The International TA Orientation at ASU, organized by the Graduate College, was attended by students from countries such as China, India, Iran, Sri Lanka, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand and Kenya. International faculty were invited to share their experiences and provide tips in diverse topics such as “The culture of the American Classroom and University Experience”, “Expectations and Norms for Instructor Behavior in the Classroom”, “Bridging the Language Divide”. The Orientation also introduced the students to some of the resources available at ASU for international students such as the International Teaching Assistant Program, The Writing Center and the International TA Blog. As a final topic international TAs were invited to share their experiences and observations.
Among the questions addressed by the international faculty were: “What should you expect?” and “How can you succeed?” in the American classroom. Faculty encouraged the students to be creative and incorporate different kinds of assignments such as case discussions, simulations and team work. They also mentioned that the American classroom is a highly interactive classroom rather than a passive learning environment and that questioning or disagreeing with the instructor is an accepted aspect of the classroom culture. International TAs were also reminded of the importance of the syllabus as a course contract and that if they want to succeed they should set clear expectations, learn norms of communication and be familiar with the university’s code of conduct. Regarding the expectations that students have it was emphasized that students expect international TAs to speak good English and to understand materials well (master the concept). Some ideas on how to communicate better in English included to speak slowly, to explain one key idea per class and to use visual methods. Tips provided by the international faculty on how to be an effective and successful teacher involved knowing how to present materials clearly, having a great passion on what you present, being consistent with your grading and treating the students like you like to be treated (care for them). International TAs highlighted the importance of time management, how to overcome the language barrier and the importance of the syllabus among other topics.

Some of the quotes that inspired international faculty in their career are:
“Tell me and I’ll forget, Teach me and I’ll remember, Involve me and I’ll learn” -Confucius
“Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care” - John Maxwell

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary stress can be defined as “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation”.  According to ASU’s Wellness and Health program, 80% of students reported experiencing stress during the last school year while 31.7% reported that stress affected their academic performance.  Students can be affected by two different kinds of stressors (ongoing everyday chronic stressors and isolated stressors). Ongoing everyday chronic stressors can also be sub-categorized into stressors related to school, time, money and relationships. Some examples of isolated stressors include leaving home (or your country) and balancing changing roles as student, employee (as a TA), child or becoming a parent.

While stress can be a source of motivation, stress-related symptoms such as having difficulty to sleep and depression can severely affect your academic performance.  Stress management is considered a very important topic especially for international students, according to Raj et al. (2004) “differences in language, lifestyle, customs, healthcare practices and delivery systems often become barriers in accessing health care”. 

Stress at school is usually tied to time management. After all, TA and academic duties go hand in hand throughout the year. The following are some strategies for time and stress management compiled by the instructional resource guide for teaching assistants (University of British Columbia, 2006):

1) Monitor how you use your time, you may be spending time on things that are not priorities.

2) Plan your year, remember that you have academic and TA responsibilities.  Try to complete some tasks earlier so you won’t feel the pressure all at once.

3) Plan the week, write a “To Do” list and put your priorities first. It is easy to get sidetracked so starting with the priorities will help.

4) Plan some “free” time.  Working too much can lower your productivity levels so plan some time where you can do whatever you want like hiking or watching a movie.  You can also use your free time to go to yoga or enjoy a relaxing massage section.

5) Eliminate distractions, although this is very difficult thing to do, a place like the library can serve this purpose.

6) Improve your concentration by setting short specific and realistic goals, don’t forget to take a break.

7) Overcome procrastination by focusing on doing a good job versus a perfect job.

While managing time and stress can be difficult, it is not impossible. Just remember to keep some time for yourself and things you love to do, rest one day during the week and try to sleep a minum of six hours every day. Hope this helps!

