Events

We welcome instructors to CLT’s Teaching Tuesdays, a weekly, half-hour, virtual drop-in session. Join us online every Tuesday from 11–11:30 a.m., starting January 20 and running until March 31.

Join our educational developers online to ask questions, exchange ideas, or debrief about your teaching.  Topics might include course design, assessments/feedback, genAI, accessibility/accommodations, universal design for learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and more! Registration is not required. 

Join the drop-in.

We welcome instructors to CLT’s Teaching Tuesdays, a weekly, half-hour, virtual drop-in session. Join us online every Tuesday from 11–11:30 a.m., starting January 20 and running until March 31.

Join our educational developers online to ask questions, exchange ideas, or debrief about your teaching.  Topics might include course design, assessments/feedback, genAI, accessibility/accommodations, universal design for learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and more! Registration is not required. 

Join the drop-in.

Tuesday, February 24
1–2:30 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400*
Link to register for the event (opens in new window)

When we think of enhancing memory in the university context, the focus usually is on helping our students learn course content. In this in-person session, we flip the script and focus on how memory impacts the experience of teaching. You will learn the basics of how memory works and how different types of memory are used in teaching. We will then explore factors and conditions that may contribute to memory challenges and may impact your teaching, such as age; lack of sleep; medical conditions (e.g., head injuries, menopause, long COVID); mental health challenges (e.g., chronic stress/burnout, depression, anxiety); and medication side effects.

The session co-facilitators will share their own lived experiences with memory and teaching. Sharing your experiences is welcomed, but not required. We will end with collectively brainstorming and sharing strategies for improving memory in the context of your teaching responsibilities. You will use these ideas to begin developing a memory plan of personalized strategies.

Presenters

Daniella Sieukaran, MA (she/her), Senior Educational Developer (Program Development)
Suzanne Le-May Sheffield, PhD (she/her), Director, Centre for Learning and Teaching

Intended Audience

• Graduate students
• Instructors
• TAs/markers/demonstrators

*Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

Thursday, February 26
2–3:30 p.m.
Online
Link to register for the event

This interactive workshop invites graduate students/TAs to take a fresh look at the syllabus as a living document rather than a fixed contract. Colonial legacies are often embedded in course design and curriculum structures, shaping what counts as valid knowledge, whose voices are prioritized, and how learning is evaluated. Together, we will critically examine how choices about readings, course guidelines, assignments, and grading structures can reproduce coloniality.

Through a collaborative Decolonizing Syllabi in Practice, we will reimagine how a syllabus can:

• Be seen as a living document.
• Create space for diverse voices and epistemologies.
• Encourage decolonizing learning environments.
• Examine dominant norms embedded in course design and evaluation.

The session emphasizes a co-creative approach where participants explore the syllabus together with others, sharing strategies, and reflecting on what it means to approach the syllabus through a decolonial lens.

Presenters

Ezgi Ozyonum, PhD (she/her)
Educational Developer (Student Development)

Rachelle McKay, MA (she/her)
Educational Developer (Indigenous Knowledges and Ways of Knowing)

Intended audience

• Teaching Assistants
• Graduate students
• Markers
• Demonstrators

Tuesday, March 3
10–11:30 a.m.
Killam Library, room B400*
Link to register for the event

Course projects can be a memorable learning experience for students, giving them the opportunity to produce a unique piece of work that integrates and applies what they’re learning in the course while developing their individual expertise on a chosen topic. If you’re developing or considering a project for one of your courses, or if you already have a course project that you’re looking to improve upon or share with colleagues, join us for a conversation about some principles and examples of successful course projects. We’ll consider how to structure the work of a project, how to support students’ motivation to work independently on a challenging topic, and how we might evaluate the products of that work.

Presenter

Gillian Gass, University Teaching Fellow, Department of Biology

*Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

We welcome instructors to CLT’s Teaching Tuesdays, a weekly, half-hour, virtual drop-in session. Join us online every Tuesday from 11–11:30 a.m., starting January 20 and running until March 31.

Join our educational developers online to ask questions, exchange ideas, or debrief about your teaching.  Topics might include course design, assessments/feedback, genAI, accessibility/accommodations, universal design for learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and more! Registration is not required. 

Join the drop-in.

Friday, March 6
1–3 p.m.
Online
Register for the event

The MH101 session is limited to faculty, instructors, and staff at Dalhousie and King's.

In any given year 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness, and according to Statistics Canada youth aged 15-24 are the most likely group to suffer the effects of a mental illness, substance dependency and suicide. Considering most university students are within this age group it is essential that those working with University students are provided the necessary knowledge and resources to recognize and respond to students in distress.

MH101 is a short yet informative presentation developed for university faculty and staff to increase awareness and understanding of mental illness and mental health problems, thus increase your confidence in supporting students.

Facilitators

• Joanne Mills, Psychologist, Student Health & Wellness
• Eshaa Amer, Stay Connected Peer Support worker

Additional Information

Peer Support Services

We welcome instructors to CLT’s Teaching Tuesdays, a weekly, half-hour, virtual drop-in session. Join us online every Tuesday from 11–11:30 a.m., starting January 20 and running until March 31.

Join our educational developers online to ask questions, exchange ideas, or debrief about your teaching.  Topics might include course design, assessments/feedback, genAI, accessibility/accommodations, universal design for learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and more! Registration is not required. 

Join the drop-in.

Tuesday, March 10
1–2:30 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400* 
Link to register for the event

Across disciplines, many instructors are finding ways to make learning experiences meaningful, practical, and connected to the places where students’ knowledge and skills will have impact. Herrington and Oliver (2000) describe “authentic learning” as learning activities that are carried out in real‑world contexts or that have high transfer to a real‑world setting. This workshop offers space to explore what authentic learning, can look like in your context and how approaches such as workplace‑inspired simulations and applied projects can deepen students’ engagement with course concepts.

