Teaching Assistants' Training Program

THIS SESSION HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO LOW ENROLMENT This session explores strategies for building a sense of community among your students in order to enhance their learning. Topics will include creating a learning environment conducive to community  building, using shared decision-making, modelling community-oriented behaviours, and facilitating interpersonal connections. Participants will leave with specific strategies for breaking the […]

We encourage participants from across the humanities, social sciences and STEM disciplines to join us and engage in intra- and inter- disciplinary conversations about the socio-political contexts of our teaching and research. The impact of research extends into our global community, impacting policies, perceptions and norms. How do we situate our research within this context […]

Land acknowledgements have become common in academic spaces, as well as outside of academia, in schools and at cultural, civic, and sporting events. You might have even seen them while waiting for a bus, or while walking on Ishpadinaa, or Spadina. However, as land acknowledgements have become more common, they risk losing meaning as a […]

Many of us are familiar with the dominant narratives around resiliency and “grit” that are currently circulating in public discourse – “You need to have grit to succeed,” or “you learn best through adversity.” This discourse has led scholars and educators to consider the central role that emotions play in teaching and learning. Emotional intelligence […]

The purpose of this session is to familiarize TAs with reflective practice in teaching and learning, as well as equip participants with open-ended and guided tools for building and maintaining a robust reflective practice. Reflective practice “carries multiple meanings that range from the idea of professionals engaging in solitary introspection to that of engaging in […]

This workshop will introduce participants to infographics and how to develop them as a teaching tool for their classrooms. Attendees will learn the basics of infographic making (e.g. making information concise, easy to read and follow), how to identify pertinent information to include in infographics, and resources they can use to create them for students. […]

This interactive workshop will highlight how integrating images, audio, video and immersive virtual environments can enhance the teaching and learning experience.  Through discussions and group activities, this session will:  Share evidence for the efficacy multimodal teaching and learning,Offer practical tips related to accessibility and recommended sources for mediaDemonstrate engaging use of media in the classroom […]

As scientists, we need to be skilled not only in our own discipline, but also in communicating our findings with the larger global community. Many cite the disconnect between the work in academia and the translation of that work to the general public as a contributing factor in the contemporary spread of misinformation. In education, […]

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 […]

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 […]

The TATP Bake Your Teaching Philosophy competition is a twist on the increasingly widespread use of baking and other creative approaches to disseminate knowledge and think about research in a new way. The #bakeyourthesis and #bakeyourphd hashtags on twitter provide examples of research from academic bakers around the world engaging in (delicious!) play and experimentation. […]

This workshop will support participants to add role-play in the classroom as a tool in their pedagogical and facilitation toolboxes. Role-play provides the opportunity to bridge theory and practice and to support students to learn about complex topics through an embodied experience. At the same time, role-play risks alienating students uncomfortable with public speaking or […]

With academic publishers and companies such as Top Hat charging students, researchers, and universities to access learning materials, it can be difficult to identify and access the materials that best support our teaching and learning goals. This workshop is designed for teaching assistants and course instructors across the disciplines who want to learn how to […]

In December 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada released its Final Report, which included 94 “Calls to Action” for federal, provincial, territorial and Aboriginal government agencies, institutions, and peoples alike. In academic spaces, land acknowledgements, strategies to “Indigenize,” and calls to “decolonize” are common throughout the disciplines. Decolonization is not a metaphor, […]

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, […]