Since Fall 2019, our introductory physics teaching team has reformed all aspects of our introductory physics sequence using the ISLE-approach. This included our introductory physics labs. These labs are taught by a mixture of full-time faculty, part-time faculty, and graduate Teaching Assistants, supported by undergraduate Learning Assistants. Due to the increased pedagogical demands of this style of teaching compared to teaching traditional lab courses, we have needed to develop new ways to train our instructors and learning assistants. Here we discuss the training needs particular to an ILSE-based lab course, the training we have been able to provide, and some reflection on the performance of our instructors over the past few years.

In large-enrollment introductory physics classes, students spend nearly half of their in-class time supervised by teaching assistants (TAs). Given their essential role as educators, TAs require proper preparation and support. The graduate TA preparation program at the Georgia Tech School of Physics is well-established and based on the integration of pedagogy, physics, and professional development. Classroom observations are an important component of the program, as they give us the opportunity to see TAs in action and give them feedback on what they are doing well and on what they need to improve. In this talk I give a brief overview of our program, the motivation for classroom observations, the steps needed to prepare the observations, and how our TAs have benefited from them. I also include logistical details such as equipment needed to carry out observations, and what happens to the observation videos after the TAs finish the preparation program.