Teaching Assistants' Training Program

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 […]

This workshop intends to provide an introduction to multimodal learning in the online classroom. We will explore different methodologies for incorporating a mixture of modalities (visual, audio, reading/writing, kinesthetic) into teaching materials making them suitable for a wide range of learning styles and leaving no one behind. By outlining strategies for diverse learning in the […]

Have you been meaning to personalize your land acknowledgment to open events and gatherings, but been concerned about getting something “wrong”? Do you often use a pre-written template but would prefer to tailor your acknowledgment to better reflect your own cultural and social location(s)? This session will offer a non-judgmental and supportive environment to reflect […]

Microaggressions are defined as the “daily, constant, often subtle, and seemingly innocuous, covert and overt negative messages and actions directed toward people from marginalized groups” (Sue, 2010 as cited in Bell, 2016, p. 7). With this framework in mind, this workshop understands the university classroom as one such space where microaggressions may occur. This workshop […]

(Online) This is a 2-hour webinar for first-appointment TAs. This session will cover strategies for online teaching. 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 […]

(Online) This is a 2-hour webinar for first-appointment TAs. This session will cover strategies for in-person & hybrid teaching. 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 […]

Why are care and kindness traditionally regarded as antithetic to academic rigour? In this session, we consider the role of care and kindness in teaching and learning, especially in times of uncertainty. We will examine the pedagogy of care/kindness as a framework to help graduate students balance their own boundaries with compassion and transparency and […]

How do you help your students who are baffled by library research?  In this session, U of T librarians will share services and resources to assist undergraduate students, and work with you to strategize responses to typical undergraduate research and essay problems.    Help your students go beyond Google and Wikipedia to find quality information […]

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 […]

Active learning is when “students make information or concepts their own by connecting them to existing knowledge and experience… examine, question, and relate new ideas to old, thereby achieving the kind of deep learning that lasts" (Barkley, 2010). Research suggests that, when engaged in an active learning environment, students are able to retain information longer […]

Wondering about the accommodation process, and accessibility services supports at U of T? In this webinar, we will provide an introduction to Accessibility Services and the accommodation process at the University of Toronto. Join us for a conversation about roles and responsibilities of students, Accessibility Advisors, TAs and course instructors as well as services offered […]

With increasing diverse student populations in the classrooms, it is critical that we engage and reflect on our intercultural development journey to build a safe and inclusive learning environment. By participating in this workshop, participants will:  • Explore intercultural communication models;   • Recognize how different cultural mindsets influence the way people interact with each other […]

Across disciplines, grading can be a challenging practice for TAs that requires significant time and interpretation.  This workshop will position grading as a valuable teaching strategy and introduce techniques for efficient and effective grading. At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: understand the purpose and importance of grading in teaching and […]

As graduate students, we might understand the importance of transferrable skills to our own career development but what about in our teaching? TAs and course instructors can develop their transferrable skills not only through research and networking opportunities but also in the classroom by drawing connections between discipline-specific skill building and future career development. Therefore, […]

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 […]