Teaching Assistants' Training Program

Kangbin Zhou, TATP Sciences Trainer
Cristina D’Amico, TATP Humanities Trainer

The number of international students and international TAs is at an all-time high and growing at the University of Toronto. Multi-language learners bring unique contributions to the classroom experience, but often face structural barriers that hinder their academic performance: communicating in class or performing well on written assignments. In addition, TAs receive minimal training for dealing effectively with MLL/ELL students. With this context in mind, the goal of this workshop is twofold: to support TAs working with MLL/ELL students, as well as to support TAs who are MLL/ELL. Drawing on pedagogical practices and individual student/TA experiences, this workshop will provide you with concrete strategies to overcome anxieties about language and/or cultural barriers in the classroom. We will discuss strategies for drawing on diverse experiences and language backgrounds in the classroom, helping us to reframe language and cultural diversity as a teaching strength. Finally, we will broaden participants’ awareness of the resources available across UofT to support ELL/MLL students and TAs (including the Communication Cafe, ELL resource website, ELWS, WIT program, Read to Write Program, and the Centre for International Students).