January 2025 TA Institute

From January 13–16, 2025, the CTLT Teaching Assistant (TA) Institute includes a collection of workshops designed to support TAs as their roles change. The week of professional development workshops are open to graduate students and undergraduate TAs.

This year, workshops in the TA institute are organized into 3 themes. If you complete all the workshops in a theme, and submit a theme completion form, you are eligible for a Letter of Completion that you can include in your Teaching Portfolio and CV. The Letter of Completion will include a brief description of the theme(s) that you completed, and how the work you did in the theme(s) support your development as a teacher.

These sessions are not necessarily designed to be completed in a particular sequence or as a whole cohort. You are able to take sessions without applying for a Letter of Completion. Please register for sessions individually as desired.

Schedule of Events (PDF)

The TA Institute is open to undergraduate and graduate TAs, and all graduate students who are interested in teaching. This session is not open to staff, or faculty.

Eligibility Criteria:

During the Institute (January 13 to 16, 2025):

  • Fully attend all sessions under each theme you want to complete (this means arriving on time and participating until the end of the session).

After the Institute (complete by January 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM):

  • Submit a theme completion form (only complete this form once—make sure to indicate all themes and all sessions that you have completed).

TA Institute participants who meet the eligibility criteria for a Completion Letter will be receiving their letters by the end of March (see below for the eligibility criteria). If you meet the eligibility criteria and have any questions about the status of your letter after that date, please contact CTLT.TAInstitute@ubc.ca.

Establishing a Positive TA Experience Working with Faculty Members: Dos and Don’ts

Monday, January 13, 2025 | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Online (Zoom)

Themes:

More than ever, effective working relationships between TAs and instructors are key for students to feel supported in their learning. This workshop is intended for TAs who are thinking about how best navigate their interactions with faculty members in online course(s). In this session, we will identify key elements of an effective working relationship, brainstorm strategies for addressing challenges when working with faculty members, and develop communication plans.

Facilitators:

  • Shaya Golparian, TA Development Educational Developer, CTLT

Register >


Facilitating Discussions

Monday, January 13, 2025 | 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm | Online (Zoom)

Themes:

What can engaging discussions provide in a lesson? How may they benefit your learners and yourself as the instructor? In this workshop, we will explore the fundamental strategies of leading discussions in a variety of formats (tutorials, labs, and lectures of various sizes, both in-person and online). We will also invite you to share your concerns (based on real experiences or hypothetical situations) about challenging classroom situations that may arise, and how to address them.

Facilitators:

  • Bianca Vandresen, PhD Candidate in Land and Food Systems, Graduate Facilitator
  • Christine Meng, RN, MN, PhD Student in Nursing, Graduate Facilitator

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Marking, Assessment, and Feedback as a TA

Monday, January 13, 2025 | 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm | Online (Zoom)

Theme:

One of the most daunting tasks TAs have is marking, assessing, and giving feedback on exams, assignments, final papers, etc. A big challenge when doing this is ensuring fairness to all students and providing them support to help them perform better next time. In this workshop, we will come together to discuss the importance of rubrics, marking calibration, exam reviews, and develop ways to effectively guide students through their coursework. We will also think about ways TAs can minimize burnout (e.g. effective marking practices, exam viewing options, chunking marking, balancing work-school, marking parties, etc.) We hope participants leave this session feeling equipped to effectively support students and themselves through this process.

Facilitators:

  • Lesley Wong, Graduate Facilitator, PhD Candidate in Curriculum and Pedagogy, Faculty of Education
  • Allie Roberts-Moore, Graduate Facilitator, PhD Candidate, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences

Register >

AI in Teaching and Learning Spaces

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | In-person (Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22)

Theme:

Participants should bring a laptop or electronic device to use in the session. The utilization of diverse Artificial Intelligence (AI) forms, including tools like ChatGPT, has become a prominent topic in recent discussions. As educators, it is essential for us to reflect on our involvement with AI and its potential impact on learning experiences—whether it serves to enhance or diminish them.

Throughout this session, we will explore the applications of AI, examining both its potential drawbacks in a classroom setting and the possibilities for integrating it to augment certain lessons. There will also be an opportunity to work with some AI platforms in the session through guided activities.

Facilitators:

  • Kenny Chiu, Graduate Facilitator, PhD Candidate in Statistics
  • Brooke Hoppstock-Mattson, PhD Candidate in Earth, Ocean, Atmospheric Sciences, Lead Graduate Facilitator

Register >


Active Learning and Inclusion: Using Student Gender, English as an Additional Language, and Neurodivergence Case Studies

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 | 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm | In-person (Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22)

Themes:

This session will prepare teaching assistants with strategies that support students with diverse identities and learning needs when participating in interactive active learning activities and assignments. Through an interactive approach, participants will explore neurodivergent conditions, gender, and the needs of English as an Additional Language (EAL) students and how those identities interact with different active learning strategies, especially in their own discipline. To do this, participants will explore Universal Design for Learning principles and other general findings in the literature with the goal of developing practical techniques for creating active learning activities that support inclusivity.

