Teaching Assistants' Training Program

This workshop will introduce strategies for designing effective PowerPoint presentations, particularly for use in classroom settings. It will also consider accessible design principles (e.g., font, colour, imagery, and backgrounds) and how to ensure that diverse learners can engage with slides. Additional topics will include layout, considerations for teaching with and distributing slides, incorporating administrative details, […]

Active learning helps students retain and understand the course material more. However, active learning comes in many shapes and forms. To succeed in a science research environment, students must be able to critically think and analyze information daily. Traditional undergraduate exam questions do not cause students to think about the material in a critical way, […]

Each in-personMicroteaching session will involve 5 graduate student participants and 2 TATPfacilitators. Participants will take turns acting as instructors by takingtheir students (i.e., other participants and TATP facilitators) through a 10(ten) minute lesson over in a live classroom environment. Following theirlesson and a brief reflection, each instructor will provide a brief, verbalself-assessment, stating what they […]

Stories can be used to illustrate even the most complex and abstract ideas. They engage our thinking, emotions, and imagination. Integrating narrative into lectures and tutorials or inviting students to create their own stories invites an active, reflexive engagement with the material. It also helps with learning because stories are easy to remember, and it […]

Each OnlineMicroteaching session will involve 5 graduate student participants and 2 TATPfacilitators. Participants will take turns acting as instructors by takingtheir students (i.e., other participants and TATP facilitators) through a 10(ten) minute lesson over Zoom. Following their lesson and a brief reflection, eachinstructor will provide a brief, verbal self-assessment, stating what theythought worked well in […]

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 […]

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 […]

Please note that these sessions can be counted towards Course Instructor Job training, but not towards either the Teaching Fundamentals or Advanced University Teaching Preparation Certificates.  Nevertheless, anyone is welcome to participate in the event.    This training is grouped into two parts: five asynchronous learning modules (3 hours), and two 1.5-hour hybrid workshop sessions. These […]

Mentorship in is a multi-pronged form of teaching that spans various domains of knowledge (e.g., technical skills, soft skills, background/conceptual knowledge, lab norms and culture etc.). Mentorship is a unique form of teaching given its often close relationships and mutual benefit for all parties within the mentoring relationship. Graduate students across disciplines are often tasked […]

Please note that these sessions can be counted towards Job training, but not towards either the Teaching Fundamentals or Advanced University Teaching Preparation Certificates.  Nevertheless, anyone is welcome to participate in the event.    This is a 2-hour webinar for first-appointment TAs. This session will cover strategies for teaching. All departments may allow TAs to use […]

Please note that these sessions can be counted towards Job training, but not towards either the Teaching Fundamentals or Advanced University Teaching Preparation Certificates.  Nevertheless, anyone is welcome to participate in the event.    This is a 2-hour session for first-appointment TAs. This session will cover strategies for teaching. All departments may allow TAs to use […]

Each OnlineMicroteaching session will involve 5 graduate student participants and 2 TATPfacilitators. Participants will take turns acting as instructors by takingtheir students (i.e., other participants and TATP facilitators) through a 10(ten) minute lesson over Zoom. Following their lesson and a brief reflection, eachinstructor will provide a brief, verbal self-assessment, stating what theythought worked well in […]

Discussion forums are a frequent feature in both online and in-person courses. They provide an excellent setting for active learning that is both collaborative and individual, yet their execution often falls short of truly promoting student to student interaction or student engagement with course content and can become a seemingly needless burden on TAs and […]

Each in-personMicroteaching session will involve 5 graduate student participants and 2 TATPfacilitators. Participants will take turns acting as instructors by takingtheir students (i.e., other participants and TATP facilitators) through a 10(ten) minute lesson over in a live classroom environment. Following theirlesson and a brief reflection, each instructor will provide a brief, verbalself-assessment, stating what they […]

Each OnlineMicroteaching session will involve 5 graduate student participants and 2 TATPfacilitators. Participants will take turns acting as instructors by takingtheir students (i.e., other participants and TATP facilitators) through a 10(ten) minute lesson over Zoom. Following their lesson and a brief reflection, eachinstructor will provide a brief, verbal self-assessment, stating what theythought worked well in […]