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The university teaching assistant (TA) experience is the major avenue for the training of the future professoriate. However, too often it involves training in leading small-group discussion sections or assisting an instructor with grading or other specific tasks related to the instructor's class, but does not provide an opportunity for the graduate TA to
design and present his/her own class, nor does it provide actual preparation for the many and varied roles of the academic scholars.

This program is designed to provide an opportunity for graduate students in physics to explore many of the issues involved in college and university teaching and to develop the competencies required of effective college instructors. In addition to developing experience and expertise in college teaching, participants will be introduced to a wide
range of faculty responsibilities.

Activities include designing and developing the complete curriculum for acourse the participant is planning to teach, implementing that curriculum by offering the course with a mentor physics faculty member at a participating institution (liberal arts college, community college or comprehensive university) and beginning the long-term professional
development required of new faculty.

The approach selected is based on the premise that effective teaching in the sciences and particularly in physics requires not only content knowledge, but knowledge of the cognitive strategies involved in understanding complex concepts and engaging in problem-solving activity. Designed to incorporate what is known about human cognition
as well as to provide opportunities to practice theoretical principles, this program provides a structured, developmental approach to preparing physics graduate students for college and university teaching.