“This experience is meant to help further the learning of international TAs, but I have learned so much from the experience. I now have a good understanding of the factors that make a good teaching presentation and I’ve learned a lot about a wide variety of topics. Also, I’ve met some very interesting people and learned about differences among cultures, in particular in academia.”

C.M., Classroom Consultant

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Program Summary

For five or ten sessions throughout the semester, Classroom Consultants participate in ESL courses designed to help international TAs in-training transition into teaching full-time at UVA. Classroom Consultants will observe, interact, and provide feedback on short teaching demonstrations given by prospective TAs on their material of study. You do not need to be a native English-speaker to apply for this position.

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Program Outline

What do CCs do?

There are two types of Classroom Consultants: CC-5s who visit the class only 5 times throughout the semester, and CC-10s who visit weekly, or 10 times throughout the semester.

CC-5s

CC-5s provide audience and feedback for international TAs’ “Teaching Demonstrations” 4 times throughout the semester and act as students for one “Mock Office Hours” event. This is a good position for those with limited time, but who still want to be involved.

Time Commitment for CC-5s

Five 2-hour events throughout the semester.

CC-10s

CC-10s participate in Teaching Demos, Mock Office Hours, and visit the class (for the last hour) in the weeks between, helping with classroom activities during the final hour of class. With this weekly position, volunteers and international students really get to know one another.

Time Commitment for CC-10s

Weekly one-hour class support in addition to CC-5 time commitment

Position Requirements

English does NOT need to be your first language in order to volunteer as a Classroom Consultant. For our other volunteer positions, we require advanced to superior proficiency in American English language and cultures. The position of Classroom Consultant, however, is also open to those newer to the language and cultures. 

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“The volunteers were always there and being supportive, giving great advice and encouraging the class. I received great feed backs from them which I believe I could use in my future experience of interacting with students. It has become a very unique part of the EL911 course that brought interaction into the content which made the lecture not only more fun but more effective.”

X.W., Prospective International TA