TA/GA Workshops & Events
The TA/GA teaching workshop series covers many aspects of professional development in teaching in an online environment. Workshops are open to all TA/GAs and interested graduate students from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The TA/GA series includes...
- four core workshops that orient new TA/GAs to their roles. More details about the core workshops are provided below.
- workshops that count towards Level 1 of the Graduate Teaching Development Program.
- workshops that are eligible for Future Smart credit (offered through Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies).
To find out about upcoming workshops and to register, please visit the link below.
Core Workshop Series for TA/GAs
Each fall we offer four workshops that orient new TA/GAs to their roles at the University. These workshops are offered online through Zoom and will be repeated three times over September and October. They are also repeated in January.
This session will introduce TA/GAs to key components of inclusive classroom design. Using case studies, the session will provide an opportunity for participants to examine their assistantship role from an EDI lens, paying attention to our own university context. Cases will examine issues such as managing discussions when hot topics are raised, ensuring that materials, exercises, and activities are accessible for all learners, and creating an inclusive climate across classroom contexts.
The goal of this workshop is to prepare TA/GAs to facilitate undergraduate tutorials and labs. The session will examine key ways to share and discuss course material with students. We will also explore tools that have the potential to motivate and engage students actively with course materials. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on strategies for overcoming typical teaching challenges.
TA/GAs are often responsible for grading large numbers of assignments and exams. This workshop focuses on responding to student work in ways that aim to improve critical thinking and other kinds of skill development. Participants will consider how feedback can impact student motivation and how to efficiently provide meaningful feedback while grading.
In this workshop, we will share options for facilitating discussions among students. We will discuss the benefits of incorporating discussions into teaching, including how discussions build classroom community and promote both engagement and learning. Participants will also explore how to provide meaningful feedback that encourages, guides, and supports successful student discussions.
CanCred Badge: Fundamentals of Teaching in Higher Education
TA/GAs who complete the core workshops will be eligible to receive the CanCred Digital Badge in Fundamentals of Teaching in Higher Education.
By the end of the workshop series, participants will be able to:
- Facilitate discussions in classroom community to promote both engagement and learning.
- Facilitate undergraduate tutorials and labs.
- Efficiently provide meaningful feedback while grading by employing strategies for managing grading workloads.
- Examine their assistantship role from an EDI lens, paying attention to our own university context.
Contact
taga@torontomu.ca