We are pleased to announce that the UTA program will continue in the Fall of 2009, thanks to the renewal of our VIGRE grant.
This program provides undergraduate math majors the opportunity to learn about teaching mathematics, by working with an instructor of an undergraduate course and meeting regularly as a group with a mentor. Duties included grading, running review sessions, possible classroom demonstrations, and a few hours a week of tutoring. Program participants, called Undergraduate Teaching Assistants, get paid $8 per hour for up to 10 hours per week with a maximum earning of $1250.00 per semester.
To learn how other people feel about this program, check out the testimonials or the final reports from past participants.
To learn more about the program and to apply, please see the UTA Website.
Quick overview of how it all works
Pre-semester
- Find a faculty sponsor and decide with your sponsor on a list of planned activities. The sponsor should not be the same person who provides you with a letter of recommendation, and if you need help finding a sponsor, we should be able to find one for you. IMPORTANT: If you can't find a sponsor, apply anyway, and we'll find one for you.
- Obtain a letter of recommendation from one of your math teachers.
- Submit an application to the UTA Program Coordinator.
- Pass the mathematics skills test.
- Attend a one-day orientation/training on grading, tutoring, and holding review sessions.
During the semester (workload: 10 hours/week):
- Tutoring in the MathEast tutoring rooms, either 145 or 149 (3 hours/week)
- Weekly Training Meeting (TBD at the all day training) in Math 320.
- Other possible activities, decided with your sponsor and included in your proposal (6 hours/week)
- Lead review/study sessions and hold office hours
- Facilitate class projects and assist with in-class group work
- Proctor exams and quizzes
- Write study guides, notes, practice problems, and create homework keys
- Grading
Post-semester
- Write a final report to be posted on the department web site.
Parameters for Instructors
Pre-semester
We are interested in instructors who are not simply looking to unload some of their work, but also to develop the teaching skills of their UTA. While it is acceptable to have your UTA do some grading for example, this is not the focus of the program: it is important that you provide them a robust experience by giving them many diverse opportunities in working with your course. In the ideal situation, the instructor will closely supervise and mentor the UTA for the first several weeks of the semester, and then have the confidence to entrust part of the instructor's workload to the UTA. Instructors should have brief regular meetings with their UTAs (we suggest weekly meetings) to keep the lines of communication open and allow for the UTA to ask questions about their experience.
If you are interested in having a UTA, please contact a UTA coordinator. Indicate which course(s) and include a brief (2-3 sentences) description of how you would utilize your UTA.