- About CEE
-
Events
- Overview
- Certificate Program in University Teaching and Learning
- Decolonization and Indigenization
- Instructional Skills Workshop
- Remote Teaching Forum 2021
- Rethinking Course Design
- Special Events
- TA/TM Week: Orientation to Remote Teaching
- Teaching Matters Seminar Series
- Voice and Presentation Skills
-
News
- Overview
- In-person instruction: Some classes have already returned
- 813,000 Zoom meetings: How IT Services handled the move to remote instruction
- This math lecturer developed her own open textbook—now thousands of students are using it
- Three students talk about academic integrity
- A different perspective on academic integrity
- Painting the bigger picture of academic integrity
- National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
- Reflections on Inclusion in the Classroom Week
- Fostering connection and practicing kindness
- Can you teach dance remotely?
- A student’s perspective: How two instructors created connection online
- Welcome to your new Zoom classroom
- Kevin Lam: “Students appreciate every little thing we do that shows that we care”
- Sheri Fabian: “I embraced a flexible approach”
- Sarah Johnson: “The biggest change I made was to switch to asynchronous delivery”
- Nicky Didicher: “I’m finding my job less exhilarating”
- Mark Lechner: “You have to be OK with things going sideways”
- Nienke van Houten: “They really valued my clear and upfront approach”
- How can we support remote instruction at SFU?
- Crowdmark: A more efficient way to grade student assessments
- The unexpected benefits of a shorter syllabus
- Photo gallery: Talking shop at Teaching Matters
- Watch the video: Faculty members discuss SFU's new instructor-led online course model
- Bridges and booster rockets: CEE's new senior director talks about teaching support
- Meet the Centre for Educational Excellence leadership team
- A biology instructor rethought her students’ role—and her own
- Photo gallery: SFU’s 24th Annual Spring TA/TM Day
- Photo gallery: SFU's 9th Annual Winter Warm-up
- If you build it, will they come?
- “My students didn’t look like they were having fun”: Three additions to the TA/TM Stories podcast series
- View the furniture, share your thoughts—online
- An upgraded Canvas Gradebook is coming in January
- Share your thoughts on the furniture in SFU classrooms
- DEMOfest presenter slides
- Photo gallery: 5th Annual DEMOfest
- Teamwork needs to be taught
- TA/TM Stories: Three new podcasts explore the teaching experiences of grad students
- Can it be done? A math instructor attempts to indigenize her course
- Answers to your questions about SFU's new approach to online education
- Photo gallery: The CEE Open House
- Do you know your faculty teaching fellow?
- Instructor-led online courses: How one faculty member prepared for the new model
- Photo gallery: SFU's 34th Annual Fall TA/TM Day draws a crowd
- Connecting people and crossing artificial divides: An interview with Elizabeth Elle
- Sessional instructors can now be included in online course evaluations
- Don't say this to your class—a student shares his experience
- How one lecturer is using podcasts to make course concepts more real in her online course
- Photo gallery: Rain, burgers and smiles at the 2019 President's Employee BBQ
- Five questions and answers about the creation of CEE
- A redesign made this course more engaging for students—and the instructor
- CPUTL: A graduate student describes her experience
- Services
- Resources
- CEE Staff Login
TA/TM Week: Orientation to Remote Teaching
TA/TM Week (formerly Day) is SFU’s most comprehensive orientation event for both new and veteran teaching assistants and tutor-markers. Meet your peers and get information and advice from experienced TAs and other members of SFU’s academic community. You will gain knowledge, skills and confidence for your teaching support roles.
Presented by the Centre for Educational Excellence in cooperation with the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Teaching Support Staff Union at SFU.
“TA/TM Day was a one-stop shop that provided me with the skills and knowledge to excel in my instructional roles at SFU.” – Jessica, BPK
Spring 2021 TA/TM Orientation: Engaging Students in the Disciplines
For this Spring 2021 supplementary orientation, all workshops will be offered virtually on March 5. See below for the full schedule and registration information. Note that times are subject to change.
