Build better support systems
TA Training & Development
Most TAs are hired for what they know, not for how well they teach it. We train your TAs to know your course, diagnose confusion, and actually help students learn, at a time when students can get an answer from AI in seconds.
The problem this solves
TAs teach a large share of the course, with little or no training.
Teaching assistants handle a large share of the direct instruction in high-enrollment courses, yet most receive little or no training in how to teach. Two failures show up again and again.
They don’t know the professor’s course.
A TA who hasn’t seen the syllabus sequence, the professor’s notation and methods, or what the exams emphasize can’t answer questions the way the course needs. Students hear “I’m not sure how your professor wants it” and leave with nothing.
They explain instead of teach.
Without training, TAs repeat the explanation that worked for them, give the answer, or ask “does that make sense?” and move on. The underlying misconception survives.
Students then turn to AI or outside tutoring for help the course was supposed to provide. Office hours go underused, faculty field questions TAs should have handled, and struggling students fall further behind.
Who it’s for
Built for gateway courses with several TAs.
Department chairs and course coordinators running high-enrollment gateway courses, especially in STEM. Centers for teaching and learning and graduate schools that run TA orientation. Faculty leading large courses with several TAs.
It’s a strong fit if
What’s included
Five habits, one half day.
Most TAs are graduate students with research of their own, so we ask little and make it count: five habits that take almost no extra effort, practiced in one half day before the term starts.
Know the course
A course guide built with faculty: the sequence, the professor’s methods and notation, and what exams emphasize. TAs answer questions the way the course teaches them.
Ask before explaining
“Show me what you tried.” “Walk me through your thinking.” Find where the student’s reasoning breaks down before saying anything else.
The student does the work
Guide with a question or a hint instead of solving the problem. The student holds the pen.
Check for real
Replace “Does that make sense?” with “Explain it back to me” or “Try this one.”
Use the AI script
A few lines TAs can say to students about using AI to learn, and when it replaces the learning.
Format & duration
One half day, before the term starts.
About three hours, mostly practice with realistic student scenarios, scheduled before the term starts or in the first week. Core training works for TAs from any course or department. Course-aligned training adds a course guide built with your faculty. An optional review after the term looks at what worked and what to change for the next group of TAs.
Scope & pricing
Scoped to your TAs and courses.
Priced per program, with or without course guides, based on the number of courses involved. Many institutions start with one course’s TA team.
What you walk away with
Trained TAs, and the tools to keep them sharp.
How we measure results
We keep measurement as light for TAs as the training itself: a few scenario questions before and after the session, a question or two on office hours and sections added to the course’s existing end-of-term survey, office-hour use where it’s already tracked, and course outcomes where data is available. Results are reviewed after the term.
Common questions
Questions we hear most.
Do faculty need to be involved?
Briefly. The curriculum module depends on the professor’s input on sequence, methods, and priorities. We keep that time commitment small.
Does this work for both graduate and undergraduate TAs?
Yes. The program is adjusted to the TAs’ experience level and responsibilities.
What subjects does this cover?
Our instructional background is in STEM, especially chemistry. The teaching methods apply across subjects, and the curriculum module is built with your faculty for each course.
Can we start with one course?
Yes. A single-course pilot is often the best way to see results before expanding.
Talk through whether this fits your TAs and courses.
A short conversation about your courses, your TA team, and what students are experiencing.
Start a conversation