Teaching Assistants' Training Program

Description

Writing is central to research in the natural sciences; however, science students face many writing challenges. Courses and labs are often content-driven, with no time allocated to unpacking disciplinary writing expectations or skill-building. Additionally, instructors and TAs may not feel equipped with the resources, tools, or expertise to teach writing. This workshop will provide TAs with techniques to support and develop student writing, including both diagnostic strategies and writing interventions (e.g. writing-to-learn activities, in-class writing) that require minimal additional time in tutorial and practical sessions. We will focus on how TAs can communicate expectations around discipline-specific aspects of writing, as well as how to support students from a variety of linguistic backgrounds who are struggling to master academic English. We will draw connections between student engagement and writing, and TAs will leave the workshop with concrete strategies to implement in their classes/labs as well as a better understanding of the university-wide writing resources available to them and their students.