During his two years as a teaching assistant (TA), Rick Castle has gained a deeper understanding of the importance of inclusiveness in education.

His grasp of the valuable concept has grown through experience in the classroom, as well as time spent attending a series of teaching and learning workshops offered by the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation (CPI).

With a new round of workshops nearing, Castle, a Classics MA student, hoped to encourage other teaching assistants to take advantage of the worthwhile opportunity.

“The TA development workshops have informed my TA experience on understanding all aspects of inclusiveness in the classroom and beyond,” Castle says of the sessions, where topics such as race, gender and mental health are discussed. “I know when I started CPI’s programs, I definitely hadn’t thought about these issues so much from the perspective of the teacher rather than the student. But I certainly have since, and being sensitive to these issues by CPI’s standards definitely influences how my students view me and our seminar in a positive way.”

Castle was one of about 140 new and current teaching assistants, lab demonstrators and tutorial leaders who attended CPI’s 2017 TA Day held in early September. The event kicked off the fall schedule of the Teaching Assistant Workshop program.

The workshops are open to TAs, lab demonstrators and markers. Students who attend TA Day and the workshop series earn credits toward a TA certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

“My experience as a TA has been a blast,” Castle says. “I find that in order to teach a subject, I have to not only understand the subject well, but I also have to understand how my students learn. I try to have fun in seminars by incorporating different activities and prizes. That seems to get students more enthusiastic and complements their own learning preferences.”

Castle places a lot of emphasis on learning that is accessible to each and every student.

“It’s both the most challenging part of being a TA and also the most rewarding,” he says. “Each seminar operates differently, I have to constantly be aware of how accessible my teaching style is and make adjustments throughout the duration of the course.

“The great thing is that there are always students who notice and are grateful for it. During my own undergrad studies at Brock, I found that my own interest in learning was strongly affected by how a TA or professor approached the classroom. I try to reflect my positive learning experiences in the way that I teach.”

Castle says the CPI has been an incredible support to his teaching endeavours. That’s important to him as he sets a path toward pursuing a PhD and a career in academia.

“By attending the CPI workshops, I’ve gained skills and knowledge to become a better TA,” he says, while adding the application of those skills goes beyond the realm of teaching. “Active listening, problem resolution, critical thinking, grading, instructing, decision-making, giving effective feedback, multitasking, public speaking, reading comprehension, social awareness — those are the kind of transferable skills that I’ve developed since starting CPI workshops.”

The Teaching Assistant Workshop series runs twice a month through to the end of November. Register online at brocku.ca/cpi for the following October and November workshops (all sessions are held in ST103):

Saturday, Oct. 7:

9 to 11:50 a.m. — Plagiarism: Case Studies and Helpful Hints for TAs, Academic Integrity (2 credits). Bring a device — smartphone, laptop etc. to the session.

Facilitator: Jon Radue,Department of Computer Science

Saturday, Oct. 21:

9 to 10:20 a.m. —  Facilitating Seminar Discussions (1 credit)

Facilitator: Giulia Forsythe, Centre for Pedagogical Innovation

10:30 to 11:50 a.m. — Using Social Media for Teaching (1 credit)

Facilitators: Alison Innes and Francesca Patten, Faculty of Humanities

Saturday, Nov. 4:

9 to 10:20 a.m. — Helping Your Students Prepare for Exams (1 credit)

Facilitator: Maggie Whitfield, A-Z Learning Student Services

10:30 to 11:50 a.m. — Responding to Disclosures (1 credit)

Facilitator: Allison Cadwallader,?Sexual Violence Support and Education Co-ordinator

Saturday, Nov. 18:

9 to 10:20 a.m. — Marking Madness: Tips and Tricks for Effective Grading (1 credit)

Facilitator: Jill Grose,Centre for Pedagogical Innovation

10:30 to 11:50 a.m. — Experience Plus: Know Yourself. Be Proud. Talk About Your Accomplishments.

Facilitator: Pauline Dawson, Career Services