Register here in advance for Zoom access to sessions 1, 3 and 5.
Register here in advance for Zoom access to sessions 2, 4 and 6.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meetings.
Fri, March 5
1:00–2:00 p.m.
Session 1 | Sparking Creativity: Tips and Tools for Developing Creative and Engaging Tutorial Activities
Presenter: Lauren Knight (School of Communication)
This workshop will introduce TAs to new tools, tips and ideas to develop engaging and creative tutorial activities. We will explore some free and easy-to-use platforms that can help you create engaging content such as slides, polls, quizzes and handouts. This session will also highlight the importance of a case study in encouraging students to explore concepts in new ways. Let’s get creative!
1:00–2:00 p.m.
Session 2 | The Writing on the Classroom Wall: Enhancing Remote Tutorials with Zoom Annotation
Presenter: Leah Wiener (Department of History)
Beyond chats and polls, Zoom has a built-in feature that is excellent for engaging students through non-verbal participation. In this workshop, we will learn how to use the annotate function to foster community building, offer multiple forms of participation, and solicit student feedback in remote tutorials.
2:15–3:15 p.m.
Session 3 | Active Learning in Remote Labs and Tutorials
Presenters: Zohreh D. Champiri and Alexander Bretin (School of Interactive Arts & Technology)
Many students are shy about turning on their cameras or participating in remote sessions. This workshop will explore strategies and tools for creating an online environment in which students feel comfortable enough to actively engage in learning. We will consider specific technologies as well as learning activities that can be adapted to various disciplines and learning contexts.
2:15–3:15 p.m.
Session 4 | The Three Pillars of Smooth Marking: Efficiency, Effectiveness and Fairness
Presenter: Canan Gunes (Faculty of Education)
This workshop is designed for beginning TAs and TMs who are expected to mark essay-based assignments. While we invest a lot of time in marking, we would like to experience this process as smoothly as possible. Participants will explore effective and fair marking strategies by engaging with exemplar rubrics and student written work and by reflecting on their interactions. Upon completion of the workshop, you should feel more at ease with interpreting pre-determined rubrics, be able to utilize the rubric to give effective feedback to improve student learning, and be able to identify specific Canvas tools to facilitate marking and good time management.
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Session 5 | Place-based Learning While Sheltering in Place? Engaging Students Using Virtual Field Trips
Presenter: Leah Wiener (Department of History)
Remote learning presents surprising opportunities for place-based learning. Virtual tours and museum exhibits enable students to explore locations close to and far from home. In this workshop, we will examine the many online resources that enable TAs to plan engaging tutorial sessions that visit libraries, museums, heritage sites and unique landscapes around the world. We will also use the SFU library’s databases and digital collections to learn how to plan a virtual scavenger hunt.
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Session 6 | “Where do I even start?”—TA Feedback in Writing-Intensive (“W”) Courses
Presenter: Jorji Temple (English)
Don’t know what to write on your student’s papers? Unsure how to format or express feedback on their work? This workshop provides a toolkit that participants can customize to their own discipline and course. Bring a paper from your discipline and learn how to mark it up! Hear how your colleagues approach marking and feedback, and ask general questions about TAing W courses in a friendly, conversational workshop setting. The session concludes with a method for integrating your discipline’s material and teaching writing.
Other resources
In addition to these online workshops, self-directed, asynchronous learning will be available to TAs throughout the week via the Remote Teaching for TAs and TMs Canvas site. The online modules on the site provide teaching and facilitation strategies that TAs and TMs can use to create engaging learning experiences for undergraduates. Learn about:
- Facilitating Online Tutorials in Zoom/Blackboard
- Marking Assignments, Discussions and Exams
- Facilitating Active Learning in Tutorials and Labs
- Communicating with Your Course Supervisor
- Holding Office Hours Online
- Supporting Student Success
Enroll at: canvas.sfu.ca/enroll/GW3C6K
F T I