This page contains some good information for those of you who are teaching in any given semester. Each Teaching Assistant (TA) is responsible for all aspects of the course that they are teaching from submitting the syllabus to grading.
Teaching at SILS
While SILS does not require students to engage in teaching as part of their doctoral studies, we have been successful in scheduling teaching opportunities for students who are interested in them. These can vary from guest lecturing in a class to paid service as a graduate teaching fellow with responsibility for instruction in a regularly scheduled class. Students who would like to teach at SILS should discuss their plans with the Associate Dean as early as possible.
To be eligible for teaching, a student must have completed a series of courses related to teaching. They include:
INLS 886, Graduate Teaching Practicum (1-3 credits; may be repeated)
It is recommended (not required) that, at least a year prior to teaching a full course, the student work with one of the SILS faculty in a teaching practicum; to do this, the student would register with the faculty member for INLS 886 (more information, including sample learning contracts).
INLS 888, Seminar in Teaching and Academic Life (3 credits; offered each spring)
At least one semester prior to teaching a full course, the student must complete INLS 888 or the Future Faculty Fellowship Program offered by the UNC Center for Faculty Excellence twice each summer. If the student has prior experience or training in adult education, this requirement may be waived, with the permission of the Associate Dean.
INLS 889, Seminar in Teaching Practice (1 credit; may be repeated)
During the first semester that the student is teaching, the student is expected to be concurrently enrolled in INLS 889. The student may register for INLS 889 multiple times (including prior to a teaching assignment), to further develop his or her teaching skills.
An orientation session for new faculty, adjunct faculty, and teaching fellows is held at the beginning of each semester. Teaching fellows are encouraged to attend. In addition, a teaching handbook is available.
Further Development of Teaching Skills
You are encouraged to use the resources (seminars and publications) of the UNC-CH Center for Faculty Excellence to further develop your teaching skills. You may also participate in INLS 889 discussions any time you wish.
Each semester, your teaching will be evaluated in two ways: through student evaluations and through peer observation. The two student evaluations are administered by the university and by SILS, respectively. Aggregated results from these surveys are provided to you just after the end of the semester. A peer observation will be conducted by a full-time faculty member sometime during the semester. A report of that observation will be discussed with you and will be provided to you in writing.
