January 2021 TA Institute Themes

The January 2021 TA Institute runs from Jan. 11-15 online and is open to any graduate student who is interested in teaching or TAing. The institute is also open to undergraduate TAs. This year, workshops in the TA institute are organized into 6 themes, and if you complete 4 workshops in a theme, and do the related pre- & post-session online modules, you are eligible for a letter of completion that you can include in your Teaching Portfolio and CV. These letters will include a brief description of any themes that you completed, and how the work you did in those themes supports your development as a teacher.

The pre-session modules must be completed by January 11, 2021 by 9:00 a.m., and the post-session modules must be completed by January 18, 2021, by noon.

  1. TEACHING FOR INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY
  • Navigating and Managing Online Communication: Designing and Fostering a Respectful Learning Environment
  • Accessibility-Centered Design: Creating Inclusive Asynchronous Learning Environments
  • Designing Impactful Activities for Online Learning
  • Holding Space for Anti-Racism and Solidarity in Teaching Practice: Recognizing and Interrupting Harmful Classroom Dynamics
  • Navigating Indigenous Topics with Care in Online and In-Person Classroom Environments

Every class, whether face-to-face or online, is made up of diverse students with diverse experiences. In your unique position as a TA you are able to bridge the gap between students and instructors, creating a real opportunity for you to impact the learning experiences of your students. By completing this theme, you will be able to situate practices for supporting access and ongoing active inclusion of all students in an online context. Workshops in this theme will focus on how TAs and graduate students can develop and lead lessons that center learner experiences and identities through the planning and delivering of online lessons.

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  1. IMPLEMENTING IMPACTFUL TEACHING PRACTICES
  • Leading Synchronous Discussions Online… When should I? How should I?
  • Online Presentation and Lecturing Skills
  • Marking and Feedback: Providing Oral Feedback Online & Written Feedback on Essays
  • Navigating and Managing Online Communication: Designing and Fostering a Respectful Learning Environment
  • Asynchronous Teaching: Meaningful Participation, Discussion, and Assessment
  • Holding Space for Anti-Racism and Solidarity in Teaching Practice: Recognizing and Interrupting Harmful Classroom Dynamics

When we think about teaching, it is of course important to consider what we teach. However, it is arguably just as important to consider how we teach. Completing this theme will help you deepen your understanding of what makes teaching practices impactul in both synchronous and asynchronous online classes. By delving into a wide variety of teaching tools and techniques, you will begin to develop teaching skills and practices that contribute to better learning experiences for your students. These sessions are not only useful to new TAs and those new to teaching, but also to returning TAs and those with teaching experience.

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  1. DESIGNING FOR IMPACTFUL TEACHING
  • Designing Impactful Activities for Online Learning
  • Accessibility-Centered Design: Creating Inclusive Asynchronous Learning Environments
  • Intentional Technology Use for Impactful Teaching
  • Navigating and Managing Online Communication: Designing and Fostering a Respectful Learning Environment
  • Marking and Feedback: Providing Oral Feedback Online & Written Feedback on Essays

Behind great learning experiences are intentional plans and decisions on the part of the instructors and TAs. What thought processes go into making these decisions? How can great learning experiences be planned? These workshops can help address some of these questions by exploring design of synchronous and asynchronous activities, communication, and decision making around technology. Sessions in this theme will help you develop skills and strategies for enhancing the learning experiences of students and reaching the learning objectives of lessons.

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  1. CENTERING STUDENT AND TA WELLNESS
  • Time Management Skills for Graduate Students and TAs
  • Teaching Effectively with Faculty: Navigating Professional Relationships in Online Teaching
  • Holding Space for Anti-Racism and Solidarity in Teaching Practice: Recognizing and Interrupting Harmful Classroom Dynamics
  • The Early Alert Orientation - Connecting Students with Support

Grad school is challenging in the best of times. Being a TA in addition to regular graduate work can create a lot of stress for TAs.On top of this, the way we work and the world have changed significantly over the past year. There has never been a better time to consider how to create a classroom environment centered around both student and TA wellness. Sessions in this theme will help you both reflect on and develop concrete strategies for supporting your wellbeing and your students’ wellbeing.

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  1. PROFESSIONAL (INTERPERSONAL) SKILLS
  • Time Management Skills for Graduate Students and TAs
  • Navigating and Managing Online Communication
  • Teaching Effectively with Faculty: Navigating Professional Relationships in Online Teaching
  • Holding Space for Anti-Racism and Solidarity in Teaching Practice: Recognizing and Interrupting Harmful Classroom Dynamics
  • Marking and Feedback: Providing Oral Feedback Online & Written Feedback on Essays
  • The Early Alert Orientation - Connecting Students with Support

During your TAship, you have gained valuable and transferable skills that will help you navigate your future workplace. Whether you plan to work in the academy or outside of it, these workshops will help you hone your interpersonal skills in an online space. After completing four workshops, you will be able to identify best practices for navigating online communication and professional relationships between yourself, instructors and students.

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  1. TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY
  • Leading Synchronous Discussions Online… When should I? How should I?
  • Online Presentation and Lecturing Skills
  • Navigating and Managing Online Communication: Designing and Fostering a Respectful Learning Environment
  • Asynchronous Teaching: Meaningful Participation, Discussion, and Assessment
  • Intentional Technology use for Impactful Teaching

Technology has become a fundamental part of how we teach and there are more ways than ever to create engaging and meaningful learning experiences with technology. From communication with students to lesson delivery, it is important as TAs to be aware of the challenges and benefits that technology can create for both learners and educators. Although TAs may not always have control over what technology is used in classes, being aware of how to best leverage technology to support learning can be valuable for supporting instructors and thinking ahead to your own future teaching careers. Sessions in this theme will help you develop skills for both assessing learning technology and developing pedagogically aligned practices for teaching with technology. These workshops will be valuable regardless of your experience level TAing online!

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