English M.A. Graduate Teaching Associates Program
The 2012-2013 Teaching Associates created this video
to explain what it's like to work in the English department as a TA.
If you have trouble viewing this video, please view it on YouTube.
Students completing a graduate degree in English are encouraged to apply for a position as a Graduate Teaching Associate. Graduate TAs teach one section of ENGL 134: Writing and Rhetoric per term during their second year in the program.
Previous teaching experience, while valuable, is not required. Graduate TAs will receive comprehensive training and instruction before entering the classroom. They are provided with a full ENGL 134 curriculum, including several sample lesson plans and in-class activities, and weekly support during their first teaching term through ENGL 506 Pedagogical Approaches to Composition, a teaching practicum usually led by the First-Year Composition Program Coordinator.
Many Teaching Associates consider their teaching experience to be one of the most rewarding parts of the graduate program. Past TAs have gone on to teaching positions at community colleges and high schools throughout the state. They have successfully worked as lecturing faculty in first-year composition programs in the CSU and elsewhere in the nation. Several have gone on to leading doctoral programs in rhetoric and composition, including the University of Louisville, the University of Texas-Austin, and Washington State University-Pullman. And many current lecturing faculty in Cal Poly’s English Department earned their M.A. here and were former Graduate TAs.
Graduate TAs in the California State University system are Unit 11 employees in the CSU-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement, represented by UAW 4123. During their first teaching term, TAs enroll in ENGL 506, a teaching practicum that enables them to meet regularly as a cohort along with the FYCP Coordinator to support their teaching, and this course counts towards fulfilling their M.A. degree requirements. In addition, students who are selected as TAs must complete a paid, one-week intensive training course during Fall Conference Week at the start of the academic year.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for a Graduate Teaching Associateship, you must:
- Be currently enrolled in the English M.A. program
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.7 in your graduate coursework
- Maintain good academic standing (i.e., applicants on Academic Probation will not be considered) before applying and for each term of your Graduate Teaching Associateship
- Complete ENGL 505 Composition Theory with a minimum final grade of A-
- Complete ENGL 368 Theory and Practice of Peer-to-Peer Writing Instruction, OR
- Co-enroll in ENGL 408 for one unit alongside your ENGL 505 enrollment, OR
- Demonstrate other relevant prior experience in lieu of these courses (please contact the FYCP Coordinator for approval of prior experience as soon as possible)
How to Apply
Students who meet the above criteria must submit the following materials by the end of their first year of the program:
- An online application to the “CLA Teaching Associate” job listing on Cal Poly Jobs
- A 1-page (typed, single-spaced) letter of intent describing your interest in and preparedness for the position
- A CV/résumé outlining relevant academic and professional experience
- A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity statement
- Unofficial transcripts of highest degree earned
- Three recommendations, at least one of which must be from a Cal Poly English faculty member. Recommenders may choose to write a letter if they prefer, but they are encouraged to use the English Graduate Teaching Associate Recommendation Form
- Completed Recommendation FERPA waiver: Graduate TA Program Recommendation Waiver.docx
An information session about the Teaching Associates Program is typically held in the spring, and specific instructions and deadlines will be announced at that time. For more information about the Teaching Associates program, please contact the FYCP Coordinator, Dr. Jason Peters.