Graduate Teaching Assistant Preparation | The Graduate School

President Guskiewicz standing at the front of a large conference room, taking a photo of himself with a group of students seated behind him. — President Guskiewicz takes a selfie with GTAP participants.

The Graduate Teaching Assistant Program (GTAP) prepares graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) for their role through a variety of professional development experiences.

These enhanced teaching skills, wielded by GTAs who are often the first instructors to which undergraduate students are exposed, increase the educational value of Michigan State University as a whole.

Graduate teaching assistants will be automatically added to the GTA email listserv and will periodically receive updates about ongoing professional development opportunities.

The GTA Preparation Programs have been developed by Dr. Stefanie Baier and the ⁠GREAT Advisory Group. Please contact GRADTeaching@grd.msu.edu with any questions regarding the Graduate Teaching Assistant Program.

GTA Preparation Events & Workshops

Pedagogy Workshops

August 27, 2026, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (ET) - IN PERSON
STEM Teaching Learning Facility (642 Red Cedar Rd)

CCTI2 — Participants during a GTAP session.

Attendees will learn pedagogical practices relevant to effectively teaching students in various disciplines and they will learn to use various tools for successfully engaging students in their learning.

Some of these workshops will count toward the completion of the Certification in College Teaching.

Participants will be able to:

Identify evidence-based best practices in teaching and learning.
Practice methods that can be immediately applied in the classroom or in specific roles as educators.
Use tools to be more effective in preparing for teaching, grading, leading recitations and communicating expectations to students.

There will be 8 workshops, and GTAs can pick up to four of these. The delivery is in person, but GTAs will be required to complete corresponding modules on D2L.

Pedagogy Workshop Descriptions

Information for registering for individual workshops will be provided in August.

Agenda

New GTA Institute

August 20, 2026, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (ET) - VIA ZOOM

In these virtual sessions, new graduate teaching assistants will engage with information necessary to successfully start teaching undergraduate students.

New GTAs will be able to:

Identify ways of how to best address various learner differences including identities and experiences to help foster student success.
Discuss strategies to successfully run their classrooms, their recitation sessions, their work as graders or homeroom tutors.
Provide procedures to address policy related issues in their individual roles as GTAs.
Find solutions to student scenarios they may encounter in their GTA role.
Connect with graduate students to discuss engagement opportunities.

Agenda

Spring GTA Preparation Sessions

The following sessions take place each January before classes start and are designed to help prepare Graduate Teaching Assistants for their roles as educators. Registration is required to attend each event.

GTA Roles: What to Expect
Academic Integrity and Teaching Responsibility in the College Classroom
Responding to Student Challenges as Instructors
Learning and Assessment
Using D2L for Effective Instruction

International GTA Orientation

A large group of students stands in a line at the end of a conference room, smiling and gesturing at the camera. — Participants of the IGTAO take a group photo.

August 19, 2026, 8:00 am – 2:00 pm (ET) – IN PERSON
STEM Teaching Learning Facility (642 Red Cedar Rd) Room 2130

Familiarize International Graduate Teaching Assistants with cultural differences in living, teaching, and learning in the U.S. as compared to their home countries.

They will have the opportunity to interact with current International Graduate Teaching Assistants regarding navigating life, procedures. They will also be introduced to valuable resources.

International Graduate Teaching Assistants will be able to:

Describe how their home culture differs from the U.S. culture.
Compare and contrast how teaching in the U.S. differs to their experience in their home countries.
Articulate questions pertaining to navigating life, procedures, and resources in East Lansing and at MSU.
Acquaint themselves with services to help with adjustment to their new environment and role.

Graduate Teaching Assistant Preparation (GTAP)

GTA Preparation Events & Workshops

Pedagogy Workshops

Agenda

New GTA Institute

Agenda

Spring GTA Preparation Sessions

International GTA Orientation

Agenda