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Learning and Teaching Happenings and Resources for Teaching Assistants

September 2022 | Issue 1

We would like your feedback!

We are conducting a short anonymous survey for the TA Fall 2022 conference (Sep 6-9, 2022). We would appreciate your feedback, even if you did not attend the conference as it will help us understand how to improve our conference and other learning and teaching offerings going forward. Thank you for taking the time to complete our survey!

Survey will close at 5pm on September 23, 2022

Take the survey

Introduction to being a TA at UVic

Hello and welcome to being a TA at UVic! My name is Gerry Gourlay and my pronouns are she/her. I am the TA Coordinator with the Division for Learning and Teaching Support and Innovation (LTSI). In my role, I am responsible for the professional development and learning opportunities available to TAs and graduate students across UVic related to TA work, teaching, and learning in higher education.

My work is dedicated to TA programming, innovation, and support, and I encourage you to connect with me if you have any questions. This newsletter outlines key workshops, supports and resources available to TAs who work at UVic. It will also contain interesting articles, or strategies and tips that relate to the resources or supports being highlighted to assist you in your work as a TA in supporting student learning.

In this month’s newsletter, we feature a warm welcome from the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. You will also see all available workshops for the month of September and early October, as well as some key supports to assist you in getting started as a TA at UVic. A hearty welcome to UVic and I am excited to be a part of your journey!

Welcome to TAing:
Looking forward as a Teaching Assistant (TA)

It’s my great pleasure to welcome everyone to UVic, whether you’re just getting started or are a returning student. As Teaching Assistants, you are contributing directly to the fulfilment of UVic’s teaching mission; UVic’s success as one of the finest Universities in Canada is due to a significant extent to our TAs, and the excellent instruction and support they receive! You’re also taking part in work that will directly benefit your own postgraduate studies, as you develop skills in communication and assessment among other things. My own experiences as a TA when I was a graduate student were a major reason I decided to pursue an academic career; I hope you find the TA experience educational and rewarding as well. 

Please know that your work as a TA is deeply valued by all of us at UVic. Thanks so much for all that you do to contribute to creating an outstanding academic environment.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robin Hicks, Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies

Teaching Assistant Supports

Consultants (TACs and ITACs)

Your Teaching Assistant Consultant (TAC) is an invaluable resource to assist you as you navigate your work as a TA here at UVic, and specifically within your department. If you are an international TA, connect with our International Teaching Assistant Consultants (ITACs) who can assist your transition to teaching in a Canadian classroom.

Learn more about TACs

TA workshops and certificates

We have numerous workshops and programs available to support TAs, and many come with a corresponding certificate to highlight the work you put into enhancing your professional development. Check out some of our upcoming TA workshops which includes a self-paced workshop called Doing TA Work, and many in-person workshops over the course of the next term. Check back on this page as more workshops are added regularly.

Visit our certificates page

TA Guides - just updated!

Our short TA Guides are synopses of supportive information to assist you in many different aspects of your TA work. Check them out!

Read the guides

Being a TA Resource

As you start your TA position, you may have questions about how to begin, where to go, and what to ask of your course instructor. Check out our Being a TA resource which provides much background and guiding questions around your TA work and includes a downloadable guide.

Primary TA Responsibilities

Learning and Teaching Together in Higher Education (LATHE)

UVic’s Learning and Teaching in Higher Education graduate certificate program (LATHE) is the first of its kind in Canada. It is a dynamic program that prepares UVic Doctoral students to teach effectively in higher education in order to successfully compete in the academic job market.

Learn more about LATHE

Tip: Utilizing icebreakers or community-building activities are a great way to begin to build your classroom community!

Teaching Assistant Events & Workshops

Missed a TA Conference session? Not to worry, many are repeated throughout the fall term. Check out the offerings on Learning Central - filter by provider "LTSI" and look for the "LTSI/TA" tag! 

View all upcoming workshops

Doing TA Work (self-paced asynchronous course)

Have you been tasked with a teaching assistant (TA) position for an online course or a course that uses online components in a blended format? In this online course, you will access information and resources you require to successfully perform your TA duties via Brightspace and other online tools.

Learn more and register

Instructor Workshops

TAs are also encouraged and welcome to attend instructor workshops.

View all upcoming workshops
 
 

Student Resources and Supports

Learn Anywhere is the best place for students to access resources and supports for in-person, blended and online learning and access our student academic success supports (Learning Strategies Program, Math and Stats Assistance Centre, Centre for Academic Communication)

Share Learn Anywhere with your students
 

Contact Us

Would you like to contribute to this newsletter, or have questions regarding our workshops, events or resources?

Email us