Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Experience 1970

Introduction

This course (PSY 1970) involves student participation as an undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA) for a psychology course under the supervision of a faculty member. Consent from a supervising faculty member in the psychology department and a permission number from a psychology advisor are required before registering for this course.

PSY 1970 does NOT fulfill a Psychology major course requirement but will count as elective credit toward the 120 credits required for an Arts & Sciences undergraduate degree.

The School of Arts and Sciences allows a maximum of 24 credits of undergraduate teaching, directed reading, directed research, and internships among the 120 credits required for a degree.

Registering for PSY 1970

1. Review the next term schedule in Peoplesoft when it launches.
2. Identify a psychology faculty member and course you would like to request to become a UTA for in PSY 1970. Traditionally, lower level PSY classes offer opportunities to UTA.
3. Contact the faculty member regarding the possibility of becoming a UTA for this class and arrange for a meeting.
4. If accepted, the student and faculty member complete the learning agreement.
5. Email the completed learning agreement AND your academic advisement report found via your Student Center to psyadvis@pitt.edu. The permission code for self-enrollment in PSY 1970 will then be provided to you via email.
6. Use the permission number to self-enroll in PSY 1970 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant.
7. In order to earn credit, you are required to submit mid-term and end-of-term paper as well as mid-term and end-of-term evaluations as the academic component to complete your teaching assistant experience. All forms are available on Canvas once the term begins. See below for guidelines about the paper.

Prerequisites

• PSY GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
• 12 credits of psychology (including current term)
• Previous completion of psychology course chosen for TA experience (or proficiency in subject area of course, subject to faculty supervisor approval)
• Any additional requirements as per faculty supervisor

Completing PSY 1970 - Paper Format and Guidelines

In order to earn credit, the student MUST complete two reflective papers (one due at midterm and one at the end-of-term). These papers must be submitted to the Canvas site by the published due date, and are expected to be upper level quality. Although the specific duties will vary, you should be participating in activities that contribute to your learning experience in some way on a regular basis. The Undergraduate Teaching Experience is meant to give you experience in the field of psychology education as well as contribute to your professional and personal goals. These papers give you the opportunity to organize thoughts, feelings, insights, likes/dislikes, and ideas about future careers or education. 

How will you know if your paper is acceptable? Once you turn in your paper at both the mid-term and end-of-term, you will be notified through your Pitt email address if the paper is unacceptable and comments on how it needs to be improved. If you do not receive an email, the paper was acceptable. If papers are not completed to standards, you will be asked to REDO the paper or receive an “NC” (no credit) for your PSY 1970 credits. Any AI generated materials will automatically receive a 0 on the assignment and a NC for the class.

The following are a few important guidelines to help you construct your papers:

Cover Page

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Term registered and date
• Course title and faculty supervisor’s name

Main Paper

• Papers must be typed and double spaced. It is fine to take handwritten notes while you are at your class, however, they should then be typed in the proper format when submitted.
• Do not include the actual names of students. Feel free to make up whatever names you would like to use in order to ensure confidentiality.
• Include three sections:
  • Description - how your time was spent: responsibilities, interactions with students, etc.
  • Observations - possible improvements, theories/techniques observed that were discussed in one of your classes, what you learned today, your view of how the course functions, interesting dynamics between faculty and/or students
  • Personal reflection - how you felt about the experience and observations, what you are getting from this experience, how is this experience relating to your own life, any insights about professional goals, insights into personal strengths/weaknesses or skills/interests, do you like this type of work, any situation you would’ve handled differently, etc. This part of your paper should be used to organize thoughts and address feelings and frustrations. If you aren’t able to reflect on your experience, you won’t be able to benefit from what you are learning.