Dear LFS TAs,
If you haven’t signed up yet, we still have a few open spots in Friday’s marking and assessment workshop, scheduled just in time to help prepare you for your end-of-term exam and assignment marking duties.  In this interactive 2 hour session, you will develop strategies to:

• save time by grading efficiently
• give useful feedback
• mark fairly and consistently

Workshop Details:
Friday March 17
1-3 pm
MCML 139

Coffee, tea, and snacks will be provided. Everyone who attends will be entered in the draw for one of two $25 UBC food services gift cards, to take place in April.

Please register at: https://goo.gl/forms/N8tWhazPdEdN6YLJ2

See you Friday,
Carrie & Fernanda

The online application for 2017 Summer Session TA Applications is closed.

Thank you to everyone who submitted an application!

Here is the expected timeline:

• Instructors select TA’s:  Monday, March 6 to Friday, March 31
• TA offers / appointment processing:  Monday, March 6 to Friday, April 14
• TA’s granted Connect and FSC access:  Monday, April 17 to early May

Please note:  You will only be contact if you have been selected as a TA.

We have received 6 applications for the LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards.  The Committee will be reviewing the applications for the next couple of weeks.  We hope to be able to announce the winner by Monday, March 27.

Thank you to everyone who applied and submitted nominations!

Facilitation in the Classroom

During this highly interactive workshop, you will:

1) Define the role of a facilitator
2) Identify effective facilitation techniques and processes
3) Participate in hands-on exercises

Join us for this event!

When: Wednesday, March 8^th, 2017 |12:00PM-2:00PM
Where: FNH 220

***Snacks and refreshments will be provided***

RSVP: https://goo.gl/forms/hsR2kdhMNotXeCGW2

In 2014, the Faculty of Land and Food Systems created the LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award in order to be able to annually recognize the valuable role that teaching assistants play.  This is a biennial award offered in alternate years of the UBC Killam GTA Awards.  The winner will be presented with an award in the amount of $1,000 and a certificate.

The deadline to submit an electronic application package to Melanie Train is Friday, March 3, 2017.  Applicants must have been appointed as an LFS TA during 2016 Summer Session, 2016 Winter Session – Term 1, or 2016 Winter Session – Term 2.

Please refer to the LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award 2016-17 V2 for additional information and details.

TA Institute

The TA Institute is open to any graduate student who is interested in teaching or TAing. The Institute includes sessions on teaching and learning theory, scholarship, classroom strategies, campus climate, and lesson design.

Design Thinking in Teaching
January 10, 2017
9:30 am–11:30 am
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22

How do you design a successful lesson? This workshop will discuss common challenges in lesson planning and develop a toolkit of best practices and strategies. More info

Grad Student Mental Health
January 10, 2017
12:30 pm–2:30 pm
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22

Do you ever feel overwhelmed as a TA and feel like students can see right through you? In this workshop, we will address raising self-awareness on “impostor syndrome” and identify strategies for self-care and navigating teaching and life as a grad student. More info

Developing a SoTL Project
January 10, 2017
3:00 pm–5:00 pm
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22

This workshop will help you design a research project to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning in your course. Learn the fundamentals of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and create a blueprint for your very first SoTL project. More info

Metacognition, Lifelong Learning, and Disciplinary Practice
January 11, 2017
9:30 am–11:30 am
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22

How can you help students become lifelong learners? This session will examine the idea of metacognition as a distinct and valuable practice in teaching and learning. More info

Transliteracies
January 11, 2017
12:30 pm–2:30 pm
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22

This workshop explores how TAs can develop safer, more trans-inclusive pedagogical practices in their various role(s) in the classroom and on campus. More info

Giving Guest Lectures and Presentations
January 11, 2017
3:00 pm–5:00 pm
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22

Learn more about guest lectures and presentations, and design a toolkit to prepare for successful lectures or presentations. More info

Experiential Learning: Concept and its Application in Lesson Planning
January 12, 2017
9:30 am–11:30 am
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22

Explore the experiential learning cycle, its value in teaching contexts, and ways to integrate the model into your lesson planning and teaching.More info

Incorporating Results from SoTL
January 12, 2017
12:30 pm–2:30 pm
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22

This professional development workshop is open to grad students interested in learning more about Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. More info

Unsettling Group Guidelines
January 12, 2017
3:00 pm–5:00 pm
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Seminar Room 2.22

Classroom guidelines are often used by educators with the intent to establish a “safe” learning environment. But others have argued that classroom guidelines sometimes fail to recognize and respond to issues of power and social position. More info

Instructional Skills Workshops
February 18, 19, 25 (Registration opens January 9)
March 11, 12, 18 (Registration opens January 16)

The Grad ISW caters to individuals new at teaching as well as those who wish to refresh and enhance their skills. More info

Kind regards,
Mischa

Mischa Makortoff
Senior Events Program Assistant
Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus
214 – 1961 East Mall | Vancouver BC | V6T 1Z1 Canada
Phone 604 822 0064
mischa.makortoff@ubc.ca | @UBC_CTLT
http://www.ctlt.ubc.ca

The following information is from an HR Memo dated November 15, 2016 entitled Teaching Assistant Classifications

“As background, the definitions contained within the classifications provision of the Collective Agreement had not changed since the 1981-1982 Collective Agreement. Given the significant passage of time, the definitions were no longer entirely representative of the nature of the work performed by Teaching Assistants.

