Teaching Resources

Teaching Assistant assignments for Graduate Students should be designed to contribute both to their own professional development and to the College’s undergraduate instructional mission.

Canvas

The online portal for students is critical for instructors to understand. UT has developed a number of Canvas training materials.

Teaching Resources in CNS

An introductory TA training workshop is offered each semester, and Canvas resources are provided by the Office of STEM Education Excellence (STEMx). Graduate students can self-enroll in the Canvas course here.

Self-enroll in the Canvas course for TAs

Find resources available in the College for all instructors from the in the CNS Administrative portal for personnel (EID login required). 

Student Rights

FERPA is the federal law that protects student confidentiality and prohibits the university or its instructors from disclosing educational records or personally identifiable information from any student’s records to any third party without that student’s prior consent. 

Some consequences of FERPA for you as a Teaching Assistant are: 

  • you may not discuss students’ academic performance with their parents, family, or friends; 
  • you should return homework and exams in a manner that preserves student confidentiality; 
  • you should communicate student grades individually using student-specific password-protected systems (e.g., Canvas), and 
  • you may never post grades publicly in any manner that might identify students. 

If you have questions about this policy, you may redirect those asking to a counselor in the CNS Student Division nsinfo@ut.cc.utexas.edu, 512.471.4536.

Non-Academic Help for Undergrads

If one of your students is experiencing serious non-academic problems (e.g., illness or death in the family, significant physical or emotional health challenges, etc.), you should refer that person to the Counseling and Mental Health Center CARE (Counselors in Academic Residence) program using this online form, and/or to counselors in the CNS Student Division, using the email address nsinfo@uts.cc.utexas.edu.

Teaching and Pedagogy

The Graduate Student Development (GSD) program provides resources for graduate students working as TAs and/or preparing for careers that include college teaching. GSD is an initiative of the Provost, the Graduate School, and the Faculty Innovation Center (FIC). The College’s Office of STEM Education Excellence also offers resources to TAs.

TA Emergency Supports

The Office of Campus Safety and Security holds a TA/AI training session each semester in which emergency responsibilities are reviewed. You can view a recent training session here.