Graduate Student Instructors
Graduate Student Teaching Positions
If you are a graduate student whose funding includes teaching, you will asked to indicate your teaching preferences and availability by completing and submitting the Funded Graduate Student Schedule Request Form, which will be sent out via email by the Associate Chair of the Department Kellie Robertson.
Teaching Load
Funded Graduate students have variable teaching loads, depending on program and year (between 1 and 4 courses per year). Generally, those teaching 3 courses will have 2 in the fall and 1 in the spring. If you do not wish to have different course preparations in a semester when you teach two courses, then you should request ENGL 101 for that term.
Teaching Assignments
Funded Graduate student teaching assignments are determined by several factors, including a student's year in the program, declared preferences, and teaching history; together with departmental priorities and needs. We endeavor to provide all students with a variety of teaching experiences and courses across the years of a student's academic program.
While most Graduate Students will typically teach ENGL 101, some graduate students have the opportunity to teach courses at the 100- and 200-level as well as 300-level Professional Writing courses. Descriptions of all courses are available in the Undergraduate Catalog:
https://academiccatalog.umd.edu/undergraduate/approved-courses/engl/
In addition, we run several 100-level lecture courses led by faculty with discussion sections. Graduate students assigned to these courses are responsible for conducting the discussions and evaluating student work in their assigned sections. Two discussion sections are equivalent to one stand-alone course (either a 101 or a 200-level course). A student whose funding package stipulates two courses taught in a semester could fulfill this in several different ways: for instance, by teaching two ENGL 101s OR by serving as a TA for two sections of a lecture plus teaching one ENGL 101 OR by teaching two 200-level standalone courses OR by teaching one ENGL101 and one 200-level standalone course.
Teaching Assignments By Program
Partially Funded MA Students. Partially-funded MA students usually teach ENGL 101.
English and Comparative Literature PhD students. In general, PhD students teaching for the first time will be assigned to teach ENGL 101. In subsequent terms, they can expect to TA for 100-level courses and to teach stand-alone 200-level classes in addition to ENGL 101.
Later in the program, a PhD student who has taught stand-alone 200-level courses over several semesters should expect to be assigned ENGL 101 again in a subsequent semester. There is no set pattern of moving between 101 and literature classes.
MFA students. MFA graduate students teaching for the first time will be assigned either to stand-alone creative writing workshops (e.g. ENGL 271, 272, 273) or two sections of the relevant Creative Writing 100-level lecture sections (e.g. ENGL125 Why Poetry Matters or ENGL126). MFA Students in their third year should expect to teach ENGL101 (having taken ENGL611 in their second year). In addition to 101, students in the second and third years may have an opportunity to TA for the relevant 100-level lectures or to teach 200-level workshops, if available. Note: Third-year MFA students who have not taken ENGL611 are not eligible for third year funding.
In terms of scheduling, MFA students should note that ENGL 611 is only offered from noon to 2:30 on either a Tuesday or Thursday. If you have not yet taken 611, do not indicate availability for that time slot. If you expect to enroll in a graduate creative writing workshop or seminar, they will be offered on either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, between 3:30-6 pm. Please do not indicate availability to teach during those course times.
NOTE: Enrollment predictions are by nature uncertain, and this means that there is always some shifting of classes and sections after the schedule is set up. Course sections may be added or canceled, depending on fluctuating enrollments. We ask for your patience if there are last-minute changes.
Mentoring
The English department provides pedagogical mentoring for graduate students at all levels. All graduate student teachers must meet with their assigned mentors and attend relevant orientations. If you have questions about mentoring, please contact the Associate Chair (assoc-chair-engl@umd.edu).