Teaching Assistant Paraprofessional
The Teaching Assistant Paraprofessional microcredential is awarded to learners who have completed a teaching assistantship position for one semester of an undergraduate course, coupled with completing professional development exercises. Earners will complete four modules to gain foundational knowledge of how to be successful emerging professionals through their experience as teaching assistant. Topics include building positive relationships with students, faculty, and staff; defining and implementing principles of equity and inclusion in academic settings; designing intentional learning activities; demonstrating professionalism; and identifying competencies they have acquired as a teaching assistant that are transferable in other contexts.
Earning Criteria
- Equity and Inclusion.
- Designing Activities for Learning.
- Transferable Skills & Professionalism.
All four will need to be earned; this experience will take one academic semester. To receive the meta microcredential, earners will need to meaningfully complete all exercises and participate to acquire the competencies fully.
Additional Details
Learning Outcomes
- Develop positive relationships including active listening, empathy, setting boundaries, communication, and building trust with students and instructors.
- Describe positive professional relationships that translate into successful mentoring relationships.
- Define the roles and expectations of mentors and mentees.
Equity and Inclusion
- Articulate key principles of equity and inclusion.
- Describe the importance of equity and inclusion in the classroom.
- Reflect on one's own identities and how those inform their role as a teaching assistant.
- Identify principles of accessibility and UMBC resources for equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Designing Activities for Learning
- Outline basic principles of scaffolding and educational psychology.
- Integrate principles of equity and inclusion to build positive relationships and create meaningful learning activities.
Professionalism and Transferable Skills
- Identify principles of professionalism including time management, positivity, attention to detail, and integrity.
- Apply how professionalism skills are applied in the classroom.
- Evaluate personal strengths and how to implement them on resumes and in interviews.
Time to Earn
Gavin Gilliland
Assistant Director of First-Year Experiences
Academic Engagement and Transition Programs (AETP)
Sherman Hall (Academic IV Bldg) 352 B-Wing
+1 410 455 1185