TA Day: Graduate Student Conference on Teaching

Description

TA Day has welcomed new graduate students to Western for over 30 years, introducing graduate students to teaching at Western and helping prepare them for their roles as teaching assistants.

This year's conference will be hosted online via Zoom.

Please note: This is an optional professional development event that does not count towards the Western Certificate in University Teaching and Learning.

TA Day Schedule: Wednesday, September 4th, 2024 9:00am-12:00pm

9:00am to 9:10am - Welcoming Remarks

Dr. Lisa Aikman, Associate Director, Teaching Development, CTL

9:10am to 10:00am - Concurrent Sessions A (Choose one)

A-1 Preparing for Your First Lab

What should I be doing before my first lab? How will I know what to say to my students? What is my job, anyway? This introductory session will prepare new TAs to facilitate their first lab sessions.

OR

A-2 Preparing for Your First Tutorial

Should I be prepping material for my first tutorial? What is the difference between a tutorial and a lecture? How will I get students to participate? This introductory session will prepare new TAs to facilitate their first tutorials.

10:00am to 10:10am - Break

10:10am to 11:00am - Concurrent Sessions B (Choose One)

B-1 Grading and Providing Effective Feedback

“What does good feedback look like? "What should I prioritize when marking?” This session will focus on strategies for grading student work and will discuss the components of effective feedback necessary for motivating our students and developing their critical thinking skills.

OR

B-2 Building Community

We all want to create classroom spaces that foster feelings of inclusion and belonging, but how do we do that effectively? This session overviews the principles and steps of designing welcoming and inclusive spaces that will make our students feel like they belong.

11:00am to 11:10am - Break

11:10am to 12:00 - Keynote by Dr. Charys Martin

Keynote Description

Words Matter: Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment With Language
Teaching Assistants play a key role in creating an inclusive learning environment, where the language we use can greatly influence students' experiences. In this session, Dr. Charys Martin will share insights from her work on making anatomical terminology more inclusive, highlighting how certain language choices can unintentionally reduce inclusivity. Dr. Martin will provide actionable steps to help you enhance inclusivity in your teaching practices.

Conference Information

Upcoming Conference

The next TA Day is Wednesday, September 4th.

Registration

Registration Instructions

Note: Registration is now open.

  1. Login to Western Connect using your Western username and password.
  2. Go to the Event Calendars section and select the Centre for Teaching and Learning calendar.
  3. Search for and select the event you wish to register in. Details and a description of the program will appear.
  4. Select the Register for this Event button.
  5. You will receive an automated confirmation email to your Western email account. 

If you have any questions or problems registering for this event, please consult our help guide or contact ctl@uwo.ca.

Offered

TA Day is held every year after Labour Day.

Audience

All incoming graduate students. You do not have to be a Teaching Assistant.

Outcomes

By the end of the day, each student will be able to:

  • apply strategies for engaging undergraduate students and teaching effectively in their own disciplinary context
  • describe the roles and responsibilities of Teaching Assistants and identify the principles and policies that guide their work with students
  • find and recommend teaching and learning resources to students, such as writing and learning skills services, library resources, and wellness support
  • identify future teaching development opportunities that they can pursue throughout your graduate career at Western.

What to expect

  • You do not have to be a Teaching Assistant to attend TA Day. All incoming graduate students are welcome.
  • Sessions are interdisciplinary and led by experienced instructors.
  • Register to receive access to our OWL site where both synchronous sessions and asynchronous modules will be hosted.

You may also be interested in these programs:


Important campus resources for grad students

Testimonials from TA Day Participants

“It was great to have such diverse and informative sessions. The keynote speaker was the highlight of the day.”

“The presenters connected well with us in the audience and spoke about topics that I felt were of importance to everyone. Their speeches were humorous as well as educating and they touched on difficult subjects without oversimplifying them. I felt like a colleague getting advice rather than an unknowledgeable student in those moments, which reflects the position I am supposed to be in as a graduate student.”

“The sessions were very interesting because they provided new information (that would be difficult to find elsewhere) that was directly applicable our lives as TAs. The presenters were friendly, explained things clearly, and took the time to answer questions. Their advice was relevant and easy to follow.”