Teaching Assistants' Training Program

Description

Have you ever felt like you do not belong at university? Do you doubt your abilities and think that you are not smart enough? Do you feel like you are not qualified to teach? Do you ever feel like you don’t deserve to be here? These feelings are common among undergraduate and graduate students and especially among students who may be first in the family, racialized, mature students, gender non-conforming or from a group that is not represented widely on campus and are often referred to as “imposter syndrome”. Impostor syndrome is like an “open secret” – even though many people experience it, we very rarely talk to each other about our feelings as we fear being judged. In this workshop, we will discuss some of the common ways that impostor syndrome can manifest in an academic environment—in our scholarship and teaching, how it can impact your learning and strategies that can be used to strengthen self-awareness and lessen the impact of these feelings. We will explore ways to strengthen self-efficacy through understanding the social and emotional aspects of learning and how it can impact motivation, completion and engagement in your work. We will also discuss how learning strategies such as time management, setting a realistic pace for your teaching and study habits can help to develop structure and accountability when you are in a self-directed learning environment.