This portion of the workshop teaches attending skills teaching assistants need to develop effective interpersonal communication with students. This segment also helps teaching assistants recognize that their attitudes toward education have been shaped by cultural influences. The concepts presented have been identified through a microanalysis of effective classroom teaching. The workshop goals and instructional concepts are emphasized in the daily presentations. Implications for the classroom are presented, including the potential for assuming a classroom role that differs from one's personality.
Teaching assistants learn about the role of affirmative action in the U.S. classroom.
Teaching assistants are given an understanding of legally defined discrimination and of the procedure for filing complaints. They are also given training in recognizing and avoiding issues of sexual harassment. Emphasis is on the responsibilities of classroom instructors and on the services available to them to accommodate special needs students.