The Mid-Atlantic ITA (MAITA) conference, hosted by the Graduate ESL-ITA program at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, was held on Friday, 6 November 2015 at the Piscataway campus. Individuals representing universities in the Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area attended. All presentations and discussions focused on the conference theme, “The Next Steps: What ITAs Need to Know and May Not Know.”

The conference schedule began with breakfast and a welcome address by Dr. Darcy Gioia, Director, Rutgers ESL/ITA Program. The morning session included one presentation and a keynote address, planned in tandem. In the presentation “The Classroom Scene: Seen Through the Eyes of New Teachers,” Gioia and her colleague, Eva-Maria Morin, Rutgers ITA Testing and Placement Director, highlighted problem areas all new teachers (ITAs and TAs) experience as well as the unique situation of ITAs in the classroom. Although ITAs often perceive that their difficulties teaching undergraduates arise due to their spoken English, often their experiences match those of native-English-speaking TAs new to the college classroom. Gioia and Morin pointed out that new ITA and TA instructors often are inexperienced with the pacing of a class, relying on one class plan without contingencies, and have difficulty prioritizing the key points in a lesson. With less in their teaching arsenal, new teachers become nervous with “dead space” and may answer questions before allowing students time to answer, and often do not make good use of teaching moments or recognize them when they occur. Both groups have difficulty with disruptive students and negotiating authority in the classroom with undergraduates similar in age to themselves.

The presentation also illustrated some key differences between new ITAs and new TAs. Because of the cultural differences and because their classroom experiences as undergraduates may not match those of U.S. undergraduates, ITAs struggle more with issues of authority and collaboration, lack audience awareness, and the art of ad lib in class and during office hours than their TA peers. Lastly, the use of technology in the classroom was discussed. Both new ITAs and TAs may bring technology into the classroom but may use it less effectively than experienced teachers. ITAs, in particular, may “hide behind the technology” more than their TA colleagues, and use PowerPoint and other media as the main focus of the class without integrating these teaching aids as a foundation for lecture, discussion, and student questions. As a corollary, ITAs often have difficulty with the narrative behind the slides and teach in a “textbook” style while undergraduates in the United States may expect a more interactive and varied classroom environment.

While the first presentation focused on problems for new teachers, especially ITAs, the keynote address which immediately followed offered solutions and ways for those who work with ITAs to minimize ineffective teaching strategies. The keynote speaker, Dr. Erica Boling, Associate Professor in the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, concentrated on “Solutions for Common Problems ITAs Encounter in Their Classrooms” (discussed in this newsletter as well).

After enjoying engaging conversation with one another at the Rutgers Faculty Dining Facility, the afternoon schedule began with the panel discussion “Expanding Our Toolbox: Helping ITAs in the Classroom and Beyond.” Moderated by Barbara Inerfeld, Rutgers ITA faculty, panelists were Kenneth Hyde, University of Delaware, and Irene Zhylina, Rutgers ITA faculty. The panel expanded upon some of the main points and observations highlighted in the morning session as well as providing classroom solutions for ITAs. For example, the panel suggested letting ITAs role play, acting out situations with problem/disruptive students as a key factor to helping ITAs solve a difficult situation as well as helping them practice everyday classroom situations ranging from peer review, small talk, and engaging students in classroom discussions.

Two current Rutgers ITA graduate students then presented their experiences in the classroom, including their difficulty in initiating conversation in office hours and answering student questions in class. Both students offered suggestions to the MAITA participants that they felt would help ITAs become more comfortable with the undergraduate classroom and that would help with improved cultural understanding. The concluding session, “Sharing Best Practices and Effective Resources to Help ITAs,” reiterated the theme of the conference. For example, it emphasized the importance of videotaping ITAs in the ESL classroom and giving constructive criticism, modeling good teaching, and practicing the skill of storytelling and use of pertinent information when conveying content in lectures.

Dr. Darcy Gioia received her MA and PhD in anthropology from Rutgers University. She is the associate director of the Writing Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, and the ESL Writing Program graduate director. Dr. Gioia also coordinated the ESL Undergraduate Writing Program for many years, and she has created courses to help meet the needs of international students at both the undergraduate and graduate level at Rutgers.