Becoming a Student Assistant: Teaching and Mentoring

Student assistants are valuable staff members at the University of Groningen. Currently, over 700 students take up teaching duties, support role functions, governing positions, and many other responsibilities.

But, how to prepare for a job as a student assistant? What is professional behaviour? How to deal with challenging situations in the classroom? How to support first year students? These and other questions will be covered in this course.

This course is designed for anyone with a passion for higher education. The course is specifically tailored to the needs of students and employees, who are involved in teaching, support and participation in governing bodies of higher education institutions.

• More than just a student
• Introduction
• Involving students: overview & benefits
• Circle of influence
• Professional behaviour
• Professional behaviour in an academic setting
• Professional behaviour in practice
• Conclusion Week 1
• Principles of good education
• Introduction Week 2
• Educational building blocks
• Learning outcomes
• Active learning
• Syllabus
• Conclusion Week 2
• Teaching students
• Introduction Week 3
• A good teacher
• Small group teaching: preparation
• Motivating students
• Classroom management
• Safe and inclusive learning environment
• Conclusion Week 3
• Coaching and communicating in an academic environment
• Introduction Week 4
• Formative assessment
• Introducing: the ideal mentor
• Study techniques
• Advising your mentor group
• Concluding content on teaching
• Student representation
• Conclusion Week 4
• Case studies
• Introduction Week 5
• Case study: a matter of teaching
• Case study: student associations
• Case study: digital exams
• Case study: another matter of teaching
• Case study: mentoring first-year students
• Case study: the GEO Service
• Case study: governing the university
• Conclusion