Teaching Assistants' Training Program

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. At the University of Toronto it is now common to land acknowledgements and urges to “Indigenize” and “decolonize” throughout the humanities, social […]

This 3-hour workshop will introduce you to the fundamentals of course design, from outcomes to assessments. We will outline the elements of effective outcomes and assessments, and we will address some of the logistical questions about course preparation (e.g. course readings) that affect decisions in course design. During the session, you will draft and receive […]

The TATP Course Design Day will provide you with an introduction to the principles and process of course design. Guided by experienced teachers, facilitators, and collaborators, you will learn how to design (or re-design) a course of your choosing in order to enhance students’ learning experiences. This institute is intended for graduate students preparing to […]

The university lecture is considered an art form by many, and for good reason: it can be a challenging and perplexing task to combine the talents of scholar, entertainer, teacher and orator. The “Effective Lecturing” workshop aims to demystify the lecture and offers instructors a framework for developing and delivering clear, engaging, and memorable lectures. […]

Prerequisite for this workshop: “Equity in your Classroom”, Decolonizing the Syllabus and/or previous workshops or engagement with introductory equity terminology and principles (e.g. anti-racism workshops, anti-oppression workshops, community advocacy work). Are you doing work to address racialization, settler colonialism, transphobia, ableism, and/or gender bias in your classroom? If so, join us to reflect on your practices, […]

With big publishing companies charging billions of dollars to universities, students, and researchers to access learning materials, it can be difficult — if not impossible — to access the right materials. This workshop is designed for teaching assistants and course instructors who want to learn how to navigate and utilize open access journals, “free-license” resources […]

Cellphones play a significant role in our lives. They allow us to communicate, connect, and engage in ways previously thought impossible. However, cellphone use in most classrooms is still prohibited. In this 3-hour workshop, we introduce participants to the concept of “cellphilms,” as a way to reappropriate cellphone use in the classroom for the production […]

Group work is a recurring aspect of academic learning experiences. As an instructional tool—whether collaborative, cooperative, or problem-based—it can facilitate students’ active engagement in their learning, encourage team building and skill development (e.g. communication, problem-solving, and decision-making, etc.), and bring forward different perspectives. However, there are also many challenges associated with group work, such as […]

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 four 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, […]

In this workshop, participants discuss equity and inclusion terminology and principles. We will work through scenarios around how these issues arise in our classrooms and collaboratively generate strategies that address inequity and promote inclusion for our students. Participants will develop an understanding of equity and inclusion and strategies that can be applied to current and […]

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 […]

Reflective writing is commonly used to support learning in experiential and work-integrated learning contexts, to encourage self-assessment of a real-world learning experience while connecting it to theory or concepts learned in class. These kinds of assignments can be difficult for students to write and difficult for TAs to evaluate since they are unlike more typical […]

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 […]