Facilitators: Negar M. Harandi (Applied Science); Shaya Golparian (CTLT)

This page gathers notes and thoughts about this meeting.

Learning Objective for the session:

• Identify different strategies to encourage (new and returning) TA participation in TA Training workshops.

Facilitated activities:

Brainstorming: What are some possible reasons that TAs do/don’t show up to TA Training?

Which ones speak to (lack of) motivation:

• Money – Paying TAs
• Sessions not being mandatory
• Food
• Apathy for new TAs
• Fear  – needing help with TA ship
• Priority and value of TA Training (why training?) – Faculty/departmental culture
  • TAship not being a priority
  • Value of TAship for future careed
  • Killam Award
• Gain teaching experience
• Relevance
• Certification
• Name of TA Training Program
  • Packaging workshops in a way that would look good on CV
• Connect Training/ProD + TA awards
• Efficiency (Separate basic skills from “improving skills” so TAs know which sessions are more relevant to them.

Which ones speak to other reasons:

• Time – Busy schedule – something else is more pressing
  • Time commitment for TAship
  • Managing other academic crisis
  • Time of TA Training (timing) – Timeliness and relevance
• Fear of not knowing how to TA

What are some of the strategies that we can use to encourage TA Participation in TA Training programs/workshops that link with Intrinsic Motivation:

Extrinsic Motivation/Strategy	Advantage	Disadvantage	Applicability to Returning TAs
Food All day  = B,L,D (?) Snacks	Bring People together. Basic Needs Met. Guilt/Social ‘contract’ to stay.	=$$$ Big budget Logistics (who gets order, delivers, dietary restrictions.	✓
Money $$	Make it mandatory Universal “liquid asset”	If mandatory, scheduling and planning is harder Even if mandatory they might still not attend. Accountability & enforcement. Who tracks? Who enforces? More costly than food.	✓ (Timing in cases)
Certificate (or CV line builder)	Recognition (reinforces value of TA Training) Positive impact on culture Cost effective	Rules! (150 hours requirement in order to be called “certificate”) Planning/logistics Schedule conflicts who signs the certificates Who tracks attendance Continuity Institutional Memory	✓
Awards	Money CV line Feeling valued	Funding Admin Limited	✓
Community network	Relationships Knowledge exchange Connections (future employment)	Needs a champion Varied success rate Time commitment	✓ If TA values network
Consequences and repercussions	Attendance Cost effective	Active Participation Administration of consequences (student push back)

 

Intrinsic Motivation/Strategy	Advantage	Disadvantage	Applicability to Returning TAs
Mentorship	Skill Development Collegiality Cost-effective Informal relationship	Participation Accountability	✓
Non-Mandatory Training	Skill development	Timing	✓ yes with new content
Community Building	Sharing experiences	Need a champion	✓
Personal Growth/Professional Development		Not traditional “TA Training”	✓
Session on TA –> Career	Identifies and articulates transferable skills	Get people to come	✓
Needs Assessment	Get to know what they want & need Knows that their voice and needs are heard	Good Q’s Connection with sessions	✓

Strategies for Engaging Returning TAs:

• Call to nostalgia
  [Graduate TAs see value in TAship]
• Create map of opportunities i.e.: year-based pathway
  • Pathway:
    • PD
    • Instructorship
    • NGO
    • Etc.

Example: