Pedagogical Training Plan

EALC graduates compete for positions in diverse institutions of higher education. Some of the institutions in which we place students select primarily on research excellence; others (including some R1 institutions) require significant evidence of solid teaching experience and training. In some segments of the job market, this includes teaching in East Asian languages. EALC aims to offer students teaching opportunities that build up step by step, starting with supervised course assistantships, language mentorships, and/or the BA thesis preceptorship, and culminating in one or more stand-alone lectureships.

Graduate Student Teaching Assistants’ responsibilities are outlined under the section “Responsibilities of graduate student-TAs in EALC, and faculty responsibilities to TAs” below.

Graduate Student – TA (language mentorships) resemble internships: the student attends a class taught by a language lecturer, helps with a limited number of tasks (such as grading homework), does some classroom teaching in the presence of the lecturer, and receives feedback from the lecturer. Details differ from program to program and are determined by our language program directors.

Preceptors regularly meet with undergraduate BA thesis writers during autumn and winter quarters, in order to help them write a substantial paper in east Asian studies with the potential of receiving Honors for the BA degree.  Students typically serve as preceptor for both quarters.  Each quarter is the equivalent of one course assistantship.  More information on the preceptorship can be found here:  https://uchicago.app.box.com/folder/171905897556.  Preference will be given to those who have already completed one Graduate Student -TA position and completed relevant CCTL teaching workshops (see below).

Since students apply to different fields with different teaching demands, EALC does not require all students to complete the same sequence or the same teaching load. At a minimum, students will teach 3 supervised units (Graduate Student - TA, Preceptors, or Graduate Student – TA *language mentorships*) and 1 Graduate Student Lecturer. At a maximum, students will teach 5 supervised units and 1 Graduate Student Lecturer, or 3 supervised units and 2 Graduate Student Lecturer. The latter case (teaching 2 stand-alone courses) applies mostly to students who plan to obtain the Second Language Teaching Certificate and need to teach a stand-alone language course in addition to the stand-alone course in the discipline. In most years, students may also have the opportunity to apply for a Graduate Student - TA position in the East Asian Civilizations Program in Beijing (Autumn), which counts as 2 supervised units.

In the spring quarter of their second year, students will consult with their advisers and the DGS to create a provisional “teaching plan.” This plan provides a road map for the likely number of units a student will teach; it also commits the department to providing the teaching opportunities and training necessary to fulfill these units. We recognize that in certain cases these plans will need to be revised or updated as the student advances in the program.

Generally, all graduates of our program should be able to:

• design and teach introductory courses in the discipline beyond their specific area of expertise;
• design and teach introductory and upper-level courses in their subfield;
• design effective assignments for a range of courses;
• effectively facilitate class discussion;
• design and deliver effective lectures;
• describe their approach to student learning and give reasons for their pedagogical choices.
• They should also be well-versed in methods of undergraduate writing instruction and in the principles of inclusive pedagogy.

Students either in their first or second year are required to take EALC 50000: The Profession of East Asian Studies.  The course is offered every other year in autumn or winter and is taught by the current DGS. The next will be offered this year (2025-26).

In preparation for serving as Teaching Assistants, EALC requires that all students take the one-day “Teaching@UChicago” workshop (offered by CCTL in Orientation week) as well as the “Fundamentals of Teaching” workshop (offered by CCTL in weeks 2 to 5).

Graduate Student - TA, or 1 Graduate Student - TA and 1 Preceptorship, which counts for 2 TAships).

A second useful pedagogical skill (especially for those working on modern East Asia) is language teaching. EALC aims to guarantee that all interested students can do at least one unit of language teaching, typically a Graduate Student - TA language mentorship. Students who expect to apply for jobs with a strong language component are encouraged to take the CCTL/CLC College Teaching Certificate in Second Language Pedagogy. The requirements for the certificate include the teaching of a stand-alone language course. Before teaching a stand-alone language course, students need to teach 2 units of supervised teaching (i.e., 2 Graduate Student - TA language mentorships or Graduate Student – TA teaching assistantships). In sum, although requirements may vary in different language programs, students who opt to specialize in language teaching will typically do: 1 or 2 Graduate Student – TA language mentorships, 1 Graduate Student TAship, 1 stand-alone language course, and 1 stand-alone content course.

• Teaching assignments are made in late spring/early summer by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Department Administrator, and as needed, in consultation with the advisor. Taking into consideration student preferences, assignments are made based on an individual student’s pedagogical training needs and qualifications in balance with departmental course offerings.

• Some students may need to adjust teaching timeline expectations, especially if they hold an external fellowship or require more than one year of language training or research away from Chicago. The distribution of teaching assignments in years 3, 4, and 6 is intended to allow students to spend one year abroad without teaching obligations—an important feature of our program. In order to accommodate individual needs, students may request to move their teaching assignments to years 3, 4, and 5, or to 3, 5, and 6, or to combine them in other customized ways. Such requests will typically be discussed as part of the annual spring review process and in consultation with the DGS and the academic adviser.

Graduate Student - TAs should not be asked to teach lectures or primary course meetings, except on limited occasions, for their own professional development, and under faculty supervision. Their responsibilities include but will not necessarily be limited to the following:

• Assisting the faculty in planning course outlines, preparing syllabi, and planning paper assignments and exams

• Attending the course

• Evaluating and commenting on student papers and exams.

• Reading students’ posts on Canvas and commenting on them

• Holding weekly office hours

• Teaching weekly discussion sections

Faculty supervisor responsibilities to Graduate Student – TAs - While the role of the Graduate Student - TA differs from course to course, TAs can generally expect:

• to discuss the course with the professor before it begins

• to have a clear idea at the start of the quarter of your responsibilities and the dates when you will have special duties (e.g., grading)

• to be introduced and to have your role explained to the students at the start of the course

• to discuss the grading policy and its rationale

• to meet with the professor on a regular basis as the course proceeds

• to have supervision of, and receive feedback on, your contributions from the professor

If there are any questions or concerns about your working relationship with your faculty supervisor, please connect with the Director of Graduate Studies and/or the Dean of Students. 

As part of the PTP, all students will have the opportunity to teach a stand-alone lectureship, usually in their sixth year. Students preparing to teach a stand-alone lectureship must submit the course title, a one-paragraph description, and a preliminary syllabus to the Department faculty in Winter Quarter preceding the year in which they propose to teach. No course will be allowed to proceed without faculty approval.  The College has final approval of all undergraduate course proposals, so a course should be designed to have a reasonably broad appeal that will likely attract at least ten students. 

Please be aware that the terms of dissertation completion fellowships prohibit students from engaging in any remunerative activity during the period of the fellowship. The sole exception to this prohibition is that fellows may undertake a modest teaching assignment in spring quarter of their fellowship year if it is in fulfillment of their pedagogical training plan and when it is clear from the fellow’s progress on their dissertation that teaching will not delay completion of the degree.

Teaching Instruction

The Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning offers a variety of one-day programs throughout the year on such topics as leading discussion, preparing syllabi, and grading.  The Center sponsors an annual two-day training session of lectures and workshops shortly before the start of the academic year.  Students preparing to teach for the first time at the University of Chicago are required to enroll in this session.  See http://teaching.uchicago.edu.