Asynchronous workshop Information

All asynchronous workshops take place in the CPI Teaching and Learning Brightspace site.

Once you have registered for the workshop you will automatically be added to the Brightspace site ahead of the workshop start date. You can then work through the content and activities at your own pace.

If you have any questions please reach out to the Educational Development team at [email protected]

Ongoing Availability

Brightspace for TAs

In this workshop TAs will get to interact with and explore various tools in the Brightspace environment. The workshop explores the ways that tools within Brightspace support teaching and learning activities such as assessment and evaluation, discussion, and communications with students.  

Available January 7 through January 31

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Teaching dossiers or portfolios often begin with a statement of teaching philosophy that describes what the teacher believes and values about teaching and learning. In this session we will discuss the purpose of teaching philosophy statements and begin to draft an outline for a philosophy statement that can guide our teaching practice.  

Documenting your Teaching Dossier through a Teaching Dossier

The teaching dossier or portfolio is a collection of artifacts that documents your teaching expertise and growth. This workshop provides examples and suggestions for what to collect and why.

Available February 3 through February 28

Entangled Pedagogy

This workshop explores the entangled nature of pedagogy and technology in our teaching and learning. We will map our assumptions about the tools and methods we use within a variety of contexts, values, and purposes.  

Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices

The physical, social, and emotional effects of trauma can impact the ability of our students to process information, stay focused, and engage within our classrooms. In this workshop, we will discuss how the principles of predictability, flexibility, connection, relationships and relationality, and empowerment can be used in the classroom to establish trauma-informed practices.  

Available March 3 through March 30

Microaggressions in the Classroom

In this workshop participants will be introduced to the concept of microaggressions, defined as the pervasive, intentional or unintentional, and brief acts of discrimination that are often rooted in bias and systems of power. We will discuss ways that TAs can proactively create a classroom environment that helps to prevent microaggressions, as well as strategies that can be used if microaggressions do occur.  

Reflecting on a Semester of Teaching

After a semester of teaching, what questions do you still have? Have you answered some of the questions you began with? Have your questions changed?  TAs will have opportunities to ask, share and reflect individually and with each other.  

Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources (OERs) can enhance student learning and engagement when incorporated into teaching. This workshop provides TAs with a baseline of understanding what OERs are, how to integrate them into their (future) teaching, and what supports are available at Brock University for OER adoption, adaptation, and creation. This workshop will consist of key learnings and resources to equip participants with the information they need to achieve their goals for teaching with OERs.

Saturday Workshop Information

All of our Saturday TA workshops will take place synchronously on Microsoft Teams.

Teams meeting links are available when you register on ExperienceBU and will be shared with registrants again ahead of the workshop.

If you have any questions please reach out to the Educational Development team at [email protected]

January 18, 2025

developing relationships on a teaching team (10am-10:50am)

TAs are an important part of the Teaching Team in the post-secondary classroom. In this workshop we will discuss the ways we can build relationships in a teaching team to support both TA professional learning and student learning. Through interactive activities and group scenarios, we will gain insights into fostering a positive and productive environment benefiting students and the teaching team. 

cultivating ta-student relationships to support learning (11am-11:50am)

This workshop will explore the dynamics of the relationships in the classroom with a focus on the TA and students. We work in academic spaces that are demanding and require high-level skill sets. How do we value the complex relationships we encounter and navigate in teaching and learning?

February 1, 2025

Navigating difficult conversations (10am-10:50am)

Difficult conversations on challenging topics are often uncomfortable for educators and students. However, difficult conversation can help improve critical thinking skills and can assist in fostering a more inclusive educational environment. This workshop explores the potential of engaging students in challenging conversation – we will discuss the importance of multiple perspectives in teaching and pedagogical approaches in disseminating challenging topics in the classroom.

Microaggressions in the classroom (11am-11:50am)

Participants will be introduced to the concept of microaggressions, defined as the pervasive, intentional or unintentional, and brief acts of discrimination that are often rooted in bias and systems of power. We will discuss ways that TAs can proactively create a classroom environment that helps to prevent microaggressions, as well as strategies that can be used if microaggressions do occur.

February 22, 2025

Preparing Students to Give and Receive Feedback (10am-10:50am)

In this workshop, we will explore the why and how(s) of preparing your students to give and receive feedback. We will explore a variety of mediums and methods as well as contexts for giving and receiving feedback in teaching and learning with a focus on cultivating an environment of effective feedback.

