Welcome to the GTA!

The Graduate Teaching Academy (GTA) is a graduate student-led organization that is supported by – and contributes to the fulfillment of the missions of – the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Office of Graduate Studies.  The mission of the GTA is to provide graduate students professional development in the area of college teaching. With the generous support of the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Office of Graduate Studies, the GTA is able to offer its programs to graduate students free of charge.

The GTA strives to supplement research-oriented graduate programs with a teaching oriented program that offers graduate students preparation for a career involving teaching in higher education. The GTA's vision is to develop a world-class academy recognized for its enduring impact on the development of excellent college teachers in all academic disciplines.

The GTA program is free for all graduate students who recognize that their career will include teaching in a college or university setting. The GTA is a one-year voluntary program that can be entered at the beginning of the fall or spring semester. 

The GTA Certificate Program consists of:
    Fall Seminar Program: GTA participants attend at least 7 of the 11 GTA seminars offered in the Fall semester. Videos of all of the seminars are taken and made available for viewing at the library. Participants may view up to two of these videos and write a summary of the video to assist in fulfilling the seven seminar attendence requirement. Participants then write reflective essays on two of the seminars. Starting with the 2006-2007 year, GTA now offers a distance-learning option for Texas A&M graduate students at the Galveston campus. Participants from either campus join a small group lead by a GTA Fellow to assist them in completing the Certificate program.

    Spring Workshop Program: GTA participants attend two workshops on how to write a Philosophy of Teaching Statement and how to create a Teaching Portfolio. There may also be additional (optional) workshops offered in the Spring on other topics of interest to graduate students. The particpant is only required to complete a Philosophy of Teaching Statement, but may find the other workshops offered benefitical for their future career in college teaching.

    Teaching Mentor Program: GTA participants choose a faculty teaching mentor (may not be their committee chair). This faculty mentor guides the graduate student in completing the GTA program. Participants will also complete five classroom observations of several professors and may discuss these observations with their mentor.

    Professional Service: GTA participants complete a professional service activity of their choose to benefit Texas A&M University and/or our local community. Past participants have done a variety of professional service activities--mentored undergraduate students, served on Departmental Committees, volunteered as judges at Student Research Week, presented special seminars, tutored high school students, and much more.

Participants who complete the GTA Certificate Program requirements, set forth by the GTA Steering Committee, are eligible to obtain a Certification of Completion designating them as a “GTA Fellow”.

Benefits of being a GTA Fellow:
  • Leadership Opportunities (G-TASC, group leaders, etc.)
  • Eligible to apply for one of three Wakonse Conference on College Teaching Travel Awards given out each year.
  • Participate in GTA Reading or Writing groups. The Reading groups read and discuss books on teaching. The Writing groups pursue research projects in the scholarship of teaching and learning, and publish their findings.
  • Increased preparation for a career in college teaching.
  • Invaluable networking opportunities with speakers and other GTA Fellows.
GTA Participation Statistics 2007:
  • There are currently 138 GTA Fellows enrolled in PhD programs at Texas A&M University. These graduate students span 32 departments.
  • There are currently over 267 active members of the GTA listserve--including Faculty members, GTA Fellows, and current GTA participants.
  • A total of 141 graduate students attended at least one GTA seminar in the Fall of 2006. Approximately 80 graduate students attended at least 7 of the 11 seminars to complete the Fall Seminar Series requirement of the GTA Certificate.
  • From the Fall 2006 - Spring 2007 GTA cohort, 64 graduate students completed the program and received their GTA Fellows Certificate in Spring 2007. An Additional 12 graduate students received their certificates in Spring 2007 on a Spring-Fall sequence, for a total of 76 GTA certificates awarded in Spring 2007.

 

September 2007
Pizza & drinks served at 5:15pm, prior to every seminar.

September 3rd, 2007
MSC 224, 5:30-6:30pm
"Introduction to Graduate Teaching Academy"
Dr. Nancy Simpson
Texas A&M University
Center for Teaching Excellence, Director

September 10th, 2007
MSC 225, 5:30-6:30pm
"Teachers As Leaders"
Dr. Chris Townsend
Texas A&M University
Agricultural Education, Professor & Department Head

September 17th, 2007
MSC 225, 5:30-6:30pm
"Expectations of Millenials: the Net Generation"
Dr. David Reed
Texas A&M University
Horticultural Sciences, Professor

September 24th, 2007
MSC 225, 5:30-6:30pm
"Active Teaching Techniques"
Dr. Roger Gold
Texas A&M University
Entomology, Professor

Complete Fall Seminar Schedule

 

 

  
Center for Teaching Excellence | Office of Graduate Studies | Texas A&M University

533 Blocker | 4246 TAMU | College Station, TX 77843-4246 | Phone: (979) 845-8392 | Fax: (979) 845-9242
 
Last Revised August 21, 2007
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