Navigating Teaching as an International TA
Content
Adjusting to U.S. classrooms as an international TA comes with unique challenges. Join UMass grad student Bo Kim for practical strategies and cultural insights on building teaching presence, communicating with faculty, and navigating student-teacher dynamics.
Part of the Teaching Academy, a series of pedagogical workshops for ALL UMass grad students and postdocs!
Bo (Boram) Kim (she/her) is a third-year MFA candidate in Studio Arts at UMass Amherst and recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award. Originally from Busan, South Korea, she has brought her trauma-informed teaching training to her work in the Department of Art, where she teaches drawing and painting to art and non-art majors, and at Girls Inc. of the Valley, where she fosters creativity and scientific curiosity among 5th-grade students in underserved communities. Kim’s discipline, drive, and strong work ethic has led to dozens of grants, awards, and fellowships, including the Interdisciplinary Studies Institute Fellowship and Instructional Innovation Fellowship, as well as a spot in the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) Alumni Residency program.