'Hugely helpful for a first‑timer'

Professors Amyl Ghanem, Peter O'Brien and Carolan McLarney discussed how to motivate students. (Danny Abriel photo)

Teaching assistants left professional development workshops last week revved up and excited about getting into the classroom.

Almost 100 Dalhousie graduate students from all Faculties across campus gathered September 12 and 13 to take part in the fifth annual Teaching Assistant Professional Development Days, sponsored by the Centre for Learning and Teaching. 

Faculty and experienced teaching assistants contributed their expertise to sessions that ranged from leading discussions and running effective labs, to teaching problem solving and writing.  Other sessions covered topics of broad interest to the teaching community including issues of grading, lecturing, academic integrity, information literacy, student diversity, and preparing teaching dossiers. 

Workshop participants felt the sessions were “very informative,” included “fantastic presentations” and were “hugely-helpful for a first-timer.” Facilitators and participants alike shared their teaching and learning experiences with one another and fostered a community of teaching peers.

Teacher-student boundaries

Participants were also welcomed to attend opening and closing plenary panel discussions. Those who attended appreciated the multiple presenters who could speak about different types of classroom environments and yet whose comments applied across the disciplines. 

Graduate students in the Certificate program, Brenda Sabo (Nursing), Ian Aldous (Biomedical Engineering), and Margaret Dechman (Sociology and Social Anthropology), opened TA Days by discussing the importance of balancing teacher-student boundaries.  This panel illustrated effective classroom management techniques that enhance student learning by creating positive learning environments and finding ways to open students’ minds to the material and to each other. 

 “What a great way to start off the TA professional development days.  Very fitting! I definitely feel more prepared for that first day of teaching," responded one participant.

In the closing plenary, faculty members Amyl Ghanem (Chemical Engineering), Peter O’Brien (Classics), and Carolan McLarney (Business Administration), were perceived as “very inspiring speakers” and “very engaging.”  During the panel, the experienced teachers discussed how they motivate their students to engage in their respective disciplines. All three spoke with deep conviction about the importance of conveying passion for one’s subject, even when this task might seem daunting. They provided compelling examples from their own teaching that encouraged teaching assistants to create a vision for their students and teach their subject with the confidence that it is a worthwhile pursuit.  In doing so, they argued, TAs represent themselves, their disciplines, and the university well, and enable students to see beyond the classroom into the world to which they will contribute their own ideas and beliefs.

'Phenomenal'

One participant noted that this panel was a “phenomenal end” to the event.

Animated discussion about teaching and learning continued into the closing reception during which Sunny Marche, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, commended those graduate students who had attended the event and thanked them for their commitment to teaching and learning at Dalhousie.

The CLT would like to extend our many thanks to all of the facilitators and participators that made this event such a success. 

If you are a Dalhousie graduate student and were unable to attend TA Days, the CLT offers on-going series of workshops and discussion groups on various teaching and learning topics throughout the Fall/Winter terms. Please visit our web site for details of our fall schedule, for more information and to register for any of the events. Graduate students interested in learning more about the Dalhousie Certificate in University Teaching and Learning can click here.

Suzanne LeMay-Sheffield, Ph.D., is the Associate Director (Programs) at Dalhousie's Centre for Learning and Teaching.