References:

Raj, S., Gosling, A., Gartenberg, M. & Burak, P. (2004).  Health and Wellness.  An orientation program for international graduate students on the Syracuse University campus.  Retrieved April 23, 2009 from http://cstl.syr.edu/VF/02VF_rept/02vf09f.pdf

Student Affairs, ASU. (n.d.). Stress management.  Information about stress management.  Retrieved April 20, 2009 from http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/wellness/stressmanagement/

The University of British Columbia (2005).  Time and stress management.  University Teaching and Learning.  An instructional resource guide for Teaching Assistants.  Retrieved April 19, 2009 from http://www.tag.ubc.ca/resources/teachingassistants/TAHandbook.pdf

It is interesting to see how each one of us is just one ”ingredient” in this huge and diverse melting pot and that every class we teach is as diverse as it could be.  Although international TAs become more aware of their own cultural background once they start interacting in such a diverse environment, we are still unsure about how to properly deal with diversity issues.  

Previous studies have shown that diversity in the classroom is usually seen as a new challenge to both faculty and TAs and some universities have considered initiating programs “aimed at helping faculty provide successful, quality education to diverse students”. When participants of the Teaching and Learning in Diverse Classroom Faculty and TA Partnership Project (1994-2000) at the University of Massachusetts were asked about their experiences in diverse classrooms they all agree that “considerations of diversity were important to their teaching in diverse classrooms” (Castaneda, 2002). 

The following are some tips provided by the Center for Teaching and Learning, New Jersey City University (2009) regarding teaching in diverse college classrooms:

1.-Think multicultural when you plan your course.-  Write a syllabus that encompass several perspectives on a topic and think about how everybody will benefit from your class. Be aware of sensitive topics!!.
2.-Make your classroom open and safe for all the students.- Start by getting to know your students, encourage respectful interaction among them and try to avoid uncomfortable situations.
3.-Think about how you will react in a difficult situation. - As the instructor you should be prepared in advance on how to handle discriminatory behaviors. If you see that a problem arises then you should intervene. Always stay calm!!
4.-Assess conscious and unconscious biases about people form other cultures.- How bias are we? A variety of questions that may help you to examine your own racial or cultural biases can be found here.

References:

Castaneda, C. (2002). Teaching and learning in diverse classrooms: Faculty reflections on their experiences and pedagogical practices of teaching diverse populations. Doctoral Dissertation.  University of Massachussets, Amherst. Retrieved April 11, 2009 from http://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI3056207

Center for Teaching and Learning (2009).  Teaching in diverse classrooms. New Jersey City University. Retrieved April 10, 2009 from http://web.njcu.edu/dept/centerfortl/Content/teaching_in_diverse_classrooms.asp

Why is a mentor so important during our graduate career?  While there is a connection between advisors and mentors, sometimes your advisor is not necessarily your mentor and vice versa.  According to Gosling and Noordam (2007), “an advisor directs, a mentor guides”.  If your advisor takes over the role of being your mentor as well, you are certainly very fortunate, as finding a mentor is not an easy task.

What is a mentor? The Council of Graduate Schools defines mentors as: “advisors, supporters, tutors, masters, sponsors and models of identity” (Zelditch, 1990). While finding all these characteristics in only one person could be difficult, having more than one mentor or a “mentoring team”, can be very beneficial and will increase your opportunities to receive the guidance and support you need.

Why is it so difficult to find a mentor?  If we think about all the responsibilities that come with being a professor (teaching, advising, writing grants, serving in committees, reviewing the work of their students, among others), we may begin to realize what a demanding job being a professor really is. Another important aspect is that while junior faculty may be overwhelmed in the process of obtaining tenure, more experienced senior faculty have to fulfill some national and international obligations. Understanding faculty obligations is important when forming your mentoring team, so while senior faculty can help you with networking, junior faculty can offer you some tips on how to overcome stress (University of Michigan, 2006).  When choosing a mentor or mentoring team it is very important to reflect on your own needs and your expectations from your potential mentor (Gosling & Noordam 2007).  The following are some of the steps and considerations for forming a mentoring team (University of Michigan, 2006):

Self-appraisal.- In order to identify the kind of help you need during your graduate career you must reflect on your strengths as well as the kind of skills you want to develop. Another important question relates to the kind of research or creative work that you want to work on as well as the type of career you want to pursue (e.g. research, industry or academia).

