Consultation Services for TAs

The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) will assist teaching assistants who voluntarily seek to improve their teaching skills and those teaching assistants who are directed by their academic units to seek teaching-related assistance from CITL. The assistance provided by CITL can be in the form of individual or group consultations as needed.

Consultations can be provided on a one-time or continuing basis as needed. The consultation process is a partnership and a discovery process that evolves over time to accomplish the desired goals of teaching assistants who seek assistance. Teaching assistants who seek assistance can decide on the type and depth of consultation needed, and CITL staff will work with them to address the needs.

Individual teaching assistants who voluntarily wish to improve their teaching may directly contact center staff in charge of teaching assistants' related support. Academic units that wish to refer teaching assistants to CITL for teaching improvement are recommended to contact the center director. One or more staff members from CITL may participate in the consultation, and if the need arises, additional faculty or staff members from other units may be invited to assist teaching assistants with specific teaching improvement needs.

The success and desired outcomes of teaching improvement consultations will depend on the time and effort committed to the process by the teaching assistants who seek assistance or are referred by their academic units. CITL staff does not participate in summative evaluations of teaching for hiring, retention or document teaching strategies of teaching assistants who have physical, emotional, or other forms of disabilities that impact their teaching responsibilities. CITLstaff can provide objective feedback on classroom/learning strategies, which focuses on development rather than evaluation.

All teaching improvement consultations and classroom observations arranged with CITL are considered to be confidential as permissible under NIU's guidelines. CITL and its staff will not disclose the names of those who seek assistance voluntarily or those who are referred by departments and/or colleges and will endeavor to respect the privacy of all concerned. CITL and its staff may report the progress or training of a teaching assistant to the referring academic unit, or disclose information to those within the University with a need to know, or disclose information for the protection of the University and/or its faculty, staff and students.