LFS TA Handbook – 201819

Dear Term 1 LFS TA’s!

Mark your calendars as the LFS TA Training Orientation is fast approaching!  If you will be TA’ing in LFS in any capacity in the 2018/2019 academic year this training will provide all the information, connections, and expectations for you to succeed in your role.

Date: Wednesday, September 5th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM in AGORA basement – MacMillan Building.

***Beverages and lunch will be provided***  

At the orientation, you will become familiar with:

• Key resources to help you build your teaching skills
• People and policies relevant to your role as a TA
• The expectations of you as a TAand what you can expect

Please register before September 5th by filling out this Google Form.

Bring your laptops or tablets with a copy of the TA Orientation Handbook (attached). In an effort to conserve paper we will not be printing handbooks this year. You can also find the handbook online at the LFS TA Blog Portal.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with either Colin or Jun.

Best regards,

Colin Dring  & Jun Obayashi

Teaching Assistant Training Coordinators | Land and Food Systems

ta.training@ubc.ca | https://blogs.ubc.ca/lfsta/

 

 

Problem-based Learning (PBL) Workshop for TAs in LFS

Problem based learning (PBL) is a technique that prompts groups of students to carefully analyse a problem to determine what they need to start solving the problem. It requires a different skillset from ‘normal’ TAing.

Come join us for a morning to find out what PBL is, what makes it unique, and how you can succeed in serving as a TA in a PBL course.

While the workshop is designed to support TAs in PBL, all TAs are welcome to participate to enhance your teaching skill in learner-centered environment.

The workshop will be on Friday, September 7, from 9:30 am to 12:20 pm, in FNH Room 300. Registration is required. Please let us know your name, TA experience, and your goals for this workshop by completing this registration form.

https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6yDXXkxOTQ1zm8R

Should

you have any question about this workshop, please contact LFS Education Consultant, Judy Chan, at

Judy.Chan@ubc.ca

Call for Applications for Teaching Assistant

Course No.:  FRST 110 – Term 1	Instructor:  Fernanda Tomaselli
Course Name:  Land One: First year Integrative Seminar	Total No. Required:   1 GTA
Required Qualifications: ·         A degree in forestry, land and food systems, conservation, resource management or a related field with an emphasis on/or interest in social dimensions ·         General understanding of forestry, food and sustainability issues in different geographic contexts ·         Good writing and editing skills ·         Good inter-personal skills ·         Experience with marking and providing feedback  is an asset
Description of General Nature of Duties: ·         Marking of essay assignments throughout the term ·         Coordinating student blog and other feedback via Canvas ·         Grading short quizzes ·         Coordinating and participating in two field trips ·         Assist in other general duties
Hours Allotted:   6 hours/week for 16 weeks If interested in applying email the instructor: fernanda.tomaselli@ubc.ca

Call for TA applicants for LFS 450 001 (term 2)

Problem-based analysis of complex case studies aimed at increasing the sustainability of the UBC Vancouver campus food system. The main activities are integrated into the ongoing UBC Food System Project. Cases are specifically designed to require development of integrated disciplinary and interdisciplinary analysis.

Instructor is looking for someone with previous TA experience, solid writing and communications skills, and high degree of comfort-ability supporting and assessing interdisciplinary projects.

WORK PERFORMED

As a TA:​

• Attend all classes and assist with class and group facilitation
• Participate in teaching team meetings and meetings with instructor
• Read all Required Reading Materials in preparation for class discussions
• Consult with students as needed to support individual and group assignments and learning needs (including meetings, email communication and responding to Canvas discussions)
• Mark assignments:  Practitioner Literature Review (30-40), UBC Food System Project Proposal and Final Report (5-8) and Interim and Final presentations (5-8)
• Review various  individual assignments for participation marks
• Prepare and tabulate individual and group participation marks
• Take attendance
• Prepare and tabulate individual and group participation marks
• Enter marks in Canvas
• Other duties as required

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

Education: Graduate degree in an area related to Agriculture, Food Science, or Sustainability.

Experience: Experience in local food system analysis, critical thought, argumentation, and essay construction.

Skills: Good organizational skills and ability to correct / edit English essays for usage (i.e., grammar, spelling), structure, logic, and argument construction.

How to apply:

If you are interested in this position, please log onto TA portal and submit an application. If you have already submitted a TA application, please add this course to your list. https://ubclfs-gradapp.landfood.ubc.ca/

Dear Teaching Assistants,

My name is Nicole Malette, and I am a Research Assistant for The University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology. You are being asked to take part in a study about TA Wellness because you are or have been a Teaching Assistant (TA) for UBC. We want to survey TAs to learn more about the types of support they are receiving pertaining to their wellness, and the TA experiences they find most stressful. If you would like to participate in a focus group with other UBC TAs (1.5 hours maximum), please indicate your availability in the following link or by contacting Nicole Malette (n.malette@alumni.ubc.ca).

Thank you!

Sign up for Focus Groups here: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9BIroLXmtN4tEj3

For more information you can contact: TA Wellness Project Research Team

Dr. Christina Hendricks (Principal Investigator)
Academic Director, Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology
The University of British Columbia
Christina.hendricks@ubc.ca

Dr. Shaya Golparian (Co-Investigator)
Educational Developer, Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology
The University of British Columbia
Shaya.golparian@ubc.ca

Nicole Malette (Co-Investigator)
Research Assistant, Department of Sociology
The University of British Columbia
n.malette@alumni.ubc.ca

68% of the 2018 Winter Session TA assignments have been finalized!!  Instructors have until July 13 to select their TA’s.  The last of the offers should be going out by the end of July.

I will be away until Fall.  In my place, Dan Naidu will be working on TA appointments.  He can be reached at lfs.ta@ubc.ca

Have a GREAT summer!

Shelley

2018 Winter Session TA offers have been going out all week and will continue to do so until mid-late July.  In order to avoid delays, please accept or decline your offers as soon as possible in order for us to be able to process your appointments in a timely manner.  Thank you!!

Instructors will be selecting their 2018 Winter Session TA’s from now until July 13th.  Offers will start going out the week of May 7 and will likely end by July 27th.

The course instructor will contact you if they are interested in offering you a position.

Please do not contact the LFS Grad Office with questions about the status of your application.  If you are selected, you will first hear from a course instructor who will then instruct the LFS Grad Office to send you an offer via email.

During the next months, we will be looking for a graduate student that replace me as TA coordinator. I’m sending you the job posting (please, see the attached file). I would appreciate if you could send this information to all the LFS graduate students.

Many thanks,  

Fernanda

2018-2019 TA Coordinator Job Posting

The 2018 Winter Session TA Application is open!!!  There will be approximately 200 TA positions available in LFS during 2018 Winter Session.  Please complete and submit and application before the deadline – April 30, 2018.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you are trying to access the online TA application from off-campus, you will need to set up a VPN connection.