Reading student feedback (11am-11:50am)

Receiving feedback on your teaching can be a challenging experience. In this workshop we will discuss the various ways you might receive student feedback as a TA and explore strategies to approach the reading of this feedback in a way that supports your development as an educator.

Essays, Exams, and Beyond! End-of-Term Grading Strategies (12pm-12:50pm)

Anticipating a pile of exams to grade? A stack of papers to read and provide feedback on? Join us to discuss grading strategies to help you work through your end-of-term grading.

Weekday Workshop Information

Weekday workshops will take place either in-person (in the CPI Active Learning classroom, ST103 – near the market eatery) or online via Microsoft Teams. The location of each workshop is listed below.

You can register for our weekday workshops by visiting the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation’s ExperienceBU page.

If you have any questions please reach out to the Educational Development team at [email protected]

January Workshops

Using images in your teaching

Tuesday, January 14 at 11am on TEAMS; Wednesday, January 22 at 1pm in ST103

This workshop, which is appropriate for instructors and TAs, will discuss the accessibility and inclusion considerations for using images in your teaching. This can be on slide decks or on a Brightspace site. The workshop will cover skills such as alt-text, and how to verbally describe images on screen. It will also cover guidance you can give students for when they submit assignments to make their images more inclusive. 

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Wednesday, January 15 at 1pm in ST103; Thursday, January 16 at 10am on Teams

Teaching dossiers or portfolios often begin with a statement of teaching philosophy that describes what the teacher believes and values about teaching and learning. In this session we will discuss the purpose of teaching philosophy statements and begin to draft an outline for a philosophy statement that can guide our teaching practice.  

Documenting your Teaching in a Teaching Dossier

Tuesday, January 28 at 1pm on TEAMS; Wednesday, January 29 at 11am in ST103

The teaching dossier or portfolio is a collection of artifacts that documents your teaching expertise and growth. This workshop provides examples and suggestions for what to collect and why. 

February Workshops

developing relationships within a teaching team to support teaching and learning

Tuesday, February 4 at 1pm on TEAMS

This workshop will explore the dynamics of the relationships between TA and professors and TA to TA; with reference to the relationship with oneself. We work in academic spaces that are demanding and require high level skill sets. How do we value the complex relationships we encounter and must navigate in the classroom and beyond? 

Appreciative Inquiry to Support Teaching and Learning

Thursday, February 13 at 10am on Teams

Appreciative inquiry is a model based on organizational theory of change. Its social construction perspective emphasizes that we create what we image together to be possible. This workshop will explore the key principles of the AI model and how it may be applicable to teaching and learning.  

Pedagogies of Care: Supporting Positionality and Inclusion

Monday, February 24 at 11am on Teams

Our learning spaces are not excluded from the realities of the world. Learners come to seminars, labs, and lectures with lived experience and an awareness of socio-political and socio-cultural issues that inform and impact their learning. This session will focus on how to facilitate learning with care, by starting with an awareness of positionalities and building trust in our learning environments.  

March Workshops

Performance and Pedagogy

Wednesday, March 19 at 12pm in ST103

This workshop aims at providing a series of discipline-agnostic practices that can be used for teaching based on performance and improvisation methods. Performance helps learners synthesize their learning in a personalized way. Dramatic improvisation offers opportunities for embodying knowledge, simultaneously using storytelling and muscle memory as ways to enhance learning. Through internalization of knowledge and making creative acts, students would stay engaged with the course materials and see different interpretations of a content in their class.  

TAS Teaching about Teaching: Trauma-Informed Pedagogy

Tuesday, March 4 at 12pm in ST103

Human beings are naturally wired to seek safety, belonging, and dignity. However, with the rising prevalence of trauma exposure in today’s world, it is crucial for Teaching Assistants to create classroom environments that foster these essential needs. Research shows that college students experience PTSD at rates higher than those seen in general population. This in-person workshop is designed to help Teaching Assistants: 

      1. Understand the effects of trauma on brain 

      2. Recognize the behavioral signs of trauma that students may exhibit 

      3. Learn practical strategies to promote a classroom climate that integrates trauma-informed practices. 

TAS Teaching about Teaching: Restful Practices for your Seminar/Lab/Tutorial

Thursday, March 6th at 11am on Teams

As increasingly corporatized institutions, universities often perpetuate harmful discourses about productivity, laziness, and success. This workshop destabilizes such discourses and explores the need for rest within the post-secondary context. We will discuss the ways that rest allows us to connect with our students and explore restful practices that can be included in your seminar(s), lab(s), and/or tutorial(s).