Know your GSIs

Graduate students bring various levels of experience to their roles in your course. Many graduate students listed as "new" UC Berkeley GSIs actually may have substantial prior teaching experience from other settings. Such GSIs can often offer valuable suggestions and input, as well as teaching ideas that work, from past experience. Other graduate students, including those well along in their graduate programs, may never have set foot in classrooms as teachers. Gathering information about GSIs' teaching histories at preliminary planning meetings can provide a much better sense about the resources GSIs may bring to bear on your course and the type of assistance they may need to improve their teaching.

• Plan a pre-semester course orientation.
• Know your GSIs.
• Meet weekly with GSIs to talk about teaching.
• Build into the weekly meetings specific pedagogical goals.
• Encourage your students to keep a teaching journal.
• Observe your GSIs in the classroom.
• Encourage GSIs to be videotaped in the classroom.
• Set up a peer observation program.
• Encourage your GSIs to get ongoing feedback on teaching and learning from their students.
• Recommend participation in teaching-related events.
• Help GSIs construct a teaching portfolio.
• Encourage your GSIs to read pedagogical literature.
• View your course as one step in helping GSIs to prepare for their own future roles as professors.
• Take part in the programs for faculty of the GSI Teaching and Resource Center.