Identifying potential faculty mentors.-For this purpose you will have to become more involved in departmental academic and social activities, attend public presentations by your potential mentors, and ask other graduate students for their input. “It is your responsability to seek out interactions with faculty members”.

Avoid limiting your options.-Do not select a mentor based solely on race, gender, nationality and sexual orientation.  Faculty members who are different from you can also have a great impact on your work; indeed, cross-cultural mentors consider the relationship with their mentees as a life rewarding experience with many intrinsic and extrinsic benefits (Carleton and Spady, n.d.). 

Because what you seek in a mentor is very specific to yourself and your self-development plan, it is important to look for faculty outside your department to be part of your mentoring team. You should also consider more advanced graduate students, departmental staff, retired faculty, faculty from other departments or universities and also friends outside your field of study.  Alltogether these people can become a key part in your trajectory through your graduate studies and potentially through the rest of your career.

References

Carleton, K & Spady, T. (2005). Mentoring across the cultures.  12th annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, Arlington, Virginia, October 27-30.

Gosling, P. & Noodam, B. (2007). Mastering your Ph.D.: Mentors, leadership and community. Retrieved March 29, 2009 from http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/

Rackham School of Graduate Studies, University of Michigan (2006). How to get the mentoring you want.  Retrieved March 26, 2009 from http://www.rackham.umich.edu/downloads/publications/mentoring.pdf

Zelditch, M. (1990). Mentor roles. Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Western
Association of Graduate Schools, Tempe, Arizona, 16-18 March, 1990, p. 11.

As a TA, one of the first things learned during orientation is that students with disabilities require special accommodations and procedures.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is designed to “remove barriers which prevents persons with disabilities from accessing the same educational and employment opportunities as person without disabilities”.  Moreover, the Americans with Disabilities Act “covers all persons with disabilities in the United States, whether or not they are citizens and without regard to racial or ethnic origin” (DRC, n.d.).

The Disability Resource Center at ASU provides diverse services, accommodations and procedures to students with disabilities:

• Testing accommodations: scribes, alternative print formats, extended time, adaptive equipments, rooms with reduced distraction.
• Notetaking services: authorized and recommended by a DRC Disability Access Consultant.
• Alternative Format Services: audio text, Braille, large print, tactile graphics, electronic-text, textbook conversion (must be requested ahead of time).
• Laboratory accomodations: lab aide that follows student’s direction, adaptive equipment.
• Interpreting services: American Sign Language (ASL), Pidgin Signed English (PSE), Signed English or Oral, Computer-Aided Real Time (CART).
• Equipment loan & check-out: portable amplification systems, optical microscopes with closed-circuit enlargers, mobility equipment, visual enhancement equipment, alternative keyboard support, e-text readers, among others.

Students with disabilities require documentation verifying the nature and extent of the disability in order to qualify for the services.  All applicants must be admitted or enrolled to ASU and are required to notify each faculty member/instructor of the need for testing accommodations. For general and specific eligibility requirements visit the University Students Initiatives (USI) manual.

References:

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) (ADA). United States Code Title 42 § 12101 et seq.

Disability Resource Center (n.d.).  Service, accommodations and procedures.  Retrieved March 20, 2009 from http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/ed/drc/services.html

University Students Initiatives Manual (2008).  Disability resources.  Eligibility for accommodations. Retrieved March 25, 2009 from http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/usi/usi701-02.html

