with those mentors who are available, empathetic to their concerns, take a positive approach to mentoring, and who work on the TA's behalf. To develop and foster such mentoring qualities, both mentors and mentees contribute considerable time and depth to their professional relationship. As Gaff and Lambert (1996) point out, mentoring constitutes a crucial and necessary factor in helping TAs prepare for their roles as future faculty members (see reprinted article in this issue).

Resources:

• Angelo, T. A., & K. P. Cross. (1989). Classroom research for teaching assistants. In J.D. Nyquist, R.D.
• Abbott, & D. H. Wulff (Eds.), Teaching assistant training in the 1990s (pp. 99-107). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Avery, P. B., & Gray, P.L. (1995). Mentoring graduate teaching assistants: Creating an effective mentor/mentee relationship. Journal of Graduate Teaching Assistant Development, 3(1), 9-19.
• Myers, S.A. (1995). Mentor selection and use by first-semester graduate teaching assistants. Journal of Graduate Teaching Assistant Development, 3(1), 27-32.
• Sprague, J., & J. D. Nyquist. (1989). TA supervision. In J.D. Nyquist, R.D. Abbott, & D. H. Wulff (Eds.), Teaching assistant training in the 1990s (pp. 37-53). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Staton, A. Q., & Darling, A. L. (1989). Socialization of teaching assistants. In J.D. Nyquist, R.D. Abbott, & D. H. Wulff (Eds.), Teaching assistant training in the 1990s (pp. 15-22). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Some Practical Ways to Get Started

• Set up forums where TAs can meet informally and share their experiences.
• Bring together novice and experienced TAs who are responsible for similar courses (i.e "buddy system")
• Introduce professional development opportunities at the university and discipline-specific levels (e.g. conferences, workshops, guest lectures)
• Encourage collaboration on classroom teaching by:
  • conducting classroom observations
  • offering instructional feedback for improvement
  • designing learning activities
  • developing classroom materials
  • talking about discipline-specific pedagogy
  • utilizing instructional technology for enhanced communication.

We can also assist you in planning a mentoring program in your department. Please call us at x2027 to discuss ideas.

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