{"id":109065,"date":"2026-04-14T16:35:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T20:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=109065"},"modified":"2026-04-15T14:38:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T18:38:35","slug":"teaching-assistants-lauded-for-exceptional-student-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2026\/04\/teaching-assistants-lauded-for-exceptional-student-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching assistants lauded for exceptional student support"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clarity is key to success for Megan Babiski.<\/p>\n

By combining clear expectations with what they describe as \u201crelational engagement,\u201d a strategy for making curriculum accessible to students in a personal way, the award-winning graduate teaching assistant aims to improve learning experiences for everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are more engaged in learning when they care about what they\u2019re learning about,\u201d she says. \u201cI try to integrate students\u2019 interests, but I also come into the classroom as a human with my own interests. For me, that relational element can really help enrich the learning process and the application of knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Babiski was one of five teaching assistants who received special recognition during a reception hosted by Brock\u2019s Centre for Pedagogical Innovation (CPI) on Tuesday, April 14 in the Goodman Atrium. The event honoured recipients of CPI\u2019s Teaching Assistant Awards<\/a>, Teaching and Learning in Higher Education certificates<\/a> and Graduate Teaching Assistant Practicum certificates<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Babiski says the opportunity to start guest lecturing while completing a post-graduate college certificate in autism and behavioural science sparked a passion for pedagogy that has yet to subside.<\/p>\n

As an autistic person, they developed their pedagogy through lived experience. Now, as a Master of Arts student in Brock\u2019s Department of Applied Disability Studies, they are also studying pedagogy, completing research on trigger warning practices in higher education systems with a focus on the perspectives of autistic students who have also experienced trauma.<\/p>\n

\"Honorees

Award-winning teaching assistants and teaching assistants from across Brock who have completed certifications with the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation were also recognized at the annual tribute event.<\/p><\/div>\n

Taking advantage of training offered by CPI, Babiski took part in this year\u2019s series of workshops on teaching in the age of generative artificial intelligence (AI), gathering insights she says were especially helpful in online asynchronous courses. Collaboration and mentorship from within the Sociology and Criminology department also influenced her approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had really good conversations about how we can approach expectations about generative AI in the online space in a way that\u2019s compassionate and also maintains the scholarly rigour that will allow students to thrive,\u201d Babiski says. \u201cWe are doing students a disservice if we\u2019re not preparing them for the academic environment and the environments associated with their career outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary-Beth Raddon, Chair of Sociology and Criminology, says Babiski shows students how to become engaged learners.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany first-year students arrive in Introduction to Sociology expecting rote lessons on the course material,\u201d says Raddon. \u201cWith Megan, students had a seminar leader who modelled and imparted the intellectual skills and disposition to explore the complexity of social thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giulia Forsythe, Director, Teaching and Learning in the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation, says all of this year\u2019s award recipients \u201cexemplify Brock’s commitment to high quality and meaningful educational experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other recipients included fellow Graduate TA Award winner Shealin\u00a0Murray, a PhD student in the Department of Psychology; Novice TA winner\u00a0Erika Savage in the Department of Child and Youth Studies; International TA Award\u00a0winner Tanima Ferdous from the Faculty of Education; and TA Award winner Mariam El-Morched in the Department of Chemistry.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery year, it is such a joy to read the nomination packages for teaching assistants across Brock University,\u201d says Forsythe. \u201cThe rich diversity of instructional strategies is matched by the care and compassion TAs show for their students in their ongoing efforts to create inclusive and meaningful learning environments. Each year we receive an increasing number of nominations, and the calibre is always so impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clarity is key to success for Megan Babiski. By combining clear expectations with what they describe as \u201crelational engagement,\u201d a strategy for making curriculum accessible to students in a personal way, the award-winning graduate teaching assistant aims to improve learning experiences for everyone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":109066,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[40,41,1,38,4665],"tags":[244,714,45,7437,546,32,98,348,522],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109065"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109065"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109080,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109065\/revisions\/109080"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}