Facilitators:

  • Natalie Westwood, CIRTL Program Developer, PhD Candidate Zoology

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CANCELLED: TA’ing a Community Engaged Learning Course: Exploring Roles, Tension Points and Opportunities for Professional Development

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 | 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm | In-person (Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22)

Theme:

In this session, we will introduce community engaged learning (CEL) as a growing teaching strategy here at UBC. We discuss what community engaged learning is, its principles, and the role of TAs in relation to instructor(s), student(s) and community partners. We will explore the complexities, richness and challenges of these roles through discussion and activities. We will enhance participants awareness and understanding of the skills that TAs can apply and develop supporting community engaged courses.

Facilitators:

  • Kyle Nelson, Community Engaged Learning Officer at the Centre for Community Engaged Learning

Register >

Leveraging TAship for Future Career & Self-Advocacy, Negotiation, and Boundaries

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | In-person (Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22)

Themes:

This session will seek to empower teaching assistants (TAs) to transform their academic role into a strategic career development opportunity. Participants will learn critical skills in professional self-advocacy, strategic networking, and effective boundary setting within academic and professional contexts. The session will cover key competencies including professional communication, negotiating workload and expectations, documenting impactful contributions, translating TA experiences into compelling resume achievements, and developing a professional narrative that highlights transferable skills. This session aims to equip TAs with the confidence, communication strategies, and strategic mindset necessary to use their current academic role as a launchpad for future professional success across academic, research, and industry career paths.

Facilitators:

  • Alysha Deslippe, Graduate Facilitator, PhD Candidate of Human Nutrition in Land and Food Systems
  • Kabir Bhalla, Graduate Facilitator, PhD Candidate in Microbiology and Immunology

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Developing a Classroom Community

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 | 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm | In-person (Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22)

Themes:

This session will focus on cultivating an inclusive and supportive classroom community by critically examining and addressing personal and systemic biases that can impact teaching effectiveness. Teaching assistants will engage in deep reflection and skill-building around recognizing unconscious biases, understanding intersectionality, and activities and guided discussions, participants will explore how implicit biases related to race, gender, socioeconomic background, disability, language, and other identity markers can inadvertently influence classroom interactions, grading, student support, and pedagogical approaches. The training will provide practical tools for self-awareness, inclusive communication, fair assessment practices, and creating a classroom culture that values diverse perspectives and experiences. Participants will learn concrete techniques for interrupting bias, promoting student belonging, and developing culturally responsive teaching strategies that support all learners’ potential and academic success.

Facilitators:

  • Jacquelina DaSilva, Graduate Facilitator, MSc Candidate in Zoology
  • Joey Manaligod, Graduate Facilitator, PhD Candidate in Psychology

Register >


CANCELLED: Learn About Your Rights as a TA: Intro to TA Union

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm | In-person (Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22)

Theme:

Being a TA is hard work. We’re in between our students and our instructors. Sometimes this is a comfortable place to be; sometimes it’s uncomfortable. Fortunately, our Collective Agreement (work contract) provides us with ample tools to make our work environment safe and enjoyable. Welcome to Your Union is an introductory session to all things TA union. In this session, we will cover some important topics to help make your life as a TA easier. These topics include:

  • What even IS a union?
  • What’s a collective agreement and how is it made?
  • Building a good TA-Instructor working-relationship
  • Key elements of your contract (hours of work, vacation, etc.)

We’ll give you a breakdown of the most important parts of your contract—the ones you’ll most likely engage with—and talk about strategies for handling tough scenarios with students and faculty. Already have questions? Great! Bring them with you. There will be ample time for questions and discussions.

Facilitator:

  •  Reza Karimi, Membership Mobilizer, CUPE 2278, PhD Student in Mechanical Engineering

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Social Class in Our Classrooms

Thursday, January 16, 2025 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | In-person (Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22)

Themes:

Socioeconomic inequality is a real issue that shapes patterns of injustice in the wider culture and at the university—from ideas about the role of education in society at large to the material realities of students’ lives—and yet it is seldom openly discussed. In this session, we will explore meanings of “class” and how they might factor into the classroom experiences of students through access to resources, time, and opportunities to exercise agency. We will discuss how TAs can address these class-related issues, both proactively and as they arise, while actively fostering class consciousness through their teaching practices.

Facilitators:

  • Kayla Kenney, Graduate Facilitator, PhD Student in Social Work
  • Rodrigo Sierra-Rosales, Graduate facilitator, PhD Student in Population and Public Health

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Effective Use of the UBC Early Alert System

Thursday, January 16, 2025 | 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm | In-person (Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22)

Theme:

Brian Barth, Manager of Student Support Services at the VP Students Office, will walk you through when and how to use the Early Alert (EA) system to support students. This presentation is for teaching assistants, student advisors, faculty, and support staff. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of student concerns and how to facilitate efficient coordination of outreach efforts.

Facilitators:

  • Brian Barth, Manager of Student Support Services at the VP Students Office

Register >


Designing High Impact Experiential Learning

Thursday, January 16, 2025 | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm | In-person (Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22)

Theme:

As a learner and a teacher, you have likely found that learning is more impactful when it happens through experience. In this session, you will become familiar with a model of experiential learning used extensively in higher education, known as the Experiential Learning Cycle, and apply it to lessons that you expect to teach as a TA. This model is particularly valuable for understanding the function of active learning in helping learners construct abstract concepts from concrete experiences and transfer those concepts into new contexts. This session will give you an opportunity to incorporate this model into your own unique way of supporting your students’ learning as a TA.

Facilitators:

  • Holly Bergeron-Dumaine, Graduate Facilitator, PhD Student, School of Music

Register >