Perhaps how we dress isn’t our number one priority when we go to teach, after all, once we get our teaching assignment, we’re primarily concerned with what and how to teach. After reviewing some nightmare stories from TAs about their first class experience I believe proper dress is a topic of importance. A study by K. David Roach (1997) found that there is a relationship between how TAs dress and student cognitive learning, student affective learning, and ratings of instruction.  Another interesting article by James M. Lang (2007) reviews two different books about how to present ourselves to students. While Elaine Showalter’s Teaching Literature book mentions the importance of being our “true selves” when we teach, Jay Parini in The Art of Teaching, mentions how important is to think about the clothes we wear in the classroom as part of our “teaching persona”.
If we think about it it’s not only how we dress, but also other choices that may be unrelated to teaching like the way we talk to our peers, decorate our office or lab and so on, that will influence how our students see us in the classroom.
In my personal experience, I feel comfortable wearing “business casual” clothes when teaching (I have been dressing like that since I graduated with my B.Sc). While my intention is not to intimidate my students I found that dressing nice and letting your students know about your academic background beforehand plays a very important role in the class. As TAs our young looking appearance, and sometimes gender, may influence how our students perceive us as the authority figure in the class. While loosening up and being our “true selves” helps us achieve good interaction with the students, showing a respectable “teaching persona” will help you define the instructor/student line. Although there is not a universal rule about how to dress the choices we make could indeed have an impact on the motivation of our students to learn and the way they perceive us as instructors.  

References

Lang, J. M. (2007). Crafting a teaching persona.  The Chronicle of Higher Education.  Chronicle Careers. Retrieved March 20, 2009 from http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2007/02/2007020601c.htm

Roach, K.D. (1997). Effects of graduate Teaching Assistant attire on student learning, misbehaviors, and ratings of Instruction.  Communication Quarterly, 45(3):125-41.

Although it sounds like a rhetorical question many TAs ask to themselves why teaching is so important. I think at the beginning we all feel “pushed” to do it because it was the only way we could pay for our studies, it was a department requirement upon admission or maybe our advisor was short of funding. Either case, if you are new to teaching or even a veteran TA, teaching is now part of your life. But why should teaching be so important? It is true that our students leave our lives very quickly and this gives us very few opportunities to see how we have affected them but according to Brinkley et al. (1999): “One of the rewards of good teaching, therefore, should be the knowledge that we have instilled modes of thinking, created intellectual passions, promoted forms of tolerance and understanding, and, of course, increased knowledge“. Based on the fact that every student is different, the impact you will have on each of your students will be different as well. Some students may only need somebody that encourages them to go on and not quit a difficult class (and some times their career), others may need your help as an advisor on what classes to take (and in what order) or where to go for an internship. Even this may sound like little things for you as a TA, these are indeed stepping stones in your students’ lives and helping them with these may have a big impact on their life (and sometimes they may even tell you so).
Now there is the academic part too, teaching makes us aware of things that we may have forgotten or that we are not involved in on an everyday basis. It helps us to learn new things, because things are different from the time when we learned them, because knowledge in a certain way evolves and because we need to be prepared to answer our students’ questions. Teaching in this sense helps us to recapture the wonder and excitement of our discipline; it reminds us why we chose what we chose.
Moreover, teaching also gets us ready for what could be our future career as professors. Indeed, teaching may become a life changing event for you. If you have never been exposed to teaching before how would you truly know that you are fit for it or not? Even if teaching doesn’t make you “happy” just remember to try your best, it will benefit your students as well as yourself and it could be a rewarding life experience.

References:

Brinkley, A., Dessants, B., Flamm, M., Fleming, C., Forcey, C. & Rothschild E. (1999). The Chicago handbook for teachers: A practical guide to the college classroom. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. (2003). Why do we teach? Why do we strive to teach well? Retrieved March 15, 2009 from http://www.catl.uwa.edu.au/publications/ITL/2001/4/why

Spring break is almost here at ASU and while this could be the perfect week to relax and travel with your friends or family, there are some safety, as well as immigration status issues, that I think we all should be aware of.  In my personal experience I’ve learned that a poorly planned trip can result in a nightmare (e.g. not crossing the border back to the U.S.).  Please check the ASU International Student Office and the U.S. Department of State for documentation needed when travelling outside the U.S. Remember that you may affect your immigration status so be sure that all your paperwork and permits are up to date.