We’ll begin with a brief overview of principles of authentic learning and assessment, including what makes a task workplace-relevant and how simulation‑based approaches can support student understanding and confidence. We’ll then take part in an interactive activity where you apply these ideas to one of your own courses or projects, exploring ways to strengthen real‑world alignment and potential impact.

We’ll close by discussing practical next steps for continuing to develop applied or simulation‑based learning experiences. You’ll leave with strategies you can begin using right away, along with ideas for building on the work you’re already doing.

Learning outcomes:

• By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
• Describe key principles of authentic and applied learning.
• Evaluate the real-world relevance of an existing activity or assessment.
• Begin developing a revised or new learning task that incorporates authentic or simulation‑based elements.

Facilitator

Shawn Komar, PhD (he/him)
Educational Developer (Program Development, Microcredentials, and Non-Credit)

*Creating an accessible and optimal learning environment is paramount for the CLT: please email us at clt@dal.ca to let us know if you anticipate any barriers we will need to remove in the learning environment, or if there is anything in particular you feel we should know that will best facilitate your learning experience. The information you share will be kept confidential and only shared with the session facilitators.

Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

Wednesday, March 11
2-3 p.m.
Online
Link to join the drop-in

No registration is required. Drop in anytime during the session if you have questions about your role as a TA, CLT’s workshops for graduate students, or the Certificate in University Teaching and Learning (CUTL) program. Whether you are navigating your teaching assignment or looking to deepen your professional development, this informal space is an opportunity to connect, ask questions, and learn more about the supports available to you.

Facilitator

Ezgi Ozyonum, PhD (she/her)
Educational Developer (Student Development)

Intended audience

• Teaching Assistants
• Markers
• Demonstrators
• Graduate Students

We welcome instructors to CLT’s Teaching Tuesdays, a weekly, half-hour, virtual drop-in session. Join us online every Tuesday from 11–11:30 a.m., starting January 20 and running until March 31.

Join our educational developers online to ask questions, exchange ideas, or debrief about your teaching.  Topics might include course design, assessments/feedback, genAI, accessibility/accommodations, universal design for learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and more! Registration is not required. 

Join the drop-in.

We welcome instructors to CLT’s Teaching Tuesdays, a weekly, half-hour, virtual drop-in session. Join us online every Tuesday from 11–11:30 a.m., starting January 20 and running until March 31.

Join our educational developers online to ask questions, exchange ideas, or debrief about your teaching.  Topics might include course design, assessments/feedback, genAI, accessibility/accommodations, universal design for learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and more! Registration is not required. 

Join the drop-in.

Wednesday, March 25
10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400
Link to register for the event

“Burnout is what happens when you try to avoid being human for too long.” – Michael Gungor, American songwriter

Along with healthcare workers, social workers, and corporate executives, university instructors are in the top ten professions most likely to experience burnout (Schaffner, 2023). In this in-person session, you will learn how to:

• Define burnout and describe how it manifests amongst instructors
• Identify the signs and symptoms of burnout in yourself and others
• Explain the factors that contribute to burnout in academia (e.g., career stage, systemic conditions)
• Use the four pillars of burnout resilience – purpose, compassion, connection, and balance (Pope-Ruark, 2022) – to better manage burnout
• Describe how an equity-minded lens can help address burnout in academia

We will collectively brainstorm actions that can be taken immediately to better prevent and mitigate the impacts of burnout, as well as first steps to chip away at systemic conditions that drive burnout in a university setting. You will use these ideas to begin developing a personalized care plan for addressing burnout.

Presenter

Daniella Sieukaran, MA (she/her)
Senior Educational Developer (Program Development)

Thursday, March 26
2–3 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400*
Link to register for the event

This workshop introduces teaching assistants (TAs) to everyday equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) practices that are practical, grounded, and doable. Rather than viewing EDIA as an add-on, participants will explore how small, intentional choices in communication, facilitation, and assessment can meaningfully shape students’ learning experiences. Through brief case-based scenarios drawn from real teaching contexts, TAs will discuss how to respond to common challenges such as classroom dynamics. We will conclude with concrete pedagogical strategies that TAs can immediately apply in their tutorials, labs, and grading, including inclusive facilitation moves, accessible lesson planning tips, and approaches to fostering welcoming and supportive learning environments.

Students who are not currently TAs are also welcome to attend, as the workshop offers valuable preparation for future teaching roles and careers in academia.

Presenter

Ezgi Ozyonum, PhD (she/her)
Educational Developer (Student Development)

Intended audience

• Teaching assistants
• Markers
• Demonstrators
• Graduate students

*Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

We welcome instructors to CLT’s Teaching Tuesdays, a weekly, half-hour, virtual drop-in session. Join us online every Tuesday from 11–11:30 a.m., starting January 20 and running until March 31.

Join our educational developers online to ask questions, exchange ideas, or debrief about your teaching.  Topics might include course design, assessments/feedback, genAI, accessibility/accommodations, universal design for learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and more! Registration is not required. 

Join the drop-in.

Wednesday, April 8
2-3 p.m.
Online
Link to join the drop-in

No registration is required. Drop in anytime during the session if you have questions about your role as a TA, CLT’s workshops for graduate students, or the Certificate in University Teaching and Learning (CUTL) program. Whether you are navigating your teaching assignment or looking to deepen your professional development, this informal space is an opportunity to connect, ask questions, and learn more about the supports available to you.

Facilitator

Ezgi Ozyonum, PhD (she/her)
Educational Developer (Student Development)

Intended audience

• Teaching Assistants
• Markers
• Demonstrators
• Graduate Students