Center for Community and Civic Engagement
In Collaboration with the Northfield High School TORCH Program
Supporting low-income, minority, and first-generation college students
Winter-Spring 2016 PSEO Teaching Assistant
Purpose of position:
Volunteer Teaching Assistants will support TORCH high school students enrolled in online college courses
through Riverland Community College. The TORCH cohort includes those who are low-income, minority, or first
generation college students. Throughout the semester-long position, Teaching Assistants will grow in their
understanding of the challenges and barriers faced by these students, while developing leadership, teaching,
and mentoring skills.
Courses for Winter-Spring 2016 include: Freshman English, Personal Finance, Popular Culture, and Social
Problems.
Benefits of the positions:
• Use the knowledge you have gained from your studies!
• Enhance your communication, teaching, and organizational skills
• Expand your knowledge of challenges faced by low-income, minority, and first-generation students
• Gain transferable job skills and youth work experience
• Help close the achievement gap in Northfield
Teaching Assistant Expectations:
Classroom
• Facilitate weekly, hour-long classroom discussions in the Weitz Center for Creativity on Wednesday evenings
• Ensure a safe and respectful classroom environment
• Provide course material and lesson plan for each session
• Share information with students about “how to be a college student” (i.e. how to write an email to a
professor, how to cite sources, how to write an 8-page paper, etc)
Time Commitment
• Position requires one hour of class, plus material review, lesson plan preparation, communication with
students, and regular meetings with support staff - TAs should expect 3-4 hours of work per week
• Meetings with support staff will occur bi-weekly for approximately one hour per session
• Preference will be given to TAs who are available before the start of Carleton fall term and during breaks
• Reach out to students to remind them of deadlines and check-in on assignment progress
• TAs must commit to one full semester of instruction and may elect to commit to a second if they choose
• Participate in 2-3 credit independent study. Meeting during the term to discuss readings on the topics of
college access and the sociology of youth.
• On-going mentoring of the students
Orientation & Training
• Attendance at Teaching Assistant training is mandatory and will take place 1st week Winter Term 2016.
• Observe current PSEO classroom Nov 11th or Nov 18th, prior to committing to position.
Thoughtful Action & Communication
• Keep Student Coordinator and Supervisors informed about the status of your classroom by reporting any
concerns or classroom challenges
• Communicate with students, providing reminders of class sessions and homework due dates
• Maintain confidentiality while discussing student grades, class work, behavior, and other personal
information
• Provide weekly update to all PSEO support staff, including class summary and any problems, additional
concerns should be addressed to both the Carleton and TORCH coordinator
Email this application rodgersa@carleton.edu
by 5:00pm, Monday, November 16th, 2015
Center for Community and Civic Engagement
In Collaboration with the Northfield High School TORCH Program
Supporting low-income, minority, and first-generation college students
Winter-Spring 2016 PSEO Teaching Assistant
Course Descriptions from Riverland Community College
English 1101: Freshman English
This is an introductory college writing course designed to help students develop effective
writing skills for college level work. Students learn to generate ideas and organize them into
unified, coherent essays. Methods of instruction vary, but most sections combine individual
conferences and peer reviews.
BUSA 150: Personal Finance Management and Planning
This course introduces and emphasizes the importance of personal financial management
and planning and provides solid strategies for successful financial management. Topics
covered include key factors that affect personal income; budgets; cash-flow management;
credit and credit cards; borrowing; managing taxes; and major expenditures including
housing, automobiles, insurance and investments. Students will prepare their own financial
plan. This course is part of the Associate in Arts Business Concentration and Associate in
Science Business degrees which are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business
Schools and Programs
HUMA 1103: Popular Culture
This course explores the role and importance of Popular Culture in America. In particular,
students will examine the ways their own values and beliefs are shaped by the popular
culture surrounding them. The course may include exploration of television, popular music,
film, sports, advertising, and cyber culture.
SOCI 1103 Social Problems
This course focuses on the nature, dimensions, causes, and characteristics of selected social
problems in modern society. The sociological perspective and critical thinking will be
emphasized in examining theories, research, and programs for the prevention and reduction
of social problems
Application
Email this application rodgersa@carleton.edu
by 5:00pm, Monday, November 16th, 2015
Center for Community and Civic Engagement
In Collaboration with the Northfield High School TORCH Program
Supporting low-income, minority, and first-generation college students
Winter-Spring 2016 PSEO Teaching Assistant
(Please type answers below or on a separate sheet of paper)
1. Name:
Class year:
E-mail:
Cell phone:
Major(s):
Concentration(s):
2. Course preference(s) (Freshman English, Personal Finance, Popular Culture, Social Problems)
First Choice: ______________________
Second Choice (optional): ______________________
Briefly justify your preference(s) with your academic experience and knowledge:
3. Why are you interested in becoming a PSEO Teaching Assistant?
4. What skills or strategies can you bring to working with high school students, particularly those
that benefit from the TORCH program?
5. Describe your previous leadership, teaching, tutoring, and community experience.
6. Please describe your work, academic, and co-curricular commitments in the winter and
spring.
Please list 2 references below (at least one has to be a professor from your department).
Name: _____________________________ Position: ___________________________
Phone: ____________________ E-mail: _____________________________________
Name: _____________________________ Position: ___________________________
Phone: ____________________ E-mail: _____________________________________
Email this application rodgersa@carleton.edu
by 5:00pm, Monday, November 16th, 2015