If you have already taken care of all your documentation and are now ready to explore another country these are some safety tips that may help:

1) Take as few valuables as possible: jewelry, watches and cameras catch thieves attention.

2) Do not leave money or valuables around your room: if possible find a hotel with access to a safe.

3) Keep your passport and other documents safe: a safe travel money belt can do the trick, just keep it underneath your t-shirt.

4) Avoid scam artists: people will try to sell you “goods” for more money than they are really worth.  If you want to buy something you could ask a local what would be a fair price before venturing to pay a lot of money for something that is not really worth it.

5) Report stolen credit cards or cellphone: Have a piece of paper with all the phone numbers of the credit card companies handy.

6) Never walk alone and do not leave with strangers: stay in the proximity of at least one friend, preferably two or three. Avoid isolated places.

7) Be aware of the laws regarding alcohol consumption: unless you want to spend the night in jail, don’t drink and drive.

References:

Rockler-Grade, N. (2007).  Spring break safety tips. Retrieved March 4, 2009 from http://collegeuniversity.suite101.com/article.cfm/spring_break_safety_tips 

International Student Office, ASU (n.d.). Maintaining student status.  Retrieved March 4, 2009 from http://asu.edu/international/status.html#reminders

U.S. Department of State (n.d.). Exchange visitor (J) visas.  Retrieved March 3 from  http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1267.html#21

One of the challenges Professors encounter when teaching international graduate students is the students’ English writing skills. According to a Focus Group organized by the University of South Florida (Zhu & Flaitz, 2005), international graduate students reflecting on their difficulties in the area of writing mentioned:

“1. the need for and their lack of experience with writing longer essays/papers,

2. their difficulty with organizing the paper and with using the academic register, and

3. their need to learn how to use appropriate format.”

In the same context professors mentioned that “organization, vocabulary and grammar” are the things that they would like to see improved.  It seems that while writing can be difficult for most international students, reading what we wrote can even be far less enjoyable for the professors and advisors and sometimes they have the tedious job of “rewriting the whole thing”.  

These are some tips that can help you to improve your writing skills:

1. Read a lot.  This will help you to increase your vocabulary.

2. Use complete words and sentences.

3. Check for cohesion in between paragraphs. Paragraphs should follow a logical order.

4. Use synonyms carefully.

5. Look out for grammar errors.

6. Proof and edit carefully.

7. Have a dictionary handy.

8. Don’t plagiarize.

9. Solicit feedback and use constructive criticism to improve your skills.

10. Practice, practice. Remeber that your first draft is not your final draft.

There are many websites that can give you more specific hints on basic English writing skills for ESL or EFL students.  For more advanced tips and really good links about English writing in the academic environment, visit the website from the Department of Linguistics from Ohio State University. This site provides useful exercises and helpful information about writing an essay, proofreading techniques and effective writing, among other things.  For more writers resources visit the Links to Writers’ Resources provided by Arizona State University, Student Success Centers. 

References:

Arizona State University (n.d.). Writers’ Resources.  Retrieved February 26, 2009 from http://studentsuccess.asu.edu/tempe/writing/resources/links#Sites

Ohio University, Department of Linguistics. (2007).  English Writing.  February 24, 2009 from http://www.ohiou.edu/linguistics/esl/writing/index.html

Xu, F. (2008, October/November). Cross-cultural Challenges in Teaching International Graduate Students. Academic Matters. the Journal of Higher Education. Retrieved February 25, 2009 from http://www.academicmatters.ca/current_issue.article.gk?catalog_item_id=1227&category=featured_articles

Zhu, W. & Flaitz, J. (2005).  Using Focus Group Methodology to Understand International Students’ Academic Language Needs: A Comparison of Perspectives.  TESL-EJ. (8)4:A-3.  Retrieved February 24, 2009 from http://writing.berkeley.edu/TESL-EJ/ej32/a3.html