Graduate Student Teaching and Skills Development

This week I am traveling to the University of Toronto for a conference entitled, "Navigating your PATH: Teaching Assistant and Graduate Student Development." This is the first national conference focusing on teaching assistant and skills development in graduate students to take place in Canada. More information can be found here.

Preparing to Teach

An article posted today on Inside Higher Ed discusses a teaching certificate program that has been implemented at Temple University. The program is open to both current and matriculated graduate students, and is designed to supplement graduate training for those who plan or already teach at community colleges. The need for such a program arose from the realization that many instructors begin their careers with Ph.D.s and masters degrees but without teaching experience. The certificate consists of a three-credit seminar on teaching in higher education and three one-credit modules on specific topics such as assessment, diversity and inclusive teaching, and teaching with technology. San Francisco State University offers similar graduate certificates in the teaching of composition and teaching post-secondary reading.

Several universities in Canada have begun to incorporate teaching training into their educational programs. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador requires all instructors who deliver vocational training in private institutions to complete the Post-Secondary Instructors Certificate. The Faculty of Education at Memorial University also offers two diploma programs in adult teacher education and post-secondary education. As well, the School of Graduate Studies offers the Graduate Program in Teaching (GPT) and Teaching Opportunities for Graduate Students (TOGA). The Centre for Leadership in Learning (CLL) at McMaster University offers teaching support for students, teaching assistants and faculty, including Education 750, a course that graduate students can complete as part of their program and receive full credit.

The importance of such graduate teaching programs has become apparent as far too many applicants vie for too few academic positions, and many new graduates turn to community colleges or smaller institutions for teaching employment. More can certainly be done, however, in preparing graduate students for teaching at the college/university level, easing the transition from student to teacher, and helping longtime instructors with new teaching technologies.

Professors in Training

Ok, so here it goes: my first blog post. I would first like to say a few things about this blog. The purpose is to share news relating to graduate education, in Canada specifically, and on a more global scale. Posts will aim to serve two audiences: graduate students involved in the study of various subjects, offering information and support, and scholars interested in the study of graduate education as an interdisciplinary subject of research, discussing recent topics of debate. Oddly enough, I fit into both groups- I am an incoming graduate student setting out to study graduate students.

Today I read an article that I felt really reiterated an inhibition I have regarding graduate education and the training of academics. A Time to Teach: Reflections upon Pedagogy in the Life of a Graduate Student by Kevin Carey takes a look at one of the many hats worn by the graduate student: that of teacher. This role marks an important step in the transition from amateur to professional on the path to an academic career. I have long pondered the fact that university professors- those who teach students at the highest level of education- are not (typically) required to complete coursework in education or any sort of teacher training. A doctorate in one’s chosen discipline has long been the accepted standard –a license- for teaching at the university level, while educators at the pre-post-secondary level must complete an education degree, focused on the art of teaching a subject, not just the subject matter itself. I’m sure if you asked any university student they could easily share a story of the professor from hell who, while undoubtedly respected in their field for their significant contributions, struggled (if they were even willing to try!) to help their students grasp the material. Certainly this isn’t the norm; my own university experience is tainted by memories of scatter brained professors, but I have also been lucky to have had some really great teachers and mentors.

So, is it realistic to expect those professors who can’t teach/don’t enjoy teaching their undergraduate students to help their graduate students, as professors in training, learn this important skill? Isn’t this process reproducing a culture of what Carey calls “antipedagogy” and ultimately creating an environment hostile to learning? Indeed, how often do we hear graduate students grumble about their underlings and the tedious task of marking? Many universities offer professional development workshops for instructors, as well as graduate students, focusing on course development, methods of instruction and other topics related to teaching. Unfortunately, however, these opportunities are optional and ironically typically availed of by those who want to learn to teach, and not those who desperately need to learn. One quickly begins to question the quality of higher education when teaching is devalued to such a point. Instead, research is the almighty standard by which we judge academics; while I understand and appreciate the importance of this skill, I don’t feel that it should be the primary method by which we evaluate our peers or emerging scholars. I was once told by a Department Chair that they (the faculty hiring committee) did not care about what teaching experience the applicant had, but how reputable the journals were in which he/she had been published. What does that say about the importance of students in the academy, some of whom (those who are not entirely discouraged, that is!) will become the professors of the future? Just some food for thought…