In certain cases, specifically with respect to Markers and Undergraduate Teaching Assistants, classifications are now differentiated on the basis of whether the position includes “substantial student contact”. The revised language of the Collective Agreement will define that phrase as follows:

“Substantial student contact” within the Classifications are those duties which involve direct interaction with students on more than an incidental basis. These duties typically include providing classroom teaching, conducting tutorial sessions, providing feedback on assignments and exams, holding office hours, or demonstrating procedures to students.

“Substantial student contact” does not include duties such as setting up labs, demonstrations, or classrooms; administrative duties; or class or material preparation notwithstanding that incidental or transactional contact with students may occur.

Below are the new classifications with an explanation of the material change:

Marker

A Marker is an employee appointed to a position which involves only marking without substantial student contact.

The old Marker classification was limited to marking duties that were objective only, such as true/false or multiple choice type examinations. The new classification is intended to capture any TA appointment that is marking only, and as long as instructional feedback is not being provided to the student as part of the marking assignment. This change applies to any new Marker appointment after January 1, 2017.

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant 2 (UTA 2)

A UTA 2 is an undergraduate student who is registered in a bachelor’s degree program at the University of British Columbia who performs Teaching Assistant duties without substantial student contact.

This is an updated version of the Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (“UTA”) role as it was historically defined. When the original classification language was written, UTAs were not required to perform substantive teaching duties. This classification applies to UTAs who perform work consistent with that definition.

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant 1 (UTA 1)

A UTA 1 is an undergraduate student who is registered in a bachelor’s degree program at the University of British Columbia who is required to perform Teaching Assistant duties with substantial student contact.

This a new classification intended to capture those UTAs who are assigned teaching duties as part of their position. Where a department requires a UTA to perform teaching duties as part of the assignment, they are to be classified as a UTA 1. This change applies to any new UTA appointment after January 1, 2017.

Graduate Teaching Assistant 2 (GTA 2)

A GTA 2 is a graduate student who holds a bachelor’s degree or is a graduate student who is registered in a master’s degree program at the University of British Columbia or who is a student who holds a bachelor’s degree in the posted or related discipline.

There is a minor change to the classification to include an ability for the University to recognize an undergraduate degree in a related discipline in classifying a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA). This change applies to any new GTA appointment after January 1, 2017.

Graduate Teaching Assistant 1 (GTA 1)

A GTA 1 is a graduate student who is registered in a doctoral degree program at the University of British Columbia or who is a student who holds a masters or doctoral degree in the posted or related discipline.

As with the GTA 2, there is a minor change to the classification to include an ability for the University to recognize an undergraduate degree in a related discipline in classifying a GTA. This change applies to any new UTA appointment after January 1, 2017.

Senior Teaching Assistant (STA)

A Senior TA is a graduate student who is registered in a masters’ or doctoral program at the University of British Columbia and is required by the University to perform lead hand duties as a Teaching Assistant. These duties typically include coordinating other Teaching Assistants and providing guidance, technical knowledge, and subject matter expertise to other Teaching Assistants.

This is a new classification that provides the University with an ability to recognize a Teaching Assistant who is tasked with leadership responsibility within a cohort of TAs assigned to a course. This typically may occur in large section courses with an annual turnover of Teaching Assistants in which a TA who has previously taught this course is expected to provide guidance to new TAs or otherwise coordinate their activities. It is not a supervisory position; rather, it is an opportunity for the University to formally recognize the reality of a role performed by certain TAs. This classification may be retroactively applied to September 1, 2016, for any TA who a department feels is performing this role for which other recognition has not been provided. It is intended to formalize the recognition of this role for future appointments.”

Please note:  regardless of their classification, Teaching Assistants may only teach courses under the supervision of a faculty member.  TA’s do not have full responsibility of a course (or a section of a course);  the work undertaken remains the responsibility of the course instructor.

The orientation for 2016 Winter Session Term 2 LFS TA’s has been scheduled as follows:

Date:  Thursday, January 5, 2017
Time:  9:00 am to 12:00 noon
Location:  FNH 300

Further details will follow.

Please note:  If you attended the orientation session in September you are not required to attend this session as well.