Teaching Assistants' Training Program

Being a TA can be incredibly rewarding, whether it is engaging with students and supporting their growth as learners or strengthening your abilities as an educator. Whether you facilitate discussions during tutorials, supervise labs, grade papers, or support instructors in creating a sense of community as everyone adjusts to online learning environments, TA-ships can also […]

This workshop will provide information to begin building a Quercus course. You will explore some of the key features and tools through demos and hands-on activities, and share pedagogically sound best practices on how to effectively use these tools when designing Quercus courses and engaging students. We will examine strategies for effectively organizing and structuring […]

Bb Collaborate Ultra (Online) This is a 2-hour webinar for first-contract TAs. All departments may allow TAs to use this 2-hour session as part of their 4 hours of paid mandatory training (per the collective agreement between C.U.P.E. 3902 and the University of Toronto). If you have any questions, please contact services.ta@utoronto.ca. A link to […]

What do you do with students who are baffled by Library research?  In this session, U of T librarians will share their top picks of tools, services, and research guides, and work with you to strategize responses to typical undergraduate research and essay problems.  Help your students go beyond Google and Wikipedia, discover ways to […]

The statement of teaching philosophy (STP) is the foundation of any teaching dossier, is often requested as part of an academic job application, and is an important part of the tenure and promotion process. This short statement needs to effectively communicate your ideas, beliefs, and values about teaching in a condensed space. In writing your […]

Interested in hosting live (i.e., synchronous) sessions online? Want to use webinars to build community, present curriculum content, facilitate discussions, manage or collaborative work? This webinar will explore the basics to get you started with webinars. We will examine strategies and tips for structuring and facilitating effective web teleconferencing sessions. Latter half of the webinar […]

As a helper in our community it is important to know how to support someone who is experiencing a mental health challenge.  In this workshop, we will discuss what it might look when supporting someone who is experiencing a mental health challenge in the context of your role as a TA.  We will discuss some […]

Learn the fundamentals to make the documents you share with students as accessible as possible.  With an emphasis on Microsoft products, common formatting pitfalls and their repercussions will be examined. Participants will explore good practices for creating accessible documents from the beginning.

Creating your content with accessibility in mind will ensure that you can reach and support the widest variety of learners, and eliminate the need for individual accommodation, thus creating a more equitable learning space. Want to make learning more accessible in your course using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles? Make your materials more […]

The teaching dossier is a comprehensive record of teaching activities and accomplishments that is now required in applications for permanent positions at the University of Toronto and at an increasing number of institutions across North America. In this session, we will review the elements of a successful teaching dossier and discuss how to use it […]

Landing a faculty position is the aspiration of many senior doctoral students, and the process of applying for and landing such positions is difficult and in many ways mysterious. While innovative research and a solid dissertation are vital to being competitive for academic positions, being able to represent yourself well in academic interviews is also […]

Experiential learning (EL) and community-engaged learning (CEL) are unique pedagogies that can offer rich learning opportunities for students. This session provides an introduction to both EL and CEL. Participants will learn about the benefits of both pedagogies and consider how to integrate them into various disciplines. Facilitators will share approaches to reflection to deepen and […]

Over the lastcouple of decades, the pressure to improve the quality of teaching has beentransforming Higher Education in North America. One of the key initiatives hasbeen the emergence of individuals holding a full-time appointment focused onteaching. Indeed, teaching-stream faculty (TSF) – professors whose mainresponsibilities are teaching and teaching-focused research (i.e., Scholarshipof Teaching and Learning) – […]

Are you interested in teaching in Ontario's college system, but unsure how your university experience has prepared you for this challenge? This roundtable draws on the experience of five industry professionals who have demonstrated excellence in pedagogy and made the transition from university to college teaching. The session will be divided into two parts: first, […]

The aim of this session is to challenge you to recognize the workings of culture (organizational, regional, national, etc.) in your interactions with students, and to develop strategies for communicating, understanding, and assessing effectively across these diverse perspectives in a classroom or lab setting. Through unpacking scenarios and addressing challenges related to offering spoken or […]