This workshop is designed to tell you everything you need to know about being a graduate or teaching assistant at the University of Windsor. Whether you are newly hired, considering applying for an appointment, or are a current GA or TA needing a refresher, you are welcome to join! The facilitators are experienced GAs who will walk you through the process and answer any questions you may have. This workshop covers what to do from the minute you are hired as well as your rights and responsibilities under the CUPE 4580/University of Windsor collective agreement.

This interactive workshop is designed to equip GAs and TAs with the skills and information needed to build strong rapport and communicate effectively with students. This workshop will focus on strategies to create a positive environment, foster trust, and enhance student engagement and interaction through clear and inclusive communication. By the end of the workshop, GA/TAs will have practical tools to improve communication and establish connections with students.

This workshop will help participants to observe and apply skills that will help them to effectively lead and facilitate discussions both in the online and in-person environments. More specifically, this workshop will demonstrate how to create a classroom atmosphere that is conducive to discussions, develop and pose thought-provoking questions, effectively communicate with students, manage group dynamics and conflict, and how to subsequently evaluate the discussions.

Your GA/TAship is a valuable opportunity that provides you with skills and experiences that can help you with your career. In this session, learn about how you can identify and develop these skills and experiences and how you can effectively communicate and market them to potential employers.

Writing is one of the most important skills that any person can learn. It is a skill that empowers us to express ourselves, connect with one another, and make a positive impact on the world. Graduate assistants (GAs) and teaching assistants (TAs) have an important role to play in helping students become better writers. This role can be exciting but also daunting. This workshop will provide GAs and TAs with a diverse set of effective strategies and innovative techniques for enhancing their students' writing skills, that will not only benefit the students but also elevate your overall teaching experience. Throughout this session, you will participate in collaborative activities and explore various methods. This collaborative nature of the workshop will inspire and empower you to create a supportive learning experience for your students. By the end of the workshop, you will have gained valuable insights and practical tools to enhance your students' writing abilities with confidence, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the writing process.

This session will provide an overview of key Brightspace tools and topics for GAs and TAs in the online environment. Our focus will be on communicating with students (announcements, discussion board), and grading the different types of assessments found on Brightspace (tests, assignments, and discussion boards) in addition to using the Grade Centre and related features. For optimum experience, you should be using Google Chrome for this session.

Shouldn't our labs and tutorials be as engaging as possible? After all, labs and tutorials allow for the practical demonstration and discussion of theoretical concepts we learn in classes! Despite our wishes, sometimes students may not be as involved or intrigued by the lab or tutorial as we would like. In this workshop we will discuss some easy-to-apply techniques and processes for teaching engaging labs and tutorials. Whether you are a new GA/TA beginning your teaching, or an experienced GA/TA interested in further developing your skills, this workshop will offer strategies for developing rapport and connecting with students; and delivering the labs and tutorials with confidence and fun.

This session will provide information about enhancing student engagement within the online and in-person classrooms. There will be practical tips and material for GAs and TAs who are in a wide range of roles (e.g., planning lectures, facilitating lectures, support professor led lectures, etc.). We will discuss various methods, techniques, and tools to maintain and increase engagement in courses.

In this workshop, participants will explore the principles of Inclusive Pedagogy and practical strategies for its implementation. Through interactive discussions and reflective activities, attendees will learn how to create inclusive learning environments, foster a sense of belonging, and encourage collaboration among students, ensuring everyone feels valued and supported.

Being a GA/TA gives the unique opportunity to effect change with students while developing your skills as an educator. With that also comes the challenge of maintaining your own well-being and fostering that of your students. In this interactive workshop, GAs and TAs will gain strategies for cultivating a positive and authentic learning environment, responding to the social and emotional needs of themselves and their students, and maintaining personal well-being. During the workshop, participants will be able to learn from facilitators and fellow attendees who have been GAs and TAs in various courses and apply workshop techniques to situations and tasks that may occur during their work and personal experiences.

International students are a core part of the University of Windsor, but have you ever considered the challenges and opportunities that international GA/TAs face? This workshop will shed some light on the challenges that international GA/TAs have to reconcile and how these challenges can be overcome. Moreover, various opportunities that international GA/TAs create at the University will be explored. Attendees are encouraged to share reflections on their experience as an international GA/TA, particularly their challenges and strategies for overcoming them with the group. Participants will gain tips and will be provided with some resources that can support international GA/TAs.

In this workshop, I will examine our university Mission statement: Enabling people to make a better world through education, scholarship, research, and engagement and compare it with Marylin Cochrane-Smith's purpose of education as preparing students to engage in satisfying work, function as lifelong learners who can cope with the challenges of a rapidly changing global society, recognize inequities in their everyday contexts, and join with others to challenge them. I will make the case that every graduate of the university of Windsor should be able to define race, racism, Anti-racism, Anti-Black/Anti-Indigenous/Anti-Asian, etc. racism, within their own discipline and field of study and be committed to engaging in constructive and productive strategies for change – caring, supportive and restorative collaborative community-based/grassroots endeavours– to challenge all forms of oppression. 

This workshop will introduce GAs/TAs to giving effective feedback when grading assignments. An overview of both positive and negative feedback will be discussed. We will go over how to communicate with your assigned professor, understanding the assignments/rubric, and knowing your audience. We will also talk about the importance of being timely, consistent, and objective when grading. We will be going over tips and tools to help you grade more effectively and efficiently. Challenges and opportunities for improvement will also be discussed. Questions will be welcomed throughout the presentation, as well as at the allotted time at the end of the workshop.

Join us at the GATA Networking Event (in Odette room 108) where there will be an assortment of booths representing various services on campus! Come socialize with fellow GA/TAs and learn about how you and your fellow students are supported on campus. You can drop in anytime between 11:30am and 12:30 pm.

GAs/TAs may experience conflict or challenges with students, such as a student’s response to a mark on a quiz or anger and frustration during group work. No matter what happens, GAs/TAs need to be prepared to navigate conflict and respond to student challenges. In this highly interactive workshop, participants will be engaged in identifying difficult situations and developing practical strategies to navigate them. Through this process, participants will develop knowledge on the “whys” of student conflict and challenges and learn how to make the best out of a difficult situation. At the end of this workshop, GAs/TAs will have a toolkit of strategies to navigate difficult situations, such as reflexive listening, in addition to ideas for their self-care.