2026 Spring GTA Preparation Sessions

ATTENTION:

Graduate Teaching Assistants

The following sessions are designed to help prepare Graduate Teaching Assistants for their roles as educators. Registration is required to attend each event. Learn more by following each link below.

  1. GTA Roles: What to Expect - Wednesday, January 7, 2026 from 10 to 11 a.m.
    • Four graduate students who have served as grader, lab leader, recitation leader, and section leader share what their workload looks like and how they manage their time, tips and tricks on how to work with students, and challenges they have addressed. 
  2. Academic Integrity and Teaching Responsibility in the College Classroom - Wednesday, January 7, 2026 from Noon to 1:15 p.m.
    • In this session, Dr. Shannon Lynn Burton (MSU Ombudsperson) will present key strategies in discussing the importance of academic integrity, as well as in preventing misconduct, both in its more traditional forms, as well as in the digital space.
  3. Responding to Student Challenges as Instructors - Wednesday, January 7, 2026 from 2 to 3:15 p.m.
    • In this workshop, GTAs will be alerted to common academic and personal challenges—such as absences, late or missing assignments, and early withdrawals - which may come up during the semester. Participants will learn when and how to utilize institutional tools to intervene effectively and compassionately.
  4. Learning and Assessment - Thursday, January 8, 2026 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
    • In this session, we will discuss the preparation you should go through to be able to assess students effectively based on Learning Outcomes. You will learn how to write learning outcomes and use Backward Design to align learning outcomes with assessments and learning activities.
  5. Using D2L for Effective Instruction - Thursday, January 8, 2026 from 1 to 2:15 p.m.
    • Join us for this session in which two experts from MSU Instructional Technology role will get you started on D2L features such as the Gradebook, Accessibility Checkers, Intelligent Agents, and share best practices to effectively use D2L for effective communication and student success.