Teaching in the Department
Because we recognize that teaching is an integral part of the work of the profession and is the reason undergraduates come to the university, the English Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison regards students’ training as teachers as an important aspect of the graduate education we provide. The kinds of professional development offered by teaching combine with our excellent academic program to help our PhDs succeed on the academic job market and in their careers. Teaching Assistants (TAs) at Madison have the opportunity to teach an unusually broad range of courses during their years of graduate training.
Graduate students who enter the program without an MA are required to complete two semesters of course work in good standing before they teach in the English Department, thereby insuring that they enter the classroom with significant graduate training behind them. During their first two years as TAs, graduate students have the opportunity to teach both introductory composition and introductory literature courses on topics ranging from Shakespeare to Native American Literature to Violence and the American Psyche. TAs in the introductory composition program teach one section of 19 students each semester; the course meets three periods each week, and the TA teaches his or her own course under the supervision of the Director of Freshman Writing. Literature TAs lead discussion sections supporting large lectures of between 125 and 300 students, under the direction of a faculty lecturer; TAs typically lead three sections of 19 students each, meeting each section for one 50-minute period a week. Often they collaborate with the lecturer in planning the course, and TAs frequently have the option of delivering a lecture themselves.
For both the introductory composition courses and the introductory literature courses, the Department provides intensive training led by both faculty and experienced T.A.s during the fall “Welcome Week” immediately before classes begin. In the introductory literature program, individual faculty meet regularly with their staff for ongoing training thereafter. Instructors of introductory composition participate in staff meetings each week, have the option of taking a one-credit course in the teaching of writing, and have the opportunity to participate in professional development forums throughout their time teaching in the program. All English graduate students in their first year of teaching benefit from the guidance of a peer mentor, as well as from several classroom observations by supervising faculty. They can also develop their pedagogical skills by participating, together with faculty, in a number of departmental programs established to encourage good teaching, such as our Teaching Forums. Those interested in creative uses of electronic technologies in teaching can apply for additional support from the Tech Fellows program. The commitment of the department and the university to fostering good teaching is reflected in several prizes for TAs that recognize success in the classroom; in addition, highly successful experienced TAs are sometimes selected to train other TAs in the College of Letters and Sciences.
After the second year of teaching, graduate students may also choose to teach intermediate writing, to lead discussion sections for writing intensive 4-credit versions of the introductory literature courses (for which sections meet twice weekly), or to serve as teaching assistants in survey courses for English majors in British and American literature. As they near completion of their degrees, graduate students are sometimes selected to serve as lecturers teaching independent upper level courses, or to be lecturers in the introductory literature courses. Many English Department T.A.s also have opportunities to T.A. or lecture in other programs that reflect their particular research interests, such as Afro-American Studies, Women’s Studies, or Integrated Liberal Studies.
In addition to their classroom teaching assignments, many doctoral students in English opt to tutor in the Writing Center, where they have a wonderful variety of teaching opportunities, starting in their second year of teaching. The center’s main location is in Helen C. White Hall, which houses the English Department, and there are eight satellite locations around campus, in residence halls, multicultural centers, and the main research library. In half-hour or hour-long sessions, graduate student TAs work individually with students writing in every conceivable discipline. A substantial on-line center, one of the most widely used in the country, is also staffed by TAs. When TAs join the Writing Center staff, they participate in a nine-week training program of readings, meetings, observations and discussion; the center provides substantial ongoing and advanced training as well. For more experienced T.A.s, there are a number of professional development opportunities, including leadership positions to apply for, such as the assistant director of the undergraduate Writing Fellows program (a curricula-based tutoring program) or assistant director of Writing-Across-the- Curriculum program.
Levels of pay for doctoral students vary by appointment, and may change from semester to semester, depending on the specific teaching assignment. First year TAs typically earn between $9,800 and $10,300, depending on whether the appointment is in composition or literature. TAs with previous teaching experience (at least one and two-thirds semesters) earn slightly higher salaries, and salaries increase with experience on this campus. The document entitled, “Terms and Conditions of Graduate Student Support Guarantees, 2007-08,” outlines typical appointments and their salaries, based on current rates of pay.
Department of English
7195 Helen C. White
600 N. Park St.
Madison, WI 53706
608-263-3761
fax: 608-263-3709