LA Seminar Pedagogy Course

LA Seminar, SMT 3931, is a mandatory course for first-time LAs. New LAs are required to take the seminar at the same time as their first LA appointment. LAs are responsible for signing up for this course on their own. Returning LAs do not have to retake the course. 

The LA seminar meet once a week for 2 hours (1 credit) and is offered four times during the week:

  • Monday: 2:00pm-3:50pm (MMC)
  • Tuesdays: 4:00pm-5:50pm (BBC)
  • Wednesdays: 4:00pm-5:50pm (MMC)
  • Friday: 9:00am-10:50am (MMC)

Note: LA Seminar is only offered in the Fall and Spring semesters. The course is NOT offered during the summer.

New LAs should enroll in the section that is most convenient for them. This course parallels the LA teaching experiences, providing the rationale behind the teaching pedagogies employed in the classroom. It includes examinations of the research driving STEM education and provokes interesting conversations on education in general. It is not meant to strain your preparation for your other classes but is meant as an eye-opening experience. This is a seminar course where students are responsible for weekly readings, in-class discussions, and project presentations. Some discussion topics include: Discussion and questioning techniques, Approaches to problem-solving and metacognition, the power of feedback, growth mindset, microaggression, and micro-interventions, and more.