Congratulations, you are a Teaching Assistant. But what should you do on the first day of classes? Reading the syllabus aloud while everyone follows along seems a little boring, and you always hated when professors did that. Let me help you make the first day of classes informative and engaging in a way that sets the tone for the rest of the semester. The first day is most likely the first time you will present yourself as a teacher; we will talk about what a teaching identity is and how you can figure out yours. While ensuring the information on the syllabus is understood by students, there are other things for you to think about too. You have the opportunity to set the tone and expectations for what is acceptable in your classroom; and most importantly, it is a chance to get to know your students before the academic pressures of the semester set in. Come spend some time with me where I will help you think through the sort of teacher you want to be and fun ways to get to know your students.

As GAs and TAs you will begin to encounter copyright issues in both the classroom and in your own work. This session will help you to understand how copyright can affect you as a scholar and discuss the evolving academic publishing landscape. Publishing your thesis or your first article and want to know how to reach the broadest audience possible? Wondering about what rights you have as an author when you publish with a journal? Want to clarify some of the confusion around how you can use academic resources in the classroom? Then please join in!

Tools, Tips and Tricks: Do you find data or statistics intimidating? Do your students? No need to fear the numbers! This workshop will present the basics of finding and using data and demonstrate tools and websites that can be useful in your teaching, whether you are teaching statistics, a methods class, or just want to bring concepts alive with current, hard data. We will share tips we’ve derived from years of teaching basic data concepts to students at a variety of levels and in a variety of disciplines. We will also discuss how the Academic Data Centre (ADC) in Leddy can help you use data, statistics, and statistical software in your teaching as a GA/TA (and as a student too). Bring questions!

This session will provide you with an opportunity to participate with colleagues in dialogue about Dynamic Discussions. We will consider ‘Why’ it is important to engage in Dynamic Discussions within the classroom for students of all disciplines. Next we will use a variety of learner-centered strategies to explore the ‘How To’ of Dynamic Discussions that can help you to facilitate engaging and participatory classes, of interest to the students. Finally, this session will focus briefly on some of the potential challenges of using discussion in the classroom. All GA/TAs welcome!

Why is feedback important? What is meaningful feedback? How exactly can I give meaningful feedback? As a GA/TA, a part of your responsibilities is to grade work and provide feedback to students. In this workshop, we will talk about what you need in order to give meaningful feedback that benefits students, work through exercises to improve your feedback skills, discuss why feedback is important for student development, and learn tips and tricks to giving meaningful feedback.

With the increase in online courses and general online correspondence, it is important that GAs and TAs know how to effectively communicate with students and instructors through email, forums, discussion boards, and more. In this workshop, you will learn how to effectively communicate with students and instructors online. From responding to emails to properly monitoring a Discussion Board, this workshop will provide you with techniques and tips to ensure your online communication adheres to the University of Windsor standards. In addition, this workshop will focus on the scope of social media and cell phone usage and how this relates to GA/TA professionalism. You will be invited to participate in activities throughout the workshop, and feedback will be provided.

The University of Windsor has one of the most diverse student population in Canada. As an instructor you need to understand the challenges and opportunities that this situation brings. This workshop will highlight the issues encountered when teaching Canadian-style to a diverse group of students. Communication and learning styles can get in the way of learning.

Having all the answers is hard enough, but figuring out a way to share them with others brings its own set of challenges. No matter the subject matter, being able to explain concepts and ideas in a way that makes sense to the audience is something every instructor struggles with. This session will explore the different things you can do to make sure your explanations are clear, concise, and engaging. We will cover the do’s and don’t’s of effective explanations so that what you mean and what you say match up with what you want your students to learn.