Developing a Classroom Community

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

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

Themes:

If you wish to complete this workshop as part of either of the themes below to receive a Letter of Completion, you must complete a theme completion form by January 22nd, 2025 at 11:59 PM (only complete this form once—make sure to indicate all themes and all sessions that you have completed).

This session falls into the following themes:

• Experiential and Transformative Learning
• Exploring and Supporting Inclusivity, Equity, Accessibility and Wellness

